About Us
Board of Governors

Board Responsibilities

Key Stewardship Responsibilities of the Board

The Board of Governors is accountable to the School community for Grammar's success in achieving its Mission, Vision and strategic plans in a manner consistent with its values.

According to current standards of governance, the Board of Governors is responsible to provide strategic leadership and effective stewardship and to advance the best interests of the School as a whole.

The Board is expected to:
  • Approve the School’s Mission and Vision
  • Ensure that the School’s values and ethics are clear, known to and applied by the School community
  • Recruit, appoint, evaluate, develop and compensate the Head of School
  • Participate in the development of and approve the School’s strategic plan
  • Approve the annual priorities and budget, ensuring alignment with the strategic plan
  • Monitor the School’s progress in relation to its strategic and annual plans
  • Ensure the ongoing financial sustainability of the School
  • Provide leadership in advancing a culture of philanthropy at the school
  • Understand the principal risks facing the school and ensure that the School administration has systems in place to identify and manage risk
  • Monitor the adequacy of the School’s internal controls and management information systems
  • Promote and monitor the quality of the School’s programs and services
  • Ensure that the School’s human resources policies support the attraction, development, and retention of qualified and motivated employees
  • Approve a communications policy and monitor the effectiveness of the School’s relationships with key stakeholders
  • Demonstrate accountability to the School community and monitor the School’s compliance with legal reporting requirements
  • Foster the Board’s ongoing effectiveness and efficiency
 

Basic Legal Duties of Directors

The Articles of Association provide that the “direction of the affairs of the Company” shall be vested in the Governors.

The Board is responsible for setting the policy and strategies of the Company and performing scheduled reviews of them. Specific authority is given to the Board to do things such as appoint a Head of School, set policies for the admission and removal of students, set the student fees, encourage and receive donations and endowments, purchase property and provide for the management of the affairs of the School in such a manner as they see fit.

Individual Governors owe a fiduciary duty to the School. They are expected to act reasonably, prudently and in good faith in the best interests of the School as a whole. They are also expected to avoid conflicts of interestmaintain the confidentiality of Board business, and support decisions made collectively by the Board.

Individual Governors must also act in accordance with applicable legislation, by-laws and policies. Each Governor is expected to exercise the same degree of care, skill, and diligence as would be expected of a person with the same experience and background.

The Board's Role in Advancement and Funds Development

The Board plays a crucial role in advancing the mission of Halifax Grammar School. It is responsible for approving the School's mission, which leads to the development of a shared vision and the establishment of clear strategic priorities. The Board also appoints a Head of School who possesses the passion, commitment, and skills necessary to implement the strategic plan. Additionally, the Board is tasked with securing the funds and resources needed to support the School's mission.
 
Governors are expected to demonstrate leadership in acquiring philanthropic and other support for the School. All Board members should participate in the Annual Campaign and any periodic Capital Campaigns to the best of their abilities. Furthermore, Board members are encouraged to inspire others to contribute to Grammar's fundraising efforts.