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Ministry of Education New Zealand
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Information about a suspension meeting#

Important

The board must do this as soon as practicable after the suspension.

The school board must give the student and a parent in writing information about:

  • when and where the suspension meeting will be (so they can make arrangements to attend)
  • what options the board has at that meeting for dealing with the suspension (so they know the possible serious consequences).

The board must give the student and a parent in writing:

  • information about the procedures that it follows at suspension meetings (so they know what to expect)
  • advice that the student and their parents and their representative may attend the meeting and speak at it about the suspension (so they know how to prepare)
  • the principal’s report to the board on the suspension (so they know the case they have to answer)
  • any other material about the suspension that the principal or board are going to present at the meeting (so there are no surprises).
Important

The board must ensure, however it gives this information, that it is able to reach the student and their parent at least 48 hours before the suspension meeting (allow for the post).

If all the parties agree, this time may be reduced.

Giving a document#

If you have to give a document to a student or a parent, you must use the method below that you think will most likely cause the document to reach them. You must either:

  • personally deliver it to them
  • post it to their usual address (it will be considered to be delivered at the time it would have been delivered in the ordinary course of post)
  • send it by fax or email (it will be considered to be delivered on the day after the day on which it was sent)
  • provide it to them in some other way that they approve.

Proving you gave a document is covered in Rule 4. A call or message to confirm receipt of the document can help prove this.

Information must be complete#

Information given to the student and parent must be as complete as possible. This is a requirement of natural justice.

Nevertheless, the board might be concerned that some of the principal’s report or other material might deal with the privacy of other people. For example, another student might have spoken in confidence to a staff member about an incident or be worried about bullying. In these cases, boards should seek professional advice about how to fairly withhold limited details while still disclosing as much as possible to the student and parent.

Boards should be mindful of the Privacy Act 2020 and the Official Information Act 1982.

Privacy Act 2020 – Privacy.org.nz

Official Information Act 1982 – DPMC

To help you communicate this information to parents you may wish to use model letter template 2, 'Notifying parent/s or caregivers of suspension'.

Model letter templates

You should also consider calling a parent.