School Policy Checklist for Boards of Management

Boards of Management carry a practical governance responsibility: they need to know which school policies exist, when those policies were last approved, who owns them, and what evidence shows that required reviews have taken place.

For many Irish schools, the issue is not that a policy is completely missing. It is that the policy is saved in the wrong folder, linked from an old page, missing a Board approval date, or due for review after a change in legislation, Department guidance, patron requirements or local school practice.

This checklist is designed for Board members, principals, chairpersons and school leaders who want a clear starting point for policy readiness. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace patron, Department of Education or professional guidance. It gives Boards a practical way to structure the policy review conversation.

What should a Board policy checklist show?

A useful Board checklist should answer six basic questions for every important policy:

Does the policy exist in the current approved version?
Is it mandatory, expected under Department or patron guidance, or recommended good practice?
Who owns the policy internally?
When did the Board last approve or note it?
When is the next scheduled review?
What evidence would show that the review happened?

A policy register is strongest when it records more than file names. It should also capture Board minutes, consultation records, publication status, links to the live website, and any follow-up actions agreed after review.

Core policies every Irish school Board should be able to locate

The exact policy set depends on school type, patron body, level, sector and local context. However, most Boards should be able to find current documents across these areas.

Child safeguarding

Child Safeguarding Statement: mandatory for relevant services under the Children First Act 2015. Schools should ensure it is based on a written risk assessment, furnished to staff, made available as required, and reviewed in line with Children First and Department procedures.
Child safeguarding risk assessment: required before preparing the Child Safeguarding Statement. It should identify potential risks of harm and the procedures in place to reduce those risks.
Child protection procedures and DLP arrangements: schools should keep a clear record of the Designated Liaison Person, deputy DLP and Board reporting arrangements.

For Board tracking, record the annual review date, the Board minute reference, and where the current statement is displayed or published.

Admissions and enrolment

Admissions Policy: required under the Education Acts as amended by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. It should be approved through the correct patron and consultation process and published on the school website where applicable.
Annual Admission Notice: published before the admissions process each year. The notice is distinct from the policy and should be tracked annually.
Application form and admissions records: the Board should be able to confirm that current materials match the published admissions policy.

For Board tracking, distinguish between the policy review cycle and the annual admission notice cycle.

Behaviour, attendance and wellbeing

Code of Behaviour: required under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 framework and related guidance. It should be reviewed when behaviour procedures, school context or relevant guidance changes.
Attendance strategy and procedures: the school should have clear systems for attendance monitoring, reporting and follow-up.
Anti-bullying policy under Bi Cinealta: Boards have oversight of the development, implementation and review of the school's anti-bullying policy under the 2024 procedures.
Suspension and expulsion procedures: should align with the school's Code of Behaviour and fair procedures.

For Board tracking, note consultation with staff, parents and students where required, and record how the Board receives updates on implementation.

Health, safety and critical incidents

Safety Statement: required under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. It should be supported by current risk assessments.
Risk assessments: should reflect real school operations, premises, activities and changed circumstances.
Critical incident policy or plan: recommended for school readiness and crisis response. Track review after incidents, drills, changes in staffing or updated guidance.
First aid and administration of medicines procedures: important operational controls, especially where responsibilities or pupil needs change.
Educational visits or school trips procedures: should clarify approval, supervision, consent and risk assessment requirements.

For Board tracking, record the person responsible for review, the date of any premises or safety audit, and actions carried forward.

Data, records and digital use

Data protection policy and privacy notices: schools must comply with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. A written policy, clear privacy notices and defined records practices are important evidence of governance readiness.
Records retention and access procedures: should explain how records are stored, retained, accessed and disposed of.
Acceptable Use Policy: sets expectations for pupil, staff and school technology use.
Website and publication checks: ensure published policies are current, accessible and aligned with the approved version.

For Board tracking, record the last privacy notice review, the Data Protection Officer or responsible contact where applicable, and any action linked to data requests or incidents.

Teaching, learning and inclusion

Special educational needs or inclusion policy: should reflect current school practice and relevant Department guidance.
Assessment policy: helps make assessment practice consistent and transparent.
Homework policy: should be reviewed when teaching practice, parent feedback or school priorities change.
Curriculum-related policies: may be required or expected depending on school level and sector.

For Board tracking, note whether the policy is operational, published, or formally approved by the Board.

Governance, complaints and administration

School plan: the Education Act 1998 places obligations around school planning. Boards should keep planning documents live rather than letting them become static files.
Complaints procedure: schools should ensure they are using the correct current procedure for their sector and patron context.
Protected disclosures procedure: may be required depending on the school's employer and governance arrangements.
Conflict of interest records and Board procedures: important for governance evidence.
Finance, procurement, fundraising and use of premises procedures: often shaped by patron, trustee, Department and local requirements.

For Board tracking, record whether the policy has Board approval, patron approval, principal ownership, or operational sign-off.

A practical review cycle for Boards

A Board policy register should not treat every policy the same way. Some documents have statutory or procedural review requirements. Others should be reviewed on a risk-based cycle.

A practical review cycle usually includes:

Annual review: Child Safeguarding Statement, child protection arrangements, Bi Cinealta anti-bullying policy review, admissions notice, website publication checks, safety action review, data protection notices where school practices change.
Every two years: high-risk governance, behaviour, attendance, digital and safeguarding-adjacent policies unless guidance requires sooner.
Every three years: lower-risk operational policies where no major change has occurred.
Event-triggered review: after a serious incident, inspection finding, complaint pattern, legal change, Department circular, patron update, new system rollout, data incident or major staffing change.

The Board should also be able to see overdue policies at a glance. A simple RAG status can help: green for current, amber for review due soon, red for overdue or evidence missing.

What evidence should the Board keep?

A policy is easier to defend when the review trail is clear. For each policy, keep evidence such as:

Board approval date and minute reference.
Principal or policy owner.
Consultation record where required.
Current version number or effective date.
Publication location, including website URL where relevant.
Next review date.
Actions agreed during review.
Confirmation that old versions have been removed from public pages.

This is especially important for policies that are public-facing or likely to be checked during inspections, complaints, safeguarding reviews or Board assurance work.

Common policy gaps Boards find

The most common issues are not dramatic. They are ordinary record-keeping gaps that build up over time:

A policy exists but the Board approval date is missing.
The website links to an older version than the Board pack.
The policy is approved but the required annual review evidence is not attached.
A checklist says a document is complete, but there is no owner assigned for the next review.
A Department or patron update changed the review requirement, but the register was not updated.
Policies are stored across email, shared drives and website folders with no single source of truth.

The fix is usually a simple register, a named owner, and a recurring Board agenda item.

How Edvance helps

Edvance helps schools move from scattered documents to a clearer policy readiness workflow. It can help a school team:

Build a policy register by hub, owner and review date.
Track Board approval evidence and next actions.
Identify policies that may be overdue or missing publication evidence.
Keep Irish and UK policy content separated by jurisdiction.
Prepare a Board-ready view of policy status without relying on a manual spreadsheet.

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FAQs

Is every policy in this checklist legally mandatory?

No. Some documents are statutory or required under procedures. Others are recommended because they support governance, safety, inspection readiness or consistent school operations. Boards should confirm exact requirements with current Department, patron and professional guidance.

How often should the Board review school policies?

Some policies have specific annual or time-bound review requirements. Others can be reviewed on a risk-based cycle, usually every two or three years, with earlier review after legal, guidance or local practice changes.

Should policies be approved by the Board or just kept by the principal?

It depends on the policy. Some policies require Board approval or formal Board oversight. Others are operational documents led by the principal. A good register should record the correct approval route for each document.

Should every policy be published on the school website?

No. Some policies must be displayed or published, some should be available on request, and some are internal operational documents. Boards should track publication status separately from approval status.

What is the best first step for a Board?

Start with a current inventory. List each policy, owner, approval date, review date and publication status. Then prioritise safeguarding, admissions, behaviour, safety, data protection and other high-risk areas.

Related resources

Sources

Education Act 1998.
Children First Act 2015 and Tusla Child Safeguarding Statement guidance.
Department of Education Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, revised 2023.
Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 and Department of Education school admissions guidance.
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
Bi Cinealta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2024.