Shared stewardship
in service of the school
A thriving school depends on quality leadership, efficient partnerships and governance structures that support its strategic vision.
As an independent school, St Cyprian’s School operates within a complex environment, serving a broad community of students, families, staff and alumni, and balancing both educational and operational responsibilities. The school also must comply with legislation including the South African Schools Act, the Companies Act, the Income Tax Act, The Constitution of South Africa, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and other statutory regulations.
While education is at the heart of what we do, sound financial management and responsible stewardship are essential to support both current and future generations of girls and ensure the long-term sustainability of the school.
The school’s three formal
supporting structures are:
The St Cyprian’s School Council
The St Cyprian’s School Council is responsible for the strategic, fiduciary and generative oversight of the school, and provides support to the principal.
The Parents’ Association Executive Committee
The executive, a small, dynamic representative body of the larger group of parents, strives to build community and raise funds for key projects at the school.
The Old Girls Union
The Old Girls Union promotes fellowship among St Cyprian’s alumnae and raises funds for bursaries.
St Cyprian’s School Council
Our Council provides support and advice to the principal in her role as the school’s chief executive officer.
Members of the Council have a voluntary, non-executive role in setting the strategic direction of the school, ensuring its sustainability and offering fiduciary oversight. The Council comprises a maximum of 14 members, and the principal is a full voting member. All members, except the principal, serve a three-year term and are eligible for re-election for a further term of three years thereafter to ensure continuity and sustainability.
The Council is responsible for the good governance of the school, and accountable for acting in its best interests at all times. Governance is informed by the four pillars of responsibility, accountability, fairness and transparency.
The Council appoints sub-committees to carry out certain key functions where required. Currently these are Finco, Propco and Transformation and Diversity and each reports to the Council at Council meetings.
The SCS Council
Parents’ Association
All parents or guardians of girls at the school are members of the Parents’ Association (PA).
An executive committee, comprising 10 members, manages the association, and the members of this body are elected by the parents every third year at the PA annual general meeting. Re-election is allowed for a second three-year term.
The PA’s main focus is to build a spirit of social community among the parents and the school, to the benefit of the girls.
The objectives of the association are:
- To maintain a positive and welcoming climate and foster a spirit of community for all parents at the school
- To act in an advisory capacity to new parents and serve as an additional channel of information for the school
- To facilitate social functions where the various stakeholders can interact
- To support and further the activities and interests of the school
- To raise funds through fundraising initiatives and expend funds on school projects in conjunction with the Principal and School Council
The PA has established several sub-committees that parents may choose to become involved with. These fall broadly into two areas: liaison and events.
St Cyprian’s School Union
Former St Cyprian’s girls often say that the school played a unique and important role in shaping who they have become.
The St Cyprian’s Union’s mission statement is borrowed from that of the All Saints Sisters who first ran St Cyprian’s School: “Not for school but for life.”
Run by a committee, the Union comprises strong women who all feel passionately about their alma mater – some are mothers and grandmothers of current St Cyprian’s girls and others, who have no direct, current links, are happy to stay connected and give back to their school.
The Union promotes fellowship among St Cyprian’s alumnae through maintaining a worldwide network of members. They are actively involved in fostering and preserving a relationship with the school family and help to uphold the traditions and values of the school. The St Cyprian’s Union enthusiastically fundraises and administers a bursary fund to provide financial assistance for qualifying students who need financial aid.
As the girls matriculate, they are enrolled as members of the union, which keeps in touch and shares information on past students and school events through quarterly newsletters, extensive online groups and social events all over the world.
