Säännöt - Constitution

Constitution – Glasgow Finnish School (Glasgow’n Suomi-koulu)

15/08/2025


1. Membership

All students, their parents and the teachers of Glasgow Finnish School are automatically included in the membership. The management committee may accept additional members who are interested in the Glasgow Finnish School operation and agree with its constitution.

2. Operation

Glasgow Finnish School is a Community Group established in 2005. The school aims to enhance and support the development of Finnish language skills and Finnish identity of children and young people from Finnish families living in Britain, as well as increase their knowledge of Finnish culture and history. The school offers teaching for school aged children and runs a play group for babies and toddlers. Children attend Finnish School under the supervision of their parents. The members agree to use the meeting venue according to the current risk assessment as well as any additional guidance from the premises. In the beginning of the school year the person responsible for the Glasgow Finnish School risk assessment for the use of the premises, will go through the information with the membership. Children attending the Glasgow Finnish School will pay tuition fees. The fees will be decided for the coming school year in the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Fee structure may include annual, term and drop-in options as decided in the AGM. If changes in the running costs occur, the management committee may change the fees during the school year. The school year is defined from 1st of August to the 31st of July the following year inline with the definition used by Suomi-Seura ry from whom the Glasgow Finnish School applies funding.

3. Management

The Glasgow Finnish School is overseen by a management committee. Glasgow Finnish Schools management committee must as a minimum include chair, treasurer and a secretary. The committee is elected once a year at the Annual General Meeting. Roles may be shared by multiple people. Additional committee roles may be created as required in the Annual General Meeting. The committee may appoint a new committee member at other times of the year if a previously elected member resigns during the operational period. The committee is responsible for the running of the school.

The roles of the committee members are defined as:

Chair will

• Call in the meeting, prepare and circulate the agenda, chair the meetings
• Approve the lesson plans drafted by the teachers
• Be responsible for the general coordination of the activities
• Recruit and hire new teachers
• Select suitable school days considering the school holiday periods in the relevant council areas and make bookings at the premises used.
• Induct new teachers and pupils
• Attend the West of Scotland Finns meetings to liaise with the wider Finnish community in Scotland and advertise the school to recruit new members.

Secretary will

• Update the school blog and facebook page
• Advertise school sessions and events
• Answer email
• Prepare schools newsletters as required
• Prepare meeting minutes of the committee meetings.

Treasurer will

• Collect tuition and drop-in fees as well as kiosk payments and deposit the funds in the Glasgow Finnish School bank account
• Pay rent to the premises
• Pay salaries to the teachers
• Pay Disclosure fees to Disclosure Scotland, as well as submit Disclosure applications. Countersignatory will sign these
• Pay costs arising from the school session coffee break as well as any other relevant costs
• Prepare a funding application to the Suomi-Seura ry. to obtain funds to support the operation
• Ensure the school’s Public liability insurance and web domain are current and paid for.

The committee will meet three times annually. August/September and January/February meetings are operational planning meetings where arrangements for the autumn and spring term are discussed. Annual General Meeting is held in May. All committee meetings are open to the membership. At the end of each meeting the date of the following meeting is decided, noted in the minutes and shared with the membership. The meetings are advertised to the membership again one week prior to the agreed meeting date using the schools whatsapp group and on the school Facebook page. The financial year used is the calendar year running from the 1st of January to the 31st of December. The treasurer will present a summary of school finances in the Annual General Meeting. The treasurer will prepare Financial Statements for the funding application. If required, the treasurer may present financial information in the operational meetings. The Glasgow Finnish School must have an up-to-date Child Protection Policy. This is also a requirement for the school’s public liability insurance.

4. Changes to the constitution

This constitution may be amended in the committee meetings. On such occasions the meeting agenda must clearly state that changes to the constitution will be discussed.