Attendance

School leadership, boards, parents and the Ministry of Education all play key roles in supporting students to attend school – and addressing absence when it occurs. Lifting school attendance is our shared responsibility.

What we expect from Parents, Caregivers and Whānau

When your child has:

GOOD - Less than 5 days absence in a school term.

• Ensure student attends every day they are able

• Reinforce good attendance habits

• Support other parents to reinforce good attendance habits

• Open communication with school

• Follow school attendance management plan and associated policies and processes

WORRYING - Up to 10 days absence in a school term. (Plus previous responses)

• Return student to regular attendance

• Contact school to discuss reasons for absence

• Support student to catch up on missed learning

• Engage in supports offered

CONCERNING - Up to 15 days absence in a school term. (Plus previous responses) (CONCERNING)

• Return student to regular attendance

• Attend meeting at the school to analyse reasons for absence and to collaborate on a support plan

• Implement strategies at home

SERIOUS CONCERN - 15 days or more absence in a school term. (SERIOUS CONCERN)

• Return student to regular attendance

• Engage in improvement plan

• Participate in regular meetings

What YOU CAN expect from college street normal school

When your child has:

GOOD - Less than 5 days absence in a school term.

• Clear communication to parents on attendance expectations on enrolment, at the start of school year, and each term

• Communicate to parents what steps the school will take in the event their child is absent from school

• Communicate good attendance habits to students and parents

• Monitor attendance

• Communicate to parents about every absence

• Maintain contact details of parents

• Provide students with regular updates on their own attendance

• Report regularly to parents on attendance of their child

• Support students getting to school

• Use school level approaches to promote good social and learning environment

WORRYING - Up to 10 days absence in a school term. (Plus previous responses)

• Send formal notification and contact parent/guardian to discuss reasons for absence

• Support students to catch up missed learning where required

• Use in-school resources as appropriate to remove barriers e.g. SENCO

CONCERNING - Up to 15 days absence in a school term. (Plus previous responses)

• Send escalated formal notification to parents

• Hold meeting to analyse reasons for absence and to collaborate on a support plan

• Develop and implement a plan tailored to the reasons and circumstances around the child’s absence

• Use in-school resources as appropriate to remove barriers and request support from Ministry or other agencies as needed

SERIOUS CONCERN - 15 days or more absence in a school term.

• Send warning notice and make contact to arrange meeting with parents

• Escalate to multi-agency response

• Participate in multi-agency response

• Implement and monitor improvement plan

• Undertake school-led prosecution, or request Ministry-led prosecution, when considered appropriate if supports are offered and not taken up.

• Unenrol students who will not be returning to school