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