Regular school attendance is vital for the success and wellbeing of our tamariki. Attending school every day supports our tamariki to build strong foundations for their learning and social development. Regular attendance also promotes achievement success as tamariki are able to consistently build on their learning.
Why do I need to send my children to school?
Children must attend school so they can learn, build social skills, stay safe, and get the education they need for future opportunities. Regular attendance is required by New Zealand law.
Section 20 of the Education Act 1989 states: Every person is required to be enrolled at a registered school at all times during the period beginning on the person’s sixth birthday and ending on the person’s sixteenth birthday.
Picking up your Child Early?
School encourages children to stay until the last bell so they don’t miss important learning. Early pick-ups should only be for justified reasons like medical, dental, bereavement, or unexpected events. If you do need to pick them up early, please report to the office to sign them out.
Absences
We record all absences as justified, unjustified, or unexplained. This helps us keep accurate attendance records and support your child’s learning.
What is a justified absence?
A justified absence is when a child cannot attend school for a valid reason, such as illness. Please do not send sick children to school. If your child is well enough, you may support their learning from home, though there is no expectation for schoolwork to be completed while they are unwell. Please contact your child’s teacher to discuss ways to support their learning during their absence.
What is an unjustified absence?
For events like birthday celebrations, family holidays, visiting friends, or not having lunch (lunch is provided at school), and for not wearing the correct uniform, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher to find a solution.
What if my child is sick?
Tamariki will sometimes become unwell and need to stay home. Please keep your child at home only when they are genuinely sick. Symptoms like a sore puku or a headache can sometimes be linked to worry rather than illness. If you suspect anxiety may be the cause, get in touch with your child’s teacher so we can work together on supporting them back into class.
Children must remain at home if they have a fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, a persistent or severe cough, a rash, conjunctivitis, or any contagious illness such as chicken pox.
Unexplained absences
Because tamariki are expected to attend school each day, it’s important that you let us know whenever your child is kept home. If we don’t hear from you, we have no way of knowing whether they are safe, have been injured, or have encountered a problem on their way to school.
If we haven’t received any notification from you, the following steps will be taken:
You will receive a text message in the morning asking for information about your child’s absence.
If there is still no response, the classroom teacher or our Learning Support Coordinator will phone you. In some situations, we may visit your home to make sure your child and whānau are safe and well.
If we are unable to make contact or concerns continue, we may need to refer the matter to Attendance Services.
