The Amesbury School Board has set one clear focus for our attendance efforts this year - reduce the number of absences due to family holidays or travel. Every day matters; here's how you can help.

At Amesbury School, we know that every day a tamaiti (child) spends in the classroom is an investment in their future. We see first-hand the spark of discovery and the social bonds that form when our ākonga (students) are here, learning, playing and growing together.

Currently, our school is sitting at 77% of students attending school at least 90% of the time. While this is close to the government’s national target of 80%, we need your help to bridge that final gap. Every day counts.

The impact of "just a few days"

It’s easy to feel like a week-long trip or a few days tagged onto a weekend won't make a big difference. However, the data tells a different story. In Term 4 of last year, 40% of all absences at our school were due to family holidays and overseas travel.

When a student misses a week of school, they aren't just missing "work"—they are missing:

• Sequential learning: Literacy and maths lessons build on each other daily. Missing the "middle" makes the "end" much harder to grasp.

• Social connection: Friendships and group projects move fast. Coming back after a week can leave tamariki (children) feeling "out of the loop" or anxious about catching up.

• School momentum: Consistent routines help children feel secure and ready to learn.

• Life learning: School is not just about academic and social learning. Consistent attendance at school teaches tamariki about persistence, resilience, and strong routines. Tamariki learn that you need to show up and be present in whatever you do, and this learning starts when they are young.

Our Shared Goal: 80% at 90%

The Ministry of Education’s target is for 80% of our students to be present for 90% of the school year. What does 90% attendance actually look like?

It means ākonga miss no more than 5 days per term. When holidays are taken during term time, it becomes almost impossible for ākonga to stay within this "regular attendance" bracket, especially if they also have an unexpected illness later in the year.

How You Can Help

We love that our whānau value travel and cultural connection, but we ask that you prioritize the education of your tamaiti (child) when planning these experiences.

• Stick to the breaks: Please aim to schedule all family trips and overseas travel during the official school holidays.

• Check the calendar: If you are planning a trip, check our term dates well in advance to ensure your return aligns with the start of the new term. In the next few weeks our school will be setting the term dates for 2027. Please plan ahead with strong school attendance in mind.

• Every day counts: Even avoiding "early exits" on a Friday or "late starts" on a Monday can significantly boost our school's overall attendance.

We are so proud of the achievements of ngā ākonga (our students), and we want to ensure every tamaiti has the best possible chance to succeed. By working together to keep holiday travel within school breaks, we can hit our 80% target and, more importantly, keep ngā tamariki on track.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for making school a priority.

Ngā mihi nui,

Urs Cunningham