Our target for students is 94% attendance to be able to attend the school ball, play sport for the school, and apply for leadership positions. This means that students can only have a maximum of 6% unjustified absences i.e. things like holidays during term time, days off for non-medical reasons, truancy, or lateness. We also want to encourage a culture where regular attendance is acknowledged and celebrated.

We also know that statistically, West Coast schools have the lowest regular attendance statistics in the country. The Māwhera Kāhui Ako schools are working collaboratively to ensure we have a united approach to lifting student attendance. This includes clarity around coding to make sure there is a shared understanding about what constitutes justified and unjustified absences. The government target for regular attendance in 2024 is 70%. 

Regular attendance is counted as 91% and above. This equates to 1 day off per fortnight. Irregular attendance is counted between 81-80% This equates to 2 days off per fortnight. Moderate attendance is counted between 71%-80%. This equates to 3+ days per fortnight. Chronic attendance is counted as anything less than 70% attendance. 

At JPII, we currently have approx 67% of students who are meeting or exceeding the regular attendance expectation of 91%+. 

This is a great result but there is still much room for improvement. 

• Approximately 24% of students are attending irregularly between 81-90%. 
• Approximately 8% of students have moderate attendance. 
• Approximately 3% of students have chronic attendance between 56-66%.

We are tracking the attendance of every student who attends JPII and working with families to get students back to regular attendance. We want every student to be at school to make the most of the educational opportunities open to them. If your child is going to be absent from school, please let us know first thing in the morning by leaving a message on the phone 768 4166 or emailing attendance@johnpaul.ac.nz letting us know your child's name, reason for absence and how long they will be absent for.

Attached is the matrix of attendance codes issued by the Ministry of Education we use daily for your information. We thank you for helping us improve student attendance and educational outcomes at JPII.