In New Zealand the national average for attendance is around 85% and around 4.2% for unjustified absences. Unjustified absences are full day absences which are either unexplained or the reason for the absence is not within the schools policy as a justifiable reason for a student to miss school.

Some key points to consider regarding your child's attendance at school:

• Student attendance, along with effective teaching, has the greatest influence on student engagement and achievement.
• Students with high absenteeism are less likely to succeed in their learning.
• If a student misses five school days each term, or one day a fortnight, they will miss the equivalent of one year of school over 10 years.
• As the level of absenteeism grows, the difficulty of re-engaging in learning can grow exponentially.

As outlined above it is important that all students attend school regularly and on time.  Arriving between 8:30 and 8:45 allows students time to unpack their bags and prepare for the day. It also provides time for teachers to check in with students and ensure they are ready for learning.  Our morning blocks focus on the core learning areas of reading, writing and maths as well as important health programmes such as Pause, Breathe, Smile and KiVa.  Students who are late often arrive stressed and have missed out on important learning that is difficult to catch up on.

If you are concerned about your child's attendance please arrange a meeting with your child's whanau teacher. We also have access to services such as the Public Health Nurse, Mana Ake and RTLB (Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour) who can support you with attendance issues.