Does your child need to attend school every day?

Your child should go to school every day. But sometimes they might need to be away from school because they are too sick to attend, have an appointment or need to be at a tangi or funeral.

If your child is going to be away from school you should let the school know as soon as possible. Check what your school’s process is for letting them know about absences. You will need to let them know that your child will be away, why and for how long.

If your child is going to be away for several days, talk to their teacher about getting some work to do while they are away, so that they don’t fall behind in class.

Can you take your child out of school for a holiday during term time?

No, a holiday is not a good enough reason to take your child out of school, so holidays should be planned outside of term time.

Events like a birthday or a special day’s shopping aren’t considered valid reasons for being away from school either.

What can you do to make sure your child is going to school?

The key here is to make school the priority. Below are some helpful hints to support regular attendance at school:

• talk to your children about why it is important to go to school every day – ask them what they want to be in the future. Their education is the key to doing well in life
• be positive about school
• set good habits about going to school from day one
• prepare your children the night before school - make sure they have done their homework
• have a good morning routine that gets them to school on time, relaxed and with everything they need
• don't let them have the day off just because they would rather be at home
• keep absences due to sickness to times when your child is actually sick - don't keep them at home when you know that they are just nervous about school – talk to the school who can help your child overcome this
• know about your child's school life – ask questions, listen to your child. This will make it easier to pick up on any issues they might be having
• keep family holidays outside of term-time, as every day at school is an opportunity to build skills, and repetition is critical for learning – especially for primary school children
• don’t overload them – school may be exhausting for your child so make sure they have some downtime after school to relax and have a break.

If you have concerns about your child attending school talk to your child's kaitiaki teacher about them as soon as possible. Developing a strong home/school partnership is the first step to improving attendance and we are committed to supporting every child to be happy and successful at school.