This week I have been at home with Covid and I am grateful to the Senior Leadership Team and other members of our school staff who keep the school running very efficiently in my absence. It also gives plenty of time to reflect on illness, absence and attendance.

Our health is our greatest asset. When we feel well, we function well and have energy and enthusiasm that we can share with others. Developing healthy habits such as good sleep, nutrition and exercise early in life are fundamental to development. Conversely, late nights, too much screen time and junk food erode our wellbeing, making it hard for us to function fully, learn and contribute.

Yesterday the government announced its new Attendance and Engagement Strategy in response to declining attendance at schools across New Zealand since 2015. Shockingly the latest figures show just 59.7% of students attending regularly (90% or more of the time) across New Zealand. At Otago Girls’ High School our attendance figures sit consistently at around 90% (87% currently with the disruptions caused by illness this year) but even 90% means that on average students are missing one day of school a fortnight. We can do better.

A really effective tool for self-management of attendance is for students to track their own attendance using the Edge app. All students have access to this and should set targets for improved attendance for themselves. Obviously where attendance is 98% or above, this is not needed. Graphs look something like this:

The importance of attending school every day lies not only in the data and the learning and achievement, but also in the belonging and social connection to school. Every day out of school is a lost connection with teachers, peers and school activities. All students who attend regularly have good connections and achieve well, simply by being there. There are proven benefits in mental health, resilience, social connection and wellness generally.

Let’s work together as a whole school community to get students at school every day, learning and thriving. This will take effort from both schools and whānau/ communities. Working together I know we can raise both attendance and achievement at this school.

Ngā mihi nui

Bridget Davidson

Tumuaki ~ Principal