Student attendance, along with effective teaching, has the greatest influence on student engagement and achievement. All students must be present at school so that they can participate and engage in learning. High attendance is also crucial for making and maintaining social groupings and friendships.

Irregular attendance is an early indicator of problems. 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.

Please help your child to attend school every day, every period by ensuring they have the means to get to school and home again on time, that they have adequate supervision to get to school, that any issues are communicated to the school promptly and that they have a good breakfast and lunch to see them through the day.

Absence Procedures for Parents

1. Where possible, all appointments should be made outside of school hours. Where an appointment during school hours is unavoidable, the student must bring an appointment card or signed note to the attendance office before school, or at interval, to get a dated exeat pass. Their year level Dean’s permission is required for any other exeat. Dean’s permission is required for a lunchtime exeat. Year 13 students are exempt from this requirement.

2. Whenever possible, parents/caregivers will be encouraged to advise the school of an impending absence ahead of time. When this is not possible, then parents/caregivers will be asked to inform the school as soon as possible after the event e.g. by phone (03 471 9727) on the day of a student’s illness. Absences should be notified to the school attendance office between 8.15 and 9.15am on each day of absence.

3. In addition to a verbal explanation from a parent/caregiver the following methods of explaining student absences, either before or after the event, will be accepted:

   1. notification via School App (instructions attached)

   2. email admin@otagogirls.school.nz

   3. a signed note from parent/caregiver

   4. a medical certificate from a health professional

Parents are requested to provide the student’s name and whānau class and the date of and reason for the absence.

1. If a student feels ill they report to the school office. Staff will assess the appropriate care of the student. Parents must be contacted before a student can go home.

2. Overseas holidays during term time constitute unjustified absence and will be dealt with as such.

3. In cases of chronic illness above 15 half-days absence per term, a current medical certificate must be supplied to the attendance manager, covering the period of illness. There may be a referral to the Health School.

4. Consequences for unjustified absences from school include attendance referrals, referral to the dean or counsellor, meeting with the Principal and referral to the Truancy Service.