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Increasing Student Attendance
Pītau Allenvale School — February 7, 2025
The Education Review Office (ERO) looked at research from Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas, to find out about the difference that attendance makes for children. Even missing just two days a term is linked to not doing as well. The more often children attend school, the better they do at school, the happier they are, and the better they are set up for life.
One of the things we are continuing to focus on in 2025 at Pītau-Allenvale is student attendance.
If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss more than a whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.
All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school.
You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure. Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.
Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school can be tricky. Health guidance to support you to decide is available. If you are still unsure, get in touch with us and let’s work together to support your learner.
If you are finding it hard to get your child to school, please talk with us so we can work together. Our school is committed to supporting your child to attend school.
We will be following the Ministry of Education's STAR (Stepped Attendance Response) programme to support students regular attendance.
Our school continues to build a culture that fosters attendance every day by having:
● School staff who have strong relationships with students and family.
● A school culture that recognises your child and your family for who you are, where you come from and what you value.
● A school whānau that takes all practical steps to make sure your child is at school and progressing in their learning.
● A school that is safe and welcoming for everyone in our school community.
If you have any attendance queries and issues, please contact us so we can work together.
