Ministry of Education: Attendance and Engagement Strategy

Link to Full strategy can be found here

The Government has developed a strategy for tackling the decade-long decline in regular attendance and engagement in schools, based on what they heard from the sector through Kōrero Mātauranga and the Education and Workforce Select Committee Inquiry into school attendance.

The Strategy has three key parts: clear expectations for everyone involved, ambitious targets for attendance levels, and bold actions.

As part of this strategy, we will be sending home regular communication regarding your rangitahi’s attendance to school. Letters will automatically be sent when a learner’s attendance falls below 90%. This includes justified absences such as medical as it is about time away from school rather than the reason. Letters are also sent when attendance falls below 85% and 80%.

Follow up regarding time away from school will happen via your rangitahi’s Ako or Advisory Coach if there is further concern regarding the impact on learning due to absence and how we can best support moving forward.

Our key aim is to work with families to ensure that learners do not fall behind in their learning. Learners are expected to present, participating and progressing. Both home and school have a role to play in this.

Please see the Ministry of Education attendance codes that a school is required to use below. As a parent you will see the codes ‘P (present)’, ‘J (Justified)’ or ‘U (unjustified)’ on the portal. These correspond to the categories above.

Regular attendance at school helps build and maintain a child’s learning, establishes positive daily routines, and promotes wellbeing by connecting them to their peers. We also know that regular attendance and participation is the key factor in a child’s success in learning.