Student Absences
It can be a surprise when you read that your child has had an unjustified absence, especially if you have informed us in the office.
As a school we are obligated to code student absence accurately and in accordance with the Ministry of Education's guidelines. Here is some information about how we code student absences and our school attendance policy.
Absence notifications
As soon as you make the decision that your child will not be at school on a particular day, please inform the student office. There are multiple ways you can do this:
SchoolApp
Phone us on 688 1122
Kamar portal.
Email to office@timarugirls.school.nz
This can be done in advance, and it is preferred if you can do so, for example appointments booked in advance.
Justified vs Unjustified absence
When you notify us, please include the reason for the absence. Unfortunately, even when we get a reason, some absences may still be coded as unjustified. An unjustified absence is an absence that is either unexplained or explained, but the explanation is not within the school's policy as an acceptable reason for the student to be away from school. For example:
No information or throw-away explanation, eg, “won't be attending for family reasons”
Absent with an explained but unjustified reason, eg, “needs to stay home to look after siblings” or “it’s her birthday”
Holiday during term time.
Some other common examples of unjustified absences are:
Sitting a driving test or taking driving lessons
“We are going away for the weekend so we need to leave at lunchtime on Friday”
“A family member from out of town is visiting so she will be off to spend time with them”.
Sporting or cultural activities during school time
We have a number of students at Timaru Girls’ High School who participate in extracurricular sporting and/or cultural activities which are not school-related. From time to time participation in these activities may occur during school time, or require travel during school time. As we are restricted by the Ministry of Education’s guidelines, these absences are required to be coded as ‘unjustified’ in most instances, particularly if we have not been informed in advance. If you have reason to believe that the event your child is participating in should be coded as a justified absence, you may submit a request at least one week before the planned event. The request is approved or declined entirely at the discretion of the principal who considers each application on its merits.
Leaving school during the day
Students may not leave the school during school hours except by special arrangement. For example, a parent request (verbal or written) for the student to attend a medical appointment. Students need to obtain a red card from the duty dean during form time. They will require the red card to be excused from their classroom. Then they need to come to the student office to sign out before they leave school grounds. If a student presents at the student office to sign out and they do not have a red card, office staff will make a courtesy call to their caregiver to confirm they have permission to leave school grounds.
For further information:
Ministry of Education attendance codes:
Timaru Girls’ High School attendance policy: