Attendance Matters

We all want students to thrive and be resilient and active members of your whānau and our community.

Today’s learners are tomorrow’s leaders. Give them the best start – get them to school.

Attendance matters, and we need to all work together to increase school attendance.

Regular school attendance makes a big difference. Every day counts, and missing too many days leads to lower achievement, poorer well-being, and other worrying outcomes.

What to expect from our school?

Our school staff care about your child, their learning, where they are now, and where they will be.

Our school does everything it can to make sure your child is at school and is participating, and progressing in their education.

A school culture that recognises your child and your whānau for who they are, where they come from and who they want to be.

A welcoming place that brings whānau together and who are welcomed as part of our school community.

What is expected of caregivers?

✟     It is your responsibility to contact the school if your child is absent (will not be at school for a whole day or part of a day). Please either call and leave a message or use the app. Your child must attend school daily (Education and Training Act 2020).

✟     To set clear expectations with your child about why attending school every day is important.

✟     The more time your child is away from school, the harder it is to catch up on missed learning, so we focus on reducing challenges that might prevent students from attending.

✟     Missing one week of school, each term means missing more than a whole year of learning by the time your child turns 16.

Helping your child to attend

✟     Get to know us – it’s easier to talk should a problem arise. You can also join our parent groups.

✟     Let your child see you being involved, where possible, in school activities – school trips, fundraisers.

✟     If your child is still reluctant to go to school, talk to your child's kaiārahi to work together and problem solve.

At home, you can:

✟     Talk about why school is important – ask children what do they want to be in the future.

✟     Be positive about school and set good habits from day one.

✟     Prepare your children the night before school – encourage them to pack their bag.

✟     Set a good morning routine to get them to school on time and relaxed with everything they need.

✟     Ask what they did at school and praise them for their efforts.

✟     Talk about ‘better attendance, brighter futures’