Attendance

Why is attendance important?

Regular attendance is one of the strongest contributors to student achievement and wellbeing.

To participate, engage, and succeed in learning, students need to be at school every day. Each day builds on the next — academically, socially, and emotionally.

Parents and caregivers are legally required to ensure their children attend school every day the school is open. This is a requirement under New Zealand law.

What happens when attendance is irregular?

Irregular attendance can have a significant impact on a child’s progress and sense of belonging.

Learners who are frequently absent may:

• Experience gaps in learning that lead to underachievement

• Feel disconnected from school life, friendships, and classroom experiences

• Struggle to build strong relationships with peers and Learning Coaches

• Lose confidence in their learning

When attendance is inconsistent, families can also feel less connected to their child’s education and school community.

What does the law say about attendance in New Zealand?

Under the Education and Training Act 2020, every school board must take all reasonable steps to ensure students attend school when it is open.

As part of national requirements, all schools in New Zealand are required to have:

• An Attendance Management Plan, and

• A Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) Plan

These plans support regular attendance by clearly outlining how schools:

• Monitor attendance

• Work in partnership with families

• Provide timely support where attendance becomes a concern

Our focus is always on early support, positive relationships, and ensuring every child is engaged and able to succeed.

Our Commitment to Attendance

At Ormiston Primary School, we care deeply about your child’s progress and wellbeing. Our Board recognises that regular attendance is essential for success and has set a school-wide attendance target of 75%.

We work in partnership with families to support strong attendance habits from the beginning.

Taking Leave During Term Time

We strongly discourage taking leave during term time for holidays. Removing your child from school during learning time can significantly impact:

• Academic progress

• Continuity of learning

• Social connections

• Relationship building with peers and teachers

If attendance falls below 90%, families will be contacted by the school and may receive written communication outlining our attendance policy.

In line with national guidelines, schools may be required to refer attendance below 90% to Attendance Services. This referral becomes part of the student’s attendance record.

Our approach is always supportive. We want to work alongside families to ensure every child attends regularly and feels connected, confident, and capable in their learning.

Arrival at school and Roll

Ormiston Primary starts the school day at 8.55am and all learners need to be in their habitat ready for the morning roll call by this time. If a learner is missing at this time, they are marked as a question mark on our roll (reason for absence unknown), unless the school has been advised of their absence in advance. Parents and caregivers of learners marked with a question mark will receive a request from the school via text to advise of the reason for absence.

Absences from school

All absences should be advised by 8.00am on the start of a school day. The following methods can be used;

• • HERO School App – this is the preferred method
  • Email; absence@ormps.school.nz
  • Phone; 09 2539020 and leave a message on the absence line with your child’s full name and habitat. Please speak clearly so the message is easy to listen to.
  • In person at the school office

Any medical absence for three days or more requires a medical certificate.
Please note that under section 25 and 31 of the Education Act 1989;

“Schools (boards, principals, and individual teachers), along with parents and guardians, are responsible for making sure students attend school regularly.”

If there is a reason for concern regarding poor attendance, our school must follow a process to support the family and learner to improve school attendance. Please refer to School Attendance for more information.

Lateness

All learners arriving from 8.55am onwards must go to the school office to sign in late. This is a two step process;

1. 1. Use the tablet to sign in under their name selecting the tabs “Learner”, “Lateness” and then they type their name which will pop up on the top right hand side of the tablet. A reason for absence must be provided.
   2. After completing the tablet, the learner puts a late stamp on their hand which needs to be shown to their learning coach.

Occasional lateness to school for legitimate reasons is to be expected, but if a learner is regularly late, this is of concern and will be followed up. Lateness is disruptive to the habitat, and also means a learner misses out on the morning routine in their habitat. If a learner is receiving extra support, such as reading recovery, they may miss this time impacting on their progress. Please ensure your child is arriving at school on time as it is in the best interests of everyone.

Early Sign Out

If a learner needs to leave school early for an appointment or another legitimate reason, the parent/caregiver must come to the office and sign them out on the tablet;

1. 1. Use the tablet to select the tabs “Learner”, “Sign Out” and then type their name which will pop up on the top right hand side of the tablet. A reason for sign out must be provided, as well as the name of the person signing out and their relationship to the learner.

       

   2. A sign out sticker will print and this must be taken to the habitat and given to a learning coach.

A learner must never be taken from school without being signed out. An afternoon roll is taken at 1.15pm. A missing learner is extremely serious and will instigate school emergency protocol.

If you would like other people to have authority to sign out, these people must be listed as contacts on our family database OR you must ring the school and provide the persons details. Minors cannot sign learners out.

Please only use early sign out for legitimate reasons, as it is disruptive to the habitat and if it occurs regularly will impact on learning and progress.