Attendance
Schools are required to check all absences. This is why we must have a note or medical certificate to explain absences. A phone call to the school advising us of an absence is appreciated because it helps us account for the whereabouts of students each day. The school has an attendance officer on-site for the Otahuhu-Papatoetoe District Truancy Service. This person may be contacted for assistance with your child if you have a concern about their attendance or if you know of other people’s children who may be truanting or who may not be enrolled at any school.
Responsibility
The school accepts responsibility for students at 0830 each school day. The only exceptions are those students authorised to perform a school duty [eg road patrols and the like]. Students are expected to be off the school premises by 3.20 pm each school day unless authorised to be there such as in our after hours Language Academy.
Policy on Pupil Attendance
Date: April 1993
Reviewed: May 1994
RATIONALE
It is important to have all pupils attend school regularly to maximise learning.
The Board of Trustees under Section 31 off the Education Act 1989, is responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure the attendance of pupils enrolled in this school. The day to day monitoring of attendance is delegated to the principal by the B.O.T.
PURPOSES
- To ensure that school attendance is effectively monitored
- To respond appropriately to attendance problems
GUIDELINES
- Parents / guardians are required to explain absences of pupils in writing, by telephone or through a personal visit. The explanation may be made before or during the absence, or upon the child’s return to school. The secretary will notify class teachers daily in writing of any telephoned explanations of absence.
- The principal will delegate the monitoring of attendance to the deputy principal, assistant principal and class teachers. In Y4 – Y6 this will be done through the use of attendance books in which absences are recorded daily, as the official attendance register is marked. In the junior classes a weekly list will be compiled of children whose attendance is of concern – e.g.
- No explanation
- Monday / Friday absences
- Unexpected absences
- Absences where explanation needs follow-up
- On-going ill health - Should an explanation for absence fail to be given, a white form will be sent home by the class teacher asking for the explanation. If necessary this will be followed by a ‘blue’ form.
- Staff will receive appropriate and on-going in-service aimed at detecting patterns of absenteeism / truancy as early as possible
- The principal / deputy principal will liaise with other agencies as appropriate to follow up consistent, unexplained absences and unsatisfactory attendance (e.g. Visiting Teacher, Youth Aid Officer, Public Health Nurse)
- The Board of Trustees will be informed of any cases of possible truancy and of action taken by the school staff.
CONCLUSION
Children’s learning will be enhanced through regular school attendance.