Attendance

"Present, participation and progress"

"Today's Learners are tomorrows Leaders - attendance is the first step to learning" "Attendance Matters and we need to all work together to improve school attendance"

What do we expect from Whānau?

80% of our Students are “Regularly Attending School”.

Regularly attending School 90 - 100%

Whānau to contact the School when their child is absent.

Whānau to contact the School if support is required.

E.g. learning support, guidance support

Whānau to keep contact details current.

How can I monitor my child's absence?

At Kaitāia College, we encourage both students and parents to log into their KAMAR portal. Students and caregivers have their individual access to the KAMAR portal. Without getting too technical, there are four main types of attendance codes

J = Justified Absence

U = Unjustified Absence

P = Present

O = Overseas posting

If your child received a question mark '?' or a 'T' (No information provided) it is important to contact the School to provide a reason for their absence. Justified Absence means the absence of reason is justified e.g. tangihanga. Unjustified Absence means, there was an explanation for their absence but is not justified e.g. slept in.

Caregivers are encouraged to email their Whānau Group Teacher and or contact the Attendance Officer to discuss their child’s absence.

Keep your contact details current. The College will text out to inform caregivers if their child has missed at least two classes per day.

What is attendance?

Attendance is when our taitamariki are at school and in the class they are supposed to be in. This includes being on time for school and class.

Why is attendance important?

Evidence indicates that regular attendance has a big impact on ‘achievement, well being and a better preparedness for life

Is attendance a legal requirement?

All students are legally required to attend school every day from their ‘sixth birthday until they turn 16’. There are some exceptions to the rule e.g. home schooling etc.

Why do children miss School?

There are different reasons why children may miss school. We understand that children’s and parents’ attitudes, and how children experience school, impacts on attendance. Some of the reasons include:

How comfortable they are with their child missing school.
How likely they are to keep their child home.
The importance of attending school.

What happens when your child is absent from School?

Your child will be marked ‘?’ unknown on the day they are absent. The School will send a text message to let you know your child is not in class and to provide a reason. After 3 to 5 days unexplained, the School will either do a referral to our Whanau Liaison or to Ara Whakamaua - Truancy services in Kaitaia. In some cases, students maybe removed from our roll.

In addition, there maybe a meeting with the Deputy Principal for Attendance with the child, whanau, agencies and other support groups.

What can you do to support attendance?

It is your responsibility to get your child to school. Please make contact with your child’s Whānau Group Teacher (WGT) or their House Dean if you require support. They will be able to refer you on to different services.

Other types of support can include

Talk to your child about how school is important for their future, and how it is important to go every day. Be positive about school!
Make sure your child knows that you care if they are going to school.
Only take your child out of school when there is a really good reason, like if they are sick.
Have a consistent morning routine, not too rushed.
Help your child to be prepared for school, like making sure they have done their homework the night before.

Questions you can ask your child.

It is good for your child when school is a great place for them to be, and they are engaged with what they are learning. Check in with them often and listen to what they say.

Ask them about what they have been learning. → Ask them to tell you about a conversation they had with a classmate or friend.
Ask them what was challenging or fun about their day.

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