Attendance
WDSG Attendance Management Plan and supporting STAR procedures
Strategic Priorities
Our collective goal is to raise overall attendance to at least 80% of students to attend regularly, that is to attend school more than 90% of the time, with a focus on early identification, timely intervention and strong relationships with whaanau.
Our school currently has 82% regular attendance and a target of lifting regular attendance to 90% by the end of 2026.
Board responsibilities
The board is responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure that the school’s students attend the school when it is open for instruction.
The board will comply with the provisions in the legislation in relation to student attendance by:
- having a commitment to support students return to regular attendance
- having processes and procedures in place to support a Stepped Attendance Response to student absence that uses data-based thresholds to identify students
- recording all absences, and responding accordingly
- having an effective method in place for identifying and monitoring student absence, including identifying patterns and barriers to student attendance
- publishing this attendance management plan on the school’s website.
Principal responsibilities
Procedures/supporting documentation
The principal is responsible for:
- developing and implementing a stepped attendance response aligned with the thresholds to support student attendance
- ensure that student absence is investigated, responded to and actions taken are recorded and aligned with the thresholds
- ensure all students, whaanau and staff understand the processes and procedures that support student attendance
- report to the board on any trends, barriers to attendance and interventions being used to support student attendance.
Attendance Management Procedure – Stepped Attendance Response (STAR)- see below
Monitoring
The principal will maintain reporting of daily attendance data.
The board will receive termly attendance reporting – including information provided by the Every Day Matters report. Included in this reporting will be any emerging trends, barriers to attendance, and areas of concern for the board’s consideration.
Legislative compliance/ Legislation
Education and Training Act 2020
Education Attendance rules
Education Attendance Management Plan regulations (yet to be passed)
Reviewed: 3 March 2026
Next review: 3 November 2026
Attendance Management Procedure - Stepped Attendance Response
We recognise the importance of regular attendance to help our students achieve their educational potential.
Our attendance procedures ensure students are accounted for during school hours. This allows school staff to identify and respond to student attendance concerns.
We have a Stepped Attendance Response to ensure we are able to identify students and offer appropriate interventions at the thresholds to support students to return to regular attendance.
We have annual targets for student attendance and work with students, parents and caregivers, staff, and external agencies, where necessary, to improve our levels of student attendance.
Parent/Whaanau responsibilities:
- ensure students attend every day they are able
- reinforce good attendance habits
- open communication with the school
- follow the school’s attendance management plan and associated attendance policies and procedures.
School responsibilities
- clear communication to parents and students on attendance expectations at enrolment, at the start of the year and each term
- communicate to parents what steps the school will take if the student is absent from school
- monitor student attendance
- provide students with regular updates on their own attendance
- report regularly to parents on attendance of their child.
School Procedures
The principal will appoint staff and delegate duties, to manage the recording of electronic student attendance register and the follow-up procedures for non-attending students.
Non-teaching staff with duties associated with our attendance system will support teachers to maintain accurate up-to-date attendance information.
Classroom/form teachers are responsible for recording student attendance to their class each period/half day basis.
Form/class teachers are responsible for maintaining accurate and up-to-date records and supporting the attendance systems. They will also monitor and follow up on lateness and other attendance issues.
Deans/team leaders/senior leaders are responsible for monitoring student attendance for their respective groups, ensuring that parents are informed of attendance concerns. Senior staff and relevant personnel will be kept informed of serious student absence situations.
Parents will receive student attendance data via weekly emails/parent portal/termly updates.
Outside agencies will be used as appropriate to support attendance.
Students will be identified at the thresholds. Follow-up response actions will be tailored to the reasons for absence.
Patterns of attendance and specific interventions being used will be evaluated by the pastoral team/SLT termly to review the outcomes and effectiveness of these interventions.
Attached is the Stepped Attendance Response Activities for our school. Any action taken can be considered at any threshold. All actions taken to respond to absences will be recorded in FACTS. If you have any questions about our Stepped Attendance Response or procedures, please contact the Attendance Officer, on absent@wdsg.school.nz
School Stepped Attendance Response Activities
Below is our Stepped Attendance Response for responding to individual student absences. Actions can be taken at any stage and there is no requirement to wait for a student to be identified at a threshold to take action to address non-attendance. Parents will be contacted as soon as possible (ideally within two school days) to arrange a meeting with our Pastoral Team.
The Pastoral Care Team meets fortnightly. Any attendance data related questions please contact the Attendance Officer, on absent@wdsg.school.nz .
Day-to-day operations
Communicate with parents
Practice
Set expectations, procedures and follow-up steps the school will take when a student is absent.
Use enrolment forms, newsletters, website or other communication methods to set expectations and provide guidance to parents
Responsible Person
Form teacher
Dean
Associate Principal
Notes & Actions
Termly attendance features including updates on data in newsletters.
Expectations and guidance for parents published on our school website.
Expectations for student attendance and steps that will be taken to address attendance included in enrolment forms.
Work with parents and students, where appropriate.
Following up absences daily
Practice
Use procedures in place (and supporting software) to quickly identify all student absences and communicate these to parents
Follow-up daily with parents any unexplained absences
Responsible Person
Administration team
Notes & Actions
Text based reminder to be sent from 10 am for all unexplained absences.
Minimise disruptions to the school day and week
Practice
School boards and school leadership prioritise school hours to be for learning
Responsible Person
School leadership team
Assess history of new students
Practice
When enrolling, identify issues or trends in attendance history.
Responsible Person
Dean/ Admissions/ Data Administrator (new students during year or not in year 9)
Notes & Actions
Use our “welcome to school” hui with whanau at beginning of year for year 9 students.
Escalate attendance issues as needed
Practice
Develop support plans
Involve other services, consider referral to Attendance Services
Seek more support as needed
Responsible Person
All staff as appropriate.
Notes & Actions
Staff are encouraged to escalate issues according to these procedures. If you are unsure, please discuss with the Attendance Officer.
Students with less than 5 days absence
Communicate with parents/caregivers
Practice
Maintain contact details
Identify all student absences
Communicate these to parents
Responsible Person
Attendance Officer
Notes & Actions
Follow-up all absences to confirm reason for absence.
No action taken
Provide students with regular updates on their own attendance
Practice
Provide regular reporting via online portals and classroom discussions
Responsible Person
Form Teacher
Notes & Actions
Updates sent to students and parents through weekly notes
Report regularly to parents on attendance of their child
Practice
providing weekly notes on attendance to parents via email
Responsible Person
Form teacher
Notes & Actions
Updates sent to students and parents through weekly notes
Between 0-4 days absence all absences need to be followed up to ensure the correct code is recorded against the absence. Any students, already on attendance list from previous term will be identified by the pastoral care team at their weekly meetings.
Students with less than 10 days absence (5-9 days)
Contact parents to discuss reasons for absence and impact on learning
Practice
After 5 days send email to parent (use template).
Phone contact to be used if this is not the first time student has met the threshold
Responsible Person
Class/Form Teacher
(Any concerns of next steps discussion options with year level dean.)
Notes & Actions
Record actions taken in FACTS.
If there is no action taken due to individual circumstance- record this against student record.
Follow-up to be within 2 school days of meeting the threshold.
Support students to catch up missed learning where required
Practice
Identify missed learning objectives and consider notes or activities to bring student back up to speed
Responsible Person
Form Teacher
Notes & Actions
Discuss with student in form time- student to follow up with appropriate subject teachers.
Check no internal assessments missed. (Yr11-13)
Use in-school resources as appropriate to
Practice
Remove barriers e.g. counsellor, uniform, bus pass
Contact pastoral care team if barriers identified that the school could assist with
Responsible Person
Dean/ Pastoral care team
Notes & Actions
Parents and student provided access to additional resources.
Consider bus pass, uniform, counsellor/ nurse appointments
Between 5-9 days absence, investigate reasons for this absence and if there is a pattern across the year consider actions listed at higher thresholds. Record all actions taken to address non-attendance.
For students that have progressed from having higher absences, provide feedback on the positive improvement on their attendance to both student and whānau.
If there is no action taken due to individual circumstance- record this against student record.
Students with less than 15 days absence
Contact parent to escalate concerns
Practice
Further contact with parent
Email and/or phone call as required for escalation.
Responsible Person
Dean
Notes & Actions
Record actions taken in FACTS.
If there is no action taken due to individual circumstance- record this against student record.
Hold meeting with parent/caregiver and student (where appropriate) to analyse reasons for absence
Practice
Arrange meeting including parents and student.
Responsible Person
Dean
Notes & Actions
Consider who is needed at this meeting.
Develop and implement a support plan tailored to the reasons and circumstances around the child’s absence
Practice
Hold everyone accountable for their part in the plan. and
Responsible Person
Dean
Notes & Actions
Take action quickly where expectations aren’t being met
Use in-school resources as appropriate to remove barriers and request support from as needed
Practice
Discuss with pastoral team what further supports are available
Responsible Person
Dean
Between 10-14 days absence, investigate reasons for this absence and if there is a pattern across the year consider actions listed at higher thresholds. Record all actions taken to address non-attendance.
If there is no action taken due to individual circumstance- record this against student record.
Students with greater than 15 days absence
Contact parent to escalate concerns
Practice
Further escalating email (use template)
Responsible Person
Associate Principal
Hold meeting with parent/caregiver and student (where appropriate) to analyse reasons for absence.
Practice
Arrange promptly for meeting including parents and student. Consider who will be in attendance.
Responsible Person
Associate Principal with Dean
Plan to return student to regular attendance
Practice
Request support from Attendance Service or other agencies as needed
Participate in multi-agency response
Refer to Ministry of Education attendance services or other agencies
Support access to services and collaborating with specialists
Responsible Person
Pastoral care team decision
Associate Principal
Notes & Actions
Before referral check all previous actions like support plan are in place.
Resources and supports will continue to be provided as appropriate
Practice
Reintegration plan in place to return student to regular attendance
Maintain implementation and monitoring of support plan
Practice
Hold everyone accountable for their part in the plan, and take action quickly where expectations aren’t being met
Responsible Person
Pastoral care team
Associate Principal
Notes & Actions
Support plan in place
Continue monitoring
Steps taken to reintegrate student
Over 15 days absence, investigate reasons for this absence and refer to dean and/or pastoral team for further actions. Record all actions taken to address non-attendance.
If there is no action taken due to individual circumstance- record this against student record.