Attendance Management Plan
1. Purpose and Rationale
To promote regular attendance and engagement of all students, recognising that consistent attendance is critical for academic achievement, social development, and equity.
To implement a formal, transparent process for identifying, tracking, and responding to student absences, in line with the Ministry of Education’s Attendance Management Plan requirement.
To build a shared responsibility among school leadership, teachers, students, whānau (families), and, where appropriate, external agencies.
2. Policy and Legal Basis
Under the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 2024, the school must maintain accurate attendance registers (half-day basis) and use Ministry-approved attendance codes.
The Board of Trustees is required to develop and publish an attendance management plan by Term 1, 2026.
The plan should reflect the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) framework, which defines thresholds of absence and associated responses.
3. Goals and Targets
Set specific, measurable attendance goals. Example:
Long-term goal: By 2030, 80% of students attend at least 90% of the term (in line with Government target).
Short-term (school-level) targets:
Reduce the number of students with more than 5 days of absence per term by ??% in the next year.
Increase parent/whānau engagement in attendance meetings for students with chronic absence.
Decrease unexplained/unjustified absence rates by strengthening communication and early intervention.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
Board of Trustees:
Approve and review the attendance management plan.
Allocate resources (staff time, monitoring systems).
Principal / Senior Leadership:
Oversee implementation of the plan.
Ensure school staff understand STAR thresholds and processes.
Report on attendance data to the Board and community.
Teachers / Classroom Staff:
Take and submit daily attendance accurately, using approved attendance register and Ministry attendance codes.
Be alert to patterns of absence (e.g., regular days absent, late arrival).
Communicate promptly with whānau when attendance concerns arise.
Whānau / Parents:
Make sure students attend school regularly.
Engage in meetings or plans when school raises concerns.
Ministry of Education / Attendance Service:
Provide targeted support for students with high non-attendance.
Work with school and whānau to address barriers to attendance.
Escalate interventions for serious cases as per STAR, possibly including legal action, when all other supports have been offered.
5. Attendance Monitoring and Data
Use a daily attendance register (morning and afternoon), following the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 2024.
Use Ministry-approved attendance codes to distinguish between justified and unjustified absences.
Maintain historical attendance data (retain records for at least 7 years as required).
Regularly analyze attendance data (e.g., weekly, termly) to identify students at risk, attendance trends, and areas requiring targeted intervention.
6. Thresholds & Response (STAR Framework)
Integrate the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) into the plan.
Threshold (per term)
Trigger Action / Intervention
Green (e.g., 0–5 days absent)
Monitor; positive reinforcement; regular communication. Provide reminders of school expectations.
Yellow (e.g., ~6–10 days absent)
Contact whānau (phone, email) to understand reasons; teacher or attendance lead meets whānau to discuss barriers; offer school-based support.
Orange (e.g., ~11–14 days absent)
Formal meeting (school leadership, teacher, whānau, student) to develop an Individual Attendance Plan; involve external support (e.g., social services, health).
Red (e.g., 15+ days absent)
Escalated response: involve Ministry Attendance Service; consider legal intervention only if support is offered but not taken up.
For further details plese see attachment for Attendance procedure: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O7i7bRu6EWp0F6ncgvCJl4GVoKJGnvrfgRwHSRshs_w/edit?tab=t.0
7. Barriers & Support Strategies
Recognize common barriers to attendance in a primary school context and plan interventions:
Health / Illness: Partner with local health services; provide guidance to parents about when to keep kids home vs. return; ensure school is welcoming for students returning after illness.
Transportation / Access: Work with parents/whānau to identify transport challenges; consider walking groups, community transport initiatives.
Whānau Engagement: Build strong home-school relationships. Use regular communication, newsletters, hui (meetings), and culturally responsive practices.
Psychosocial Issues: Connect with external agencies (e.g., social work, community organizations) when non-attendance is tied to family stress, mental health, or other complex factors.
8. Communication
Publish the attendance management plan on the school website (required).
Clearly communicate attendance expectations, processes, and STAR thresholds in student/whānau handbooks, newsletters, and at school meetings.
Provide training for staff on using attendance codes, understanding STAR, and handling sensitive conversations.
Engage students: teach them (in a developmentally appropriate way) why attendance matters.
9. Review & Evaluation
Conduct a termly review of attendance data, interventions, and outcomes.
Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies: Are attendance rates improving? Which interventions are working? Which barriers remain?
Review and update the attendance management plan annually, or sooner if required by regulation.
Involve whānau and possibly student voice in the review to get feedback on what’s working and what’s not
10. Risks & Mitigation
Risk: Whānau disengagement / lack of response.
Mitigation: Proactive communication; flexible meeting options (in person, online, phone); culturally responsive practices, translation where needed.Risk: Resource limitations (staff time, capacity).
Mitigation: Delegate attendance lead role; integrate attendance tasks into existing roles; use data to triage high-risk students.Risk: Over-escalation / legal action without adequate support.
Mitigation: Ensure all supportive steps are offered first; use legal escalation only after sustained non-engagement and once supports are reasonably available; follow STAR framework.
11. Professional Development
Provide training for teachers and staff on the attendance codes (so they understand what each code means).
Train staff in STAR, including how to run attendance meetings, develop individual attendance plans, and liaise with external agencies.
Hold regular staff reflections / “attendance huddles” to review students of concern, share strategies, and coordinate responses.
How This Aligns With NZ Education Policy
Mandatory Plan from 2026: Because of new regulations, all schools will need an attendance management plan.
STAR Framework: The Ministry strongly encourages using STAR, and attendance plans must have regard to it.
Legal Record-Keeping: The plan respects obligations under the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 2024 to keep accurate registers and use correct codes.
Data & Accountability: Regular monitoring and data reporting supports national goals (e.g., increasing regular attendance).
Monthly attendance reminders in newsletters.
Iwi and cultural considerations respected in communication approaches.
Parents are encouraged to contact the school early if struggling with attendance.