At Awapuni School, we know that regular attendance plays an important role in supporting children’s learning and wellbeing. The Ministry of Education has set a national goal for 80% of students to attend school at least 90% of the time, and the following plan outlines how we work together as a school community to support this goal.

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Daily Attendance Process

1. If your child is unable to attend school, we ask that parents or caregivers let the school office know as soon as possible and share the reason for their absence. This helps us keep accurate records and ensure your child’s well-being.

2. If a child is away and we haven’t heard from home, the office will send a text message or phone call to check in. If we don’t receive a response, the absence will be recorded as truant, in line with Ministry of Education requirements.

3. Awapuni School uses the New Zealand Ministry of Education attendance codes. These codes help us record absences accurately and consistently.

4. Each school day is divided into two half-days. Class rolls are taken at the start of the day and again after lunch. The office manager monitors these rolls daily to ensure attendance is recorded correctly.

5. Like all schools in Aotearoa, our attendance data is automatically shared with the Ministry of Education each day. This allows them to monitor overall attendance patterns, including lateness.

6. At the end of each term, the principal receives an attendance report that shows patterns and reasons for student absences using the attendance codes. This information is shared with the school board each term.

7. Our office manager and classroom teachers receive automatic notifications through Hero when students reach specific attendance thresholds during the term (5–9 days, 10–14 days, and 15+ days of absence). These alerts help us identify when extra support or communication may be helpful.

8. The school board has approved the Attendance Management Plan, which has been in place since the beginning of 2026.

Accessing Attendance Information

• Attendance information is available on our school website.

• Parents and caregivers can view their child’s attendance at any time by logging into Hero and clicking on their child’s avatar.

• A Ministry of Education attendance flyer for parents will also be available on the school website.
   

Attendance information will be shared with new families and revisited with all parents at the start of each term. This will include the Ministry of Education parent flyer, the Awapuni School Attendance Management Plan, and the Daily Attendance Process.
If you ever have questions or concerns about attendance, please feel free to get in touch — we’re always happy to support our families.