Attendance Procedures
We know that consistent and regular attendance at school supports academic outcomes as well as the development of strong relationships with peers and teachers. We aim to ensure all students are provided with the opportunity to engage in high quality teaching and learning through regular attendance at school.
At Forrest Hill School, we have clear procedures for recording and monitoring attendance and we work to identify and follow up on any attendance concerns.
School Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:45am - 2.50pm
Children are welcome in classrooms from 8:30am, and we encourage children and their whānau to be at school prior to the bell going at 8:45am as we know children who arrive before the official start of the day are able meet with their friends, connect with their teachers and to settle into the day, ready for learning.
Kids Klub operate at Forrest Hill School before and after school.
Lateness and Leaving Early
Lateness
We understand that mornings can be busy, but it’s important for students to arrive on time. Starting the day on time helps them get settled and prepared for their day of learning. When students are late, it can be harder for them to catch up on important routines that help them stay organised throughout the day. Regular lateness can build up over time and affect their learning progress and confidence. We appreciate your support in helping your child arrive on time.
Leaving Early
For safety reasons, students must follow the correct procedures when leaving school during the day. Parents or guardians must sign their child out in person at the reception, using the VISTAB system. The reason for leaving must be clear and specific. If the reason doesn’t meet the Ministry criteria for a justified absence, it will be marked as E (Explained and considered unjustified). Please see the 'attendance codes' tab for further information.
Once this process has been completed a 'leaving school' notice will be printed for you to hand to the class teacher. No child is permitted to leave without having been signed out at the office first.
Reporting an Absence
Whānau are required to communicate with the school if their child can not attend school, explaining the reason for their absence.
Whānau can...
Call the office on 09 4108939
Email: office@forresthill.school.school.nz
Complete the absence form on EDGE/ SKOOL LOOP or the school website before 9am.
Attendance Processes & Follow up Procedures
Teachers take the attendance roll on our student management system (SMS) EDGE at the start of the day and again after lunch at 1:30pm.
Students who arrive after the school bell, need to sign in and the office enters the student as Late (L) into the roll.
The office monitors these rolls and makes contact through phone calls to whānau of students who have not communicated with the school to explain an absence.
If the office does not receive a response from whānau by 10am, the student is marked as Truant (T).
Attendance Codes
At Forrest Hill School we follow Ministry guidelines and use specific codes when recording attendance and absences onto EDGE. Absences can be either justified (e.g., for medical reasons) or unjustified (e.g., for an unapproved holiday or other reasons).
Attendance Goals (Ministry of Education)
In alignment with The Ministry of Education's attendance goal we aim to ensure 80% of students attend school 90% of the time.
Attendance is closely monitored and categorised into four subgroups.
Regular attendance: students with over 90% attendance. Students missing fewer than five days of school in a standard 10-week term.
Moderate attendance: students with more than 80% and up to 89% attendance. Students missing 5 – 9.5 days of a standard term.
Irregular attendance: students with more than 70% and up to 79% attendance. Students missing 10 – 14.5 days of school in a term.
Concerning attendance: students attend 69% of the time or less. Students missing 15 or more days of school in a term.
Attendance Response Plan
As a school and leadership team we receive automatic alerts from our school management system (EDGE) when a student is absent for more than 5 plus days in a term. These absences may be either justified or unjustified.
Once a notification has been received we follow the below response plan which has been approved by the FHS Board of Trustees. This plan is inline with the Ministry of Education's, 'Stepped Attendance Response' (STAR). For more information please follow this link STAR
For moderate attendance a letter will be sent to whānau highlighting the attendance concern, at this point contact will be made to 'touch base' and discuss any issues.
For irregular attendance, in addition to a letter, whānau will be invited to co-construct a collaborative support plan to improve attendance. Outside agency support may be accessed at this point if appropriate.
In cases of chronic and concerning absence, in addition to a collaborative support plan the school will engage with outside agencies to improve attendance. Referrals can be made to the 'North Auckland Integrated School Support Service' (NAISSS). For more information regarding NAISSS please follow this link https://naisss.org
MODERATE 80-89% ATTENDANCE 5-9 absent days per term | IRREGULAR 70-79%ATTENDANCE 10-15 days absent per term | CONCERNING 69% OR LESS ATTENDANCE 16 plus days absent per term |
Whanau need to… Report why their child is absent Seek support from the school if their child is struggling to attend school. | Whanau need to… Return their child to regular attendance. Attend a hui with the school to develop a collaborative support plan to return the child to regular attendance. Implement any support strategies at home. | Whanau need to… Return their child to regular attendance. Engage in the collaborative improvement action plan and implement support strategies. Attend regular hui with the school. |
Forrest Hill School will… Send a formal letter to whanau informing them that their child has reached 5-9 days absence for the term. The Deputy Principal will contact whanau to discuss reasons for absence and offer assistance. | Forrest Hill School will… Send an escalated formal attendance letter. Hold a whanau hui to understand absences and develop a collaborative support plan to return child to regular attendance. Request support from the Ministry of Education or other agencies if appropriate. | Forrest Hill School will… Send another escalated formal attendance letter. Escalate and participate with multi agency response plan (NAISSS). Implement and monitor attendance improvement plan. Unenrol student if appropriate. |
**All holidays during term time are marked as unjustified
Personal Attendance Records
Alternatively, please contact the school at office@forresthill.school.nz and we will be able to provide you with a break down of your child's attendance via EDGE our student management system.
Mid and end of year reports will also show attendance rates.
Whole School Attendance Records
Termly whole school attendance information is shared via Edge or the school newsletter.