Absences and Sickness

INFORMATION ON TRANSPORT, ABSENCE AND SICKNESS OF CHILDREN FOR PARENTS

Student Absences – Please Notify the School Office

If your child is absent, please inform Hamilton North School by phoning (07) 849 3029 or emailing attendance@hamnorth.school.nz. Wherever possible, notifications should be received before 9:00am each day.

Late Arrivals and Early Departures

For health and safety reasons, access to classrooms and other school areas is not permitted during tuition hours (9:00am–2:30pm).

All students arriving late or leaving early must report to the school office in the first instance.  A student's class will be contacted and a staff member will bring them down to, or collect them from, the front office.

SESTA School Transport

If your child does not require transport on a particular day, please contact your child’s transport provider by 7:15am to advise them so that the driver is not making an unncessary trip to your property.

Please note that drivers are not responsible for notifying the school if a child is absent or unwell, nor are they able to pass on messages. Parents and caregivers must contact the school office directly regarding any absences or communication.

The transport provider for 2026 is Cross Country Rentals

• For day-to-day transport schedule changes for your child, please contact the Cross Country Rentals team directly on 0800 GO SESTA (46 73782).

• If you need to update or add an address to your child’s transport profile, please contact Tracy at the school office by phoning 07 849 3029 or by emailing admin@hamnorth.school.nz.

Please note that all address changes require a minimum of 4–6 weeks for processing by the Ministry of Education (MoE). If you move before MoE approval is confirmed, you will need to arrange transport for your child to and from school during this time.

SESTA Roles & Responsibility of the Caregiver 

The following information provided is what may be reasonably expected from caregivers, when a new transport application has been approved and SESTA transport commences.

Caregivers are:

a) Responsible for advising school when personal contact details change, i.e. changes to a phone number or address. School will then formalise a change of information request to the Ministry of Education.

b) To assist student/s in understanding safety rules and encourage them to abide by them during their transport journey each day;

c) Expected to work with the transport provider and driver to ensure safe and appropriate student handovers;

d) To recognise their responsibility for the actions of their children; 

e) To ensure that the student has been toileted, and is ready to be collected from the front entrance of their home at the agreed time;

f) To ensure that the student has finished eating their breakfast prior to travelling;

g) Responsible for ensuring that the vehicle collection/drop-off points have clear access;

h) Responsible for informing the driver, and school if there have been any changes or events that may impact on student behaviour;

i) Where specific safety equipment is required (e.g., carrot car seats, harnesses, and/or buckle guards), an Occupational Therapist from Hamilton North School will work with families to ensure the correct equipment and consents are in place, including supporting applications for Ministry funding where appropriate.  Parents/caregivers are responsible for providing an approved, appropriately fitted booster seat if one is required. 

j) Responsible for assisting students, where required, in and out of the vehicle and fastening the seat belt and any other personal positioning devices.

k) Responsible for being home to meet the student or SESTA vehicle both AM and PM.