Does Attendance Really Matter?

Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. School attendance and the comms you receive from teachers might seem quite trivial in an age where well-being, health and achievement are at the forefront of our minds. 

However, there is a direct correlation between Attendance and Achievement. The same can be found between Attendance and Mental Health and the sense of belonging. The Ministry of Education published the following graphs in their He Whakaaro – Education Insights report in 2020. These highlight the link between attending in Year 10 and the number of Credits received in NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3. 

Attending school regularly, which the Ministry of Education stipulates to be 90% of the time, has a direct impact on NCEA results. 

As a school, we care about the attendance of our students because we can see the impact it has on their achievement as well as their health and well-being. 

Good attendance also shows potential employers that a young person is reliable.

Research suggests that students who attend school regularly could also be at less risk of getting involved in antisocial behaviour or crime.

Similarly, it is also important that students arrive at school on time. If a child arrives late to school every day, their learning begins to suffer. Below is a table showing how being late to school every day over a school year adds up to lost learning time over one academic year.

Please continue to help us support our ākonga by ensuring attendance at school is a priority. Our staff care enough to make contact with home because we want to see everyone achieve to the best of their ability. If you or your child need some support with their attendance then please contact your child’s Kaiārahi at the earliest opportunity.