Policy Reviews
CombinedReviewSchedule.pdfHere you will find policies that are being reviewed and developed by the Board of Trustees
With New Policies:
Please download a copy of the new policy if you want a copy for your own use.
Make any suggestions or comments in writing and either hand into the office or email to: winnie@rhodestreet.school.nz Please include your name and contact details.
With Current Policies:
If the policy is a current one then you can access it and comment on it through our School Docs site.
Log on with rhodest and use the password: respect.
Enter the site and go to Policies Under Review.
Read the existing policy and use the feedback button to provide your feedback to the Board.
Thank you for your input and time, it is appreciated and helps the Board reflect our school community and its beliefs and views through our policy decision-making.
2023 Reviews
Term 1: Whānau and parent voice required
The Education and Training Act 2020 requires that all children six years old and over must attend school. Once enrolled, it is compulsory for children to attend school regularly.
Rhode Street School encourages students to participate fully in school life. Students are expected to attend school when required and to be on time for classes. This policy applies to off-site activities as well, such as EOTC activities.
We monitor the daily attendance of students to:
ensure their safety both in getting to school and in accounting for them in an emergency
identify students with achievement, engagement, or other issues
meet our legal responsibilities.
Parents and guardians also have legal obligations to ensure their children attend school. The school expects parents to:
notify the school if their child is going to be absent by phone, text, or email by 8:50 am
try to arrange appointments etc. outside school hours or during holidays
work with the school to manage any attendance issues.
Absences are usually unjustified unless the student is too sick to attend school, or has suffered a bereavement. Sometimes a student might be out of class but should still be marked present, such as when attending a medical appointment. For a full list of absence codes, see Attendance Matters. Holidays should only be taken during school holidays.
Also, see Attendance Register.
Unacceptable levels of absence
Attendance is monitored through our student management system (SMS), and parents are notified of absences and/or patterns of absences. The school follows up on unacceptable levels of absence (10 half-days per term) and may refer the case to the Attendance Service.
Leaving school during the day
Students may not leave the school during school hours except by special arrangement – for example, a parent's request (verbal or written) for the student to attend a medical appointment. The student must sign out at the office.
If a student becomes ill at school, follow the procedure for sending sick students home.
All teachers must comply with the school's standard schedule. Students should be supervised until they are formally released.
Also, see Missing Student Procedure.
Out-of-school tuition and activities
Any request from a parent for their child to attend a programme or activity off-site during school hours must be made at least one week before the planned event. The request is approved or declined entirely at the discretion of the principal who considers each application on its merits, using the following criteria:
The specific relevance and benefit to the student’s education and their learning and development goals.
The length of time away from regular school programmes that the activity will require.
The qualifications and experience of the course provider.
If permission is granted for a student to attend such a programme, they are marked as present for that time, with a comment about their attendance at the programme.
The principal assures the board that student absences are correctly recorded, monitored, and followed up. The principal reports to the board on any annual targets for student attendance. See Self-Review and Board Assurances.
Education and Training Act 2020
Resources
Ministry of Education: Legal responsibilities and national guidelines for schools on attendance
Ministry of Education: Managing student attendance (see Attendance Matters: Guidelines for implementing an effective attendance management plan at the bottom of the page)
Release history: Term 4 2022, Term 2 2019, Term 3 2018
Last scheduled review Last internal review Term 3 2020
Each child must be enrolled at a registered school by the time they turn six. Once enrolled, students must attend regularly. If the student would benefit from a staggered transition to school, a transition plan can be agreed upon between the child's parents, the principal, and the Ministry of Education.
Because the school has an enrolment scheme, the student's usual place of residence must be in the zone, or the student offered a place through an out-of-zone ballot.
Any child is entitled to be enrolled unless they have been indefinitely suspended from another school. In this case, the board will meet and consider the individual case, and either accept or decline the enrolment. Note that if the board receives a direction from the Ministry of Education to enrol a student excluded from another school, it must comply with the direction.
If a parent wishes to enrol a child with physical disabilities, the school may need to apply for appropriate resources from the Ministry of Education to support the child.
Parents are welcome to arrange an appointment to meet the principal.
Parents complete an enrolment form to provide the school with information for its database. The school completes the enrolment process. The forms, and information booklets for new parents, are available from the main office or the principal.
When the student is enrolled, their relevant details are recorded in the Ministry's ENROL database.
New entrants are encouraged to visit the school before enrolment to ensure a smooth transition to school. Whenever possible advance notification is given to class teachers of new enrolments to their class.
The contact person for preschool visits is the senior junior teacher. Visits can be arranged for any day of the week (mornings preferable). Parents must stay with the child at any pre-enrolment session.
Education and Training Act 2020
Release history: Term 3 2020
Policy Review Form.pdf