Is Your Child going to Be Absent Today?

If your child is going to be absent, it is important that you notify the school, along with a reason. This can be done:

Through the school website absence form
Calling the school on 552 5204
Emailing the school office on office@whakamarama.school.nz
Using the Skoolloop App on your phone

From Term 1, 2025, daily attendance must be recorded every day schools are open for instruction and entered into our management system by our staff by 6:00 p.m. each day with the correct codes.

If we do not have the correct information from you, we have to mark your child as unjustified or truant, depending on what information we have or have not received from you.

Details provided after an event will not alter the coding, so it is extremely important that we know beforehand.

It is vital that you communicate with the school about why your child is not at school.
You must specify the reason, simply saying that they are away is not sufficient
Holidays during term time are coded as G, these are unjustified absences. It is required for permission to be sought in advance by emailing the principal principal@whakamarama.school.nz

If your child needs to visit the doctor or dentist, these appointments should firstly be made outside of school hours. We understand from time to time this may not be possible.

Attendance Matters

Being engaged in learning matters, right from a child’s first days in early learning, throughout primary schooling and secondary schooling. Aotearoa New Zealand’s children need every opportunity to learn, participate, and flourish by regularly attending school.

Regular attendance at school helps build and maintain a child’s learning and positive daily habits and routines, as well as promoting their wellbeing by connecting them to their peers and learning new things. We want our learners to thrive, be resilient and become active members within their families and community.

Our goal, and the Ministry of Education goal, is ākonga attending school regularly (more than 90% attendance, which means only having one day off every fortnight). Days absent, days late, it all adds up!

Why Avoid Your Child Missing School?

Educational Disruption: Regular attendance ensures continuous learning for your child. Missing school can cause your child to fall behind.
Missed Learning Opportunities: Your child misses out on important lessons and educational activities, which can lead to gaps in their knowledge and understanding.
Disruption of Routine: Consistency is important for effective learning and behaviour.
Impact on Others: Teachers spend extra time helping your child catch up, affecting the whole class.
Assessments: Missing school can lead to your child missing important goal setting assessments.