ROTORUA QUICK GUIDE: SUPPORTING STUDENT ATTENDANCE

PARENTS & WHANAU SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SERVICE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES

Parents are responsible for the overall Schools are responsible for ensuring The attendance service is an additional service Social Service agencies may be involved with care and wellbeing of their child. This students who are enrolled are attending. provided to schools to assist in re-engaging the the student and family in a number of ways. includes the requirement that they are This requires them to be responsive, have student. They also manage all non-enrolment Where a need has been identified that Responsibilities enrolled and attend school. an attendance management policy in place referrals when the school has removed the prevents attendance at school a social and ensure parents are aware of their child’s student from the roll due to continued absence. service agency may be referred to for support. absence(s). The role of the service is primarily to investigate This may include drug and alcohol services, reasons for unjustified absence/non-enrolment, mentoring services, health services. put strategies in place to mitigate these causes and re-engage the student into an appropriate educational environment.

Contact school to explain absence. If the parent has not notified the school that

Day 1 their child is absent then contact should be

made to notify parent of the absence e.g. of absence text, phone call.

By this stage the absence will be The school will follow their attendance After a referral is received the Attendance Social services agencies may already be Day 2 or 3 impacting on the student’s wellbeing and management policy which may include Advisor will make contact with the involved. If there are no other agencies achievement at school and it is important sending a letter home or meeting with the parent/caregiver to work through any issues involved the then the attendance advisor or of absence that parents meet with schools to discuss parents/caregivers to discuss any issues preventing attendance and emphasise the school may suggest that a referral is needed. or pattern of any issues that may be preventing their preventing attendance. At this stage the importance of school attendance. Together with Often this requires the parent/caregiver to be child from attending. school may recommend a referral to a social the school, whanau and relevant social service willing for the referral to take place. lateness service agency if needs are identified or they agencies they will develop a plan to re-engage may make a referral to the attendance the student. service for assistance. Now the continual absence is If the absence continues despite efforts to It is likely at this stage that the attendance advisor Ongoing absence from school is a significant significantly impacting on the student’s re-engage the student the school is required is already working with the family and student. If concern. It is likely that the underlying causes Persistent wellbeing and achievement. It is vital that by the 20th day to remove the student from they are not yet involved then they will be, for non-attendance/non-enrolment will be the parents/caregivers participate in the school roll. A referral will be lodged to the following the non-enrolment referral. The impacting the student in other areas of their life. unjustified developing a plan to reengage their child Attendance Service for an open ‘non- attendance advisor will work with the family, Social agencies play an important role in absence into an appropriate educational setting. enrolment’ case. school and relevant agencies to engage the working with families and students to address Parents and legal guardians who do not student. They may lodge a truancy referral to concerns impacting on their well being. If a support their child to re-enrol are at risk Child, Youth and Family or ask for assistance social service agency is not invloved with the of prosecution. from Police. family or if the family are unwilling to address these concerns then Child Youth and Family is At this stage the attendance advisor is exploring likely to be involved and Police will be notified. all available options to engage the student and will be co-ordinating with other services to support the parents to meet their legal obligation to have their child enrolled and attending school.

ATTENDANCE = ACHIEVEMENT Being at school every day directly impacts student achievement. The Education Act 1989 requires that parents enrol their children at school and ensure they attend unless there is a justified reason for their absence. Schools (boards, principals and individual teachers), along with parents and guardians are responsible for making sure students attend.

ATTENDANCE ADVISORS The Ministry of Education provides for all State and State integrated schools to have access to an attendance advisor for support. Note that Attendance advisors can only accept referrals from schools. For a list of Attendance Advisors based in , please refer to the following page.

ATTENDANCE ADVISORS SCHOOLS

Rotorua Boys' High School Name Te Paerata Tahurorangi (male Rotorua Girls' High School referrals) Glenholme School Horohoro School Based at Rotorua Boys High School Malfroy School Email [email protected] Phone 021 348 731 Mihi School School School Name Tina Sutherland (female referrals) Otonga Road School Based at Rotorua Girls High School Rotorua Intermediate Email [email protected] Rotorua School Phone 021 973901 Rotorua S D A School Did you know? Sunset Primary School Westbrook School Rotorua S D A School Upper Atiamuri School Having problems at school? Talk to School Students are most likely to skip Name Paula Short Rotorua Lakes High School your whanau, get support and get school on a Friday. Based at Rotorua Lakes High School TKKM o Ruamata to school so you can let them know Email [email protected] School Phone 027 3582208 Primary School what’s going on. Mokoia Intermediate Owhata School TKKM o Rotoiti Rotokawa School Te Kura o Te Whangamarino School Name Rex Zoing John Paul College Based at John Paul College St Mary's Catholic School School is about more St Michael's Catholic School Email [email protected] Schools have lots of support available to than just learning Phone 021 2569388 students and their whanau. This could Name Karen Waerea Western Heights High School subjects! You also learn Based at Western Heights High School TKKM o Te include Guidance Counsellors, Social about you! Email [email protected] Aorangi School Workers in Schools, and specialised support Phone 022 0802842 School Kaitao Intermediate for behaviour/learning/alcohol and other School Kea Street Specialist School drugs. Ngongotaha School Selwyn School Western Heights Primary School TKKM o Hurungaterangi Everyone aged 6-16 years has Name Pauline Teddy College to attend school! Based at Murupara Area School Murupara Area School Email [email protected] TKK Motuhake o Tawhiuau Phone 021 1794066 Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi Broadlands School Galatea School School School Reporoa School

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT parents.education.govt.nz - information about education for parents and carers linkage.co.nz/webhealth – a comprehensive directory of social services and other organizations working4youth.org.nz – a local directory of services for young people For a comprehensive list of local social service agencies available to young people, check out the quick guides for drug/alcohol and behavioural issues.