Attendance

Attendance

Regular school attendance and arriving to school on time is essential for your child’s learning and development. The Ministry of Education has now set an attendance expectation of 80% schoolwide per term, with a goal of students missing no more than five days per term. As a school, and across New Zealand, we are now required to report daily attendance and track attendance patterns to ensure all students are engaging in their learning. Our attendance management plan is also attached.

Why is Attendance Important?

Did you know that if a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they will have missed an entire year of school by the time they turn 16? Every day of learning builds upon the last, and regular attendance sets children up for success both academically and socially.  As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.

All students are legally required to attend school every day, and we share the responsibility of fostering strong attendance habits together. We understand that some absences are unavoidable, such as for illness, tangi, or medical procedures. However, family holidays and non-school-organised extracurricular activities are not considered valid reasons for absence.

Operating Hours

We want to remind our whānau of the school's operating hours and safety procedures for the well-being of all students:

• School begins instruction at 8:45 am and finishes at 3 pm.

• All students on site after school hours must be actively supervised by a parent or guardian to ensure their health and safety.

• In the event of unsupervised students, they will be asked to wait in the school office, and a parent will be contacted for pick-up.

• Any unsupervised students will be asked to go home in the early evening.

• Alternatively, you may enrol your child in our KAS after-school care programme for continued supervision and engagement.

Please respect our operating hours while our staff prepare for the day ahead.  The studios and office are closed until 8:15am unless you have a pre-booked meeting. If your child arrives before this time, please ensure they know that they must wait in the drop-off zone outside the library until the first song of the day at 8:15am, at which time they can walk to their studio to put their bags away and prepare for learning.

Lateness

We understand that lateness can possibly occur and we are flexible.  However, regular lateness can be disruptive for students and teachers.  after 8:45am no parents/whanau members can enter the learning areas. 

Keeping Us Informed

If your child is going to be absent or late, it is essential that you notify the school. You can do this by emailing absent@hp.school.nz. Please note that if your child is absent for 20 consecutive days or more without informing the school, their enrolment will be withdrawn. This is a Ministry of Education requirement. 

How We Support Regular Attendance

At HPS, we are committed to creating an environment where students feel engaged and valued. We do this by:

• Building strong relationships between school staff, students, and whānau.

• Recognising and celebrating each child’s identity, background, and aspirations.

• Working as a school community to ensure students are present, participating, and progressing in their education.

If you are experiencing challenges with getting your child to school, please reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child in establishing positive attendance habits.

PLEASE NOTE

All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school.  Every day of school matters!

If your child is absent from school for 20 consecutive days or more, and the Principal in not informed that the absence will be temporary, their enrolment will be withdrawn. We are a high growth area and enrolments need to be closely monitored. 

Please remember to notify the school of any absences by emailing absent@hp.school.nz