Attendance Plan

Birkdale North School - Attendance Management Plan ( AMP) term 1 2026

1. Purpose

This Attendance Management Plan outlines Birkdale North School’s strategy, systems, and processes for identifying, monitoring, and responding to student absences.

Its purpose is to:

Ensure every ākonga attends regularly and engages in learning.
Meet the school’s legal obligations under the Education and Training Act 2020 and new MoE regulatory requirements for attendance management.
Work proactively with whānau and external agencies to remove barriers to attendance.
Provide clear roles, escalation pathways, and expectations across the school.

2. Strategic Goals (Aligned with MoE Targets)

Increase regular attendance (90%+) to 75% by the end of 2026 (currently 58%).
Reduce irregular attendance (80 - 90%) to 20% by the end of 2026 ( currently 30%).
Reduce moderate absenteeism (70–80%) to 5% by the end of 2026 (currently 10%).
Reduce chronic absence (<70%) to 0% by 2026 (currently 2%).
Monitor attendance outcomes for Māori and Pacific ākonga, with targeted actions to address disparities.
Embed attendance actions into the school’s Annual Plan and Strategic Plan.

3. Attendance Categories (MoE Standard Definitions)

Regular: 90–100% attendance.
Irregular: 80–90% attendance.
Moderate: 70–80% attendance.
Chronic: Below 70% attendance.

These categories guide thresholds, reporting, and planning for interventions.

4. Thresholds for Action (Per Term)

Up to 5 days

Office contacts whānau.
Reason for absence recorded.
Early support will be provided if needed.

5-10 days

The teachers contact whānau.
Reason for absence recorded.
Early support provided if needed.

10 - 15 days.

The principal contacts the family to see what support can be offered.
Tailored support plan developed with whānau.
Follow-up actions logged.

15+ days

The principal contacts the family to see what support can be offered.
Informs the family that an external agency may be contacted.
Referral to Attendance Services - if there is no improvement.
Formal intervention plan implemented.
SLT monitors escalation and outcomes

5. Processes for Identifying & Responding to Absence

Daily

Teachers mark rolls accurately by 9:15am.
Office contacts whānau for unexplained absences.
Reasons coded according to MoE guidelines.

Weekly

Principal and syndicate leaders analyse patterns (standing items in syndicate meetings and senior leadership meetings).
Students approaching thresholds are flagged for early intervention.
SLT reviews any emerging concern patterns.

Termly

Schoolwide analysis of attendance trends.
Attendance data reported to the Board.
Actions evaluated against thresholds and targets.

Annually

Attendance trends inform annual planning and resourcing.
Review of interventions and supports used.

6. Identifying Barriers to Attendance

Possible internal factors

Learning engagement.
Wellbeing issues.
Classroom relationships.
Bullying or social difficulties.

Possible external factors

Health or medical conditions.
Transport issues.
Financial hardship.
Family responsibilities.
Housing or community factors.

Tools Used

Edge SMS analytics.
MoE “Data Every Matters” report and guidelines.
Whānau voice and surveys.

Response to Barriers

Whānau meetings.
Pastoral support.
Learning adjustments.
Link to external agencies.
Transport or practical solutions.

7. Communicating Expectations with Whānau

Birkdale North School will clearly communicate attendance expectations and the importance of regular attendance through:

Newsletters.
School website.
Whānau hui.
Attendance updates each term.

8. Supporting Students Returning from Absence

Individualised catch-up plans.
Teacher check-ins.
Wellbeing support.
Learning resources are provided where needed.

9. Roles & Responsibilities

Teachers

Early contact with parents.
Logging of conversations and follow-up.

Attendance Officer

Daily monitoring.
Coding of absences.
First escalation point.

Syndicate Leaders

Review students at risk.
Develop support plans.
Coordinate interventions.

SLT / Principal

Oversight of data accuracy.
Intervention escalation.
Attendance reporting to the Board.

Board of Trustees

Approves AMP.
Receives termly reports.
Monitors strategic targets.
Ensures resourcing for attendance initiatives.

10. Board Statement

The Board of Trustees will investigate, respond to, and document actions taken in relation to student absences, ensuring that all actions comply with the procedures and thresholds outlined in this Attendance Management Plan.

11. Monitoring & Measuring Progress

Progress measured using Edge data, MoE datasets, and termly internal reports.
Indicators include the number of students in each attendance category, improvements across terms, and shifts in equity.
The board receives termly reports with analysis of targets and interventions.

12. Review of This Plan

Reviewed biennially or earlier if MoE regulations change.

Review will include: