At Rolleston College, we track attendance through both total percentage and the number of days missed to ensure every learner stays on track. We know that consistent attendance is a strong predictor for academic success.

We hold a firm commitment to student engagement alongside our legal obligation to monitor and report attendance under the Education and Training Act. To keep parents and whānau informed, we use a combination of automated notifications and personalised communication. You may receive an automated message or email for daily notifications and persistent non-attendance. You could also receive personalised communication for these and more complex trends.

This may mean at times although you have explained an absence you will still receive automated alerts e.g., during term-time holidays.

If your child is struggling to attend or you are facing barriers, the initial port of call for support is your learner's Ako or Advisory coach, who will work collaboratively with you to support your child.

Term-time holidays and attendance

We understand that there are circumstances where learners are away on holiday during term time, and we want to give a reminder of the process for this. Rolleston College is guided by the Ministry of Education requirements for attendance.

1. Learner completes special leave form

If you plan to take your child out of school for a family holiday of more than three days, your child needs to complete a special leave form.

The form is available at student services. We recommend completing this form at least two weeks prior to your planned trip.

2. Keeping up with learning while away

Once your child submits the form to student services, the form will be scanned and sent home to you. This will outline the learning and assessments that will be taking place while your child is away. It will also include suggestions for learning opportunities they could explore while on holiday.

3. How the absence is coded

The Ministry of Education requires us to use a specific code ('G') for all holidays taken during the school term. The Ministry defines this specific code ('G') as Unjustified Attendance.

This means that even if you've completed the form and given us two weeks' notice, the days your child misses due to the holiday will still be counted as unjustified in their overall attendance record.

Rolleston College must follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Education to ensure we are consistent with every other school in the country.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work within these national guidelines to keep our records accurate and help your child stay connected to their learning.