Reporting an Absence

The Ministry of Education requires us to code all absences from school, so we need to know the reason for your child’s absence in detail. This includes arriving late and leaving early. This allows for the correct attendance code to be assigned. When your child is absent from school the school must be notified. When your child is absent or late from school, the school must be notified by 9.15am on the day of absence. 

You can do this either by:

1. Emailing the school

• Send an email to [email protected]. If you want to let a teacher know, please make sure you also send a copy to the absences email so we can ensure the attendance is marked as soon as possible.

2. Leaving a message on the absentee line

• Phone 09 200 1931 and enter 1 to leave your absentee message. This answer phone service is available 24 hours a day.
• Please state your name, your child’s name and class and reason for absence.

3. Use the KingsWay School App

• The school app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Search for KingsWay School after downloading the App and once it’s been selected, your app will automatically open the KWS platform from now on.
• Select the ‘Absentee’ icon on the app. Select email and type in the details for your child. Click send.

If the absence is for more than one day, please advise this in your message.

If you email a teacher, please also copy in the Attendance Officer so we can ensure the attendance is marked as soon as possible.

Not reporting your child’s absence either before or on the morning of their absence will result in an email being sent via our student early notification system and if necessary, a phone call to follow up. This is a safety measure. An answer phone is available 24 hours a day – leaving a message saves our office staff considerable time as we follow up all unexplained absences.
If the absence is for more than one day, please advise this in your message.

Medical certificates are important to justify absence from school due to illness.

A medical certificate is required if your child is absent from school for 5 days or more due to ill health.
The school can also request a medical certificate where there is consistent and/or intermittent illness. If it is appropriate and your child is eligible, you could apply for Northern Regional Health School support.

Students who become sick, or injured during school hours, must report to the Health Centre.

Only when a parent or caregiver has been contacted by the Nurse or office staff will the student be released. Students are NOT to text/phone parents/caregivers to collect them from school.

We would appreciate parent co-operation and assistance with this procedure, so we can ensure the safety of all our students.

Health and Safety is paramount in the event of emergencies and therefore records mean we keep track of students. Students who arrive late or leave during the school day for any reason must always follow correct procedures for safety reasons. Please notify the school of this in advance where possible.

Sign In/Out Using the Vistab Device

Student lateness and students leaving the school grounds during school hours are recorded through the VisTab device. At the Senior Campus, this device is located inside the Library by the librarian’s desk. At the Junior Campus, this device is located at the Junior Campus reception. All our students’ names are already entered in the system, so it will recognise a student once he/she signs in/out.

This system keeps a log of all students who leave the school for any reason. In an emergency, we will know exactly who should be at school and who has checked out. Any student arriving late to school after the bell is required to sign in on their arrival and obtain a late pass. The paper late passes will still need to be completed in order to show the teacher that the student has signed in – it does not replace a parent note.

PLEASE NOTE: The Ministry defines an ‘unhealthy pattern of lateness’ as: “When a student has been late for 2 or more times over 2 consecutive weeks”. It is very important that students arrive on time for school with enough time to prepare for the day. Like frequent absence, lateness has a detrimental effect on children’s learning and wellbeing. Regular latecomers are monitored and liaison with families will be initiated.

Senior Campus
It is the STUDENT’s responsibility (NOT parents/caregivers) to use the VisTab Device in the library to SIGN IN / OUT when they arrive late or leave early for any reason.
PARENTS’ permission is required by the Ministry of Education to support the student’s actions. Therefore, parents/caregivers need to communicate this permission with the school using ONE of the options listed under “How to Report an Absence” above.

Junior Campus – Signing In/Out

If a Junior Campus student arrives to school late, a parent/caregiver must accompany their child, sign them in on the Vistab (located at the reception area) and complete the late pass for their child before going to the classroom. Failing to do so might result in the student being marked absent on the roll. Students leaving during the day must be signed out and signed back in if they return on the same day.

The Ministry of Education does not condone holidays to be taken during term time. The MOE regard such leave as parent-condoned truancy. The school strongly encourages parents to take holidays during the regular term breaks.

Application for leave for planned absences must be received prior to the start date unless under urgent circumstances (e.g. bereavement).

Years 1-10:

1-3 days of absence is to be emailed to [email protected]

4 or more days of absence is to be emailed to:

• Primary School: Cristal McKoy – [email protected]
• Middle Years: Vanessa Gatman – [email protected]

Years 11-13

All absence requests are to be emailed to:

Senior School: Colin Thomson – [email protected]