Reporting an Absence

It is a Ministry requirement to have a parent explanation of a student’s absence. This allows for the correct attendance code to be assigned. When your child is absent from school the school must be notified. You can do this either by:

Emailing the school

• Send an email to absences@kingsway.school.nz. 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.

Leaving a message on the absentee line

• Phone 09 427 0900 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.

Sending a message via the KingsWay School phone app

• To download the app, go to the App Store on your Apple or Android device and search SchoolAppsNZ.
• After downloading, open the app and search for KingsWay School.
• Once KingsWay School has been selected, your app will automatically open to the KingsWay School platform from now on.
• Select the ‘Absentee’ icon on the app. Select email and type in the details for your child. Click send.

A signed parent note

• This needs to be handed in at the LIBRARY (where the Vistab is now located).

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

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.

If your child is absent from school for more than 5 days due to ill health, a medical certificate is required. Medical certificates are important to justify absence from school due to illness.

Where there is consistent and/or intermittent illness the school can also request a medical certificate. If it is appropriate and your child is eligible, you could apply for support from the Northern Regional Health School.

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.

Please notify the school of this in advance where possible.

Sign In/Out Using the Vistab Device

The school has a responsibility to account for every person on site for student safety and in the case of an emergency during the school day. We use the electronic sign in/sign out register VisTab to help us fulfil this responsibility. All our students’ names are already entered in the system, so it will recognise a student once he/she signs in/out.

Senior campus
VisTab can be found in the entrance to the Library on the Senior Campus.

Any student arriving to school after the bell is required to sign in on their arrival and obtain a late pass.

If no email has been sent to the school ahead of the absence, then students MUST bring a note from home or Appointment card explaining their lateness and post it into the metal letterbox located by the VisTab device. Same with students having to sign out early, parents MUST notify the school. This is a Ministry of Education requirement.

Junior campus
VisTab can be found at Main Reception on the Junior Campus.

Primary students are not able to sign themselves in (or out) on the VisTab.
If a Junior Campus student arrives late, a parent must accompany their child, sign them in and complete the late pass for their child. Same with students having to sign out early.

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.

The Ministry of Education requires the school to record such absences in the attendance system as ‘notified but unjustified’.

Parents are asked to try and plan their family holidays during the set school holidays. Requests for special leave during the school term should be directed in writing to their Head of School:

Primary School: Jenny Harvey – jenny.harvey@kingsway.school.nz
Middle School: Lisa Lambert – angela.andrew@kingsway.school.nz
Senior School: Daniel Bennett – rene.ames@kingsway.school.nz

Parents/Caregivers are to contact KingsWay School EACH week on the day of their child’s work experience/one-day school/course. This is to indicate if your child is at their workplace/One Day School/course or at home sick/other reason for absence. This is a Ministry requirement that KingsWay School and our Pathways & Careers Department need to uphold.

To download the KingsWay School phone app

• Go to the App Store on your Apple or Android device
• Search for SchoolAppsNZ.
• After downloading, open the app and search for KingsWay School.
• Once KingsWay School has been selected, your app will automatically open to the KingsWay School platform from now on.