Attendance

Waatea School: 2026 Attendance Strategy

At Waatea School, we believe that every day a child is present, they are thriving in an environment that celebrates their identity. Regular attendance is the foundation for our tamariki to build strong social connections and achieve academic success.

While we are committed to the success of every student, our primary focus for 2026 is moving tamariki from Worrying/Irregular Attendance (approximately 5 days absent per term) into the Regular/Good Attendance category.

• Deepening Whānau Connections: Engaging in proactive, mana-enhancing outreach to support families getting through the school gates.
• Removing Barriers: Identifying unique challenges—such as health or transport—and working together on holistic solutions.
• Nurturing Presence: Moving beyond just tracking numbers to nurturing the daily presence of our future leaders.

The Stepped Attendance Response (STAR)

To support our tamariki, we utilize a data-driven Stepped Attendance Response. This ensures that as absences increase, our level of support and collaboration with whānau also increases—ranging from classroom teacher check-ins to collaborative support plans with our SENCO and Tumuaki.