New attendance service model#

The new service model will:

• reach up to double the number of students each year and
• will include a comprehensive service for chronically absent and non-enrolled students throughout the country (the new attendance services).

We will contract 1 provider per catchment area on a multi-year term to provide the services.

We expect new contracts to be awarded in October 2025. This will give enough time for providers to build capacity to deliver the new services from Term 1 2026, and for any transition of open cases that may be required.

Pre-register for application documents#

Interested schools are invited to pre-register now until mid-June 2025 to be sent a copy of the application documentation when it is released. Pre-registration is not a prerequisite to participate in the application process.

To pre-register, email us with the following details:

• school ID
• school name
• school contact person name, email address and phone number for receiving the application request.

Email: [email protected]

How to apply to be an attendance service provider#

If you have pre-registered, we will email you when the application process opens and where to access the application documentation.  We will also advise via the School Bulletin when the applications are open.

Briefings on the programme and our requirements, including the details of the catchment areas, will be held once the application documentation is released.

Details on the timing of these briefings and how to register to attend will be advised in the application documentation when it is released.

About the application process#

Approximately 83 catchment areas are currently being defined.

We will also run a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for iwi organisations, non-government organisations (NGOs) and commercial entities who are interested in providing attendance services.

Attendance services reform programme#

The new attendance services reform programme will work with referred chronically absent and non-enrolled students to identify why they are not going to school, and to develop and implement plans to address those reasons so the students improve their attendance.

Attendance service providers (either schools or third-party entities) will provide appropriate services to all schools and eligible students in their catchment area.

The new services are designed to provide support to around 80,000 students per annum. The current attendance services manage around 41,000 cases per annum.

Contract values will be based on estimated referral volumes, with providers funded to meet all needs in their catchment area.

Flexible and innovative approaches to service delivery will be encouraged as a way of managing unexpected variations in demand and achieving the best results for the students.

Ongoing monitoring and regular reviews will let us agree adjustments to contracts when needed.

A key feature of successful providers will be their ability to establish and maintain strong relationships with:

• students and their families
• local communities
• other social agencies within their catchment area.