On this page
Attendance matters #
Attending school regularly is essential for student success.
In New Zealand, the number of students attending school regularly is lower than other countries. Lifting attendance is a shared responsibility. School leaders, boards and parents all play a role in supporting students to be at school and learning.
All state and state-integrated schools in New Zealand have been required to have an attendance management plan since the beginning of Term 1 2026. These plans aim to improve student attendance by providing clear pathways to identify and address absences.
Attendance management plans (AMP) should be developed in line with the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) framework and tailored to the needs of each school community.
What school boards need to do#
You need to:
- develop and implement an AMP
- publish it online
- follow the STAR
- periodically review your plan.
What plans need to include#
An AMP needs to include:
- key objectives and any strategic goals related to attendance
- a statement that the board will investigate and respond (in line with the attendance management plan) and record actions taken in relation to absences
- a clear process to identify and respond to student absences
- strategies, actions or interventions at different attendance thresholds (based on numbers of days absent in a term)
- how you will identify and respond to attendance barriers and underlying causes of absences
- how you will monitor and measure progress in attendance, including any targets set by the board or the government
- how you will review the attendance management plan.
Attendance management plan resources#
Attendance management plan survey#
Let us know how useful you found the attendance management plan supporting resources. Fill in the survey below.
Response activities and SMS functionality#
Your school or kura must record attendance management plan response data in your school management system (SMS) each time a student reaches an attendance threshold. This includes documenting all response activities taken.
- There is new SMS functionality that supports this process, making it easier to monitor attendance patterns, identify students who meet thresholds and record required responses.
- Your SMS submits this information to us, giving us clearer insights and ways to offer practical support.
- For help with SMS functionality, contact your SMS provider.
Publishing online#
Schools are required to publish their attendance management plan on a website. Before publishing your plans online, it is the board’s responsibility to make sure your documents do not contain any information that may breach any individual’s privacy.
If your school or kura does not have its own website, we will host your attendance management plan on the Education Counts website. Send a board-approved request to us.
Email: [email protected]
Stepped attendance response – STAR#
The Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) framework sets expectations for school, student, parent and guardian, Ministry of Education and broader system responses to student absence.
Schools are encouraged to use the STAR as a framework or to integrate key elements relevant to the school into their current attendance policies and procedures.
