New attendance service model to benefit students#

In Term 2 2025, nearly 10% of students were chronically absent from school. The research is clear that these young people are likely to experience worse outcomes later in life

Students who are chronically absent from school, or not enrolled at all, can be referred to an attendance service provider (ASP). This is usually once the school has exhausted its own efforts. The ASP will provide specialist support to help the student get back to regular school attendance.

How we are improving the system#

In 2024, reviews by us and the Education Review Office (ERO) found the ASP system was not working as well as it could be. In response, the wider attendance services model is being reformed.

These changes, along with other attendance initiatives underway, are designed to support the target of 80% of students being present for more than 90% of the term, by 2030.

Under the new model, these attendance services will:

• reach up to double the number of chronically absent and non-enrolled students, and be equitably resourced to do so
• be resourced to spend time understanding why students are not attending school and working out what changes or supports are needed to increase their attendance
• collaborate more with whānau | families, schools and other agencies to support the development and implementation of plans
• allocate up to 3% of their contract funding to address students’ unmet basic needs related to attendance
• be given stronger levers to escalate cases of chronic non-attendance where parents are unwilling to engage in solutions.

A number of these new ASPs will be able to begin operating from Term 4 2025. Most will start in Term 1 2026.

These new providers, and the students they serve, will also benefit from a new case management system. This will allow for better data collection, analysis and monitoring, at a student level.

More support for schools with chronically absent students#

A new initiative will provide funding to 170 schools with high numbers of chronically absent students. This in-school provision will allow them to offer additional support to some of their students.

Budget 2025 included a $140 million additional funding to improve attendance over the next 4 years, with $123 million of that allocated to these frontline services.

By the start of 2026, frontline attendance services will be better resourced, more accountable, better at effectively managing cases and more data driven in their responses.

From Term 1 2026, it will be mandatory for all schools and kura to have an attendance management plan in place, aligned with the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR).