Absences

Absence Strategies

Onslow College uses a range of strategies to support and monitor attendance:

  • Attendance/Manaakitanga – the office is the first point of contact for absences at any time during the school day
  • Early Notification (EN) – The main caregiver(s) will receive a text and/or email if a student is marked absent and we have not been notified in advance.
  • The EN is sent between 10 and 11am daily
  • Afternoon Notification (AN) - The main caregiver(s) will receive a text and/or email if a student is marked absent and we have not been notified in advance
  • The AN is sent between 2 and 3:30pm daily
  • Parent Portal and App – Live data is provided to monitor attendance during the day and to view on-going attendance information
  • Ako Teachers follow up unexplained absences and late marks to support students’ attendance at school and keep parents/caregivers informed
  • Subject Teachers alert Ako Teachers if a student begins to miss their classes
  • Deans follow up attendance which has fallen below Ministry guidelines in order to support students and their parents/caregivers

Please note that situations can vary between students, and the school will use the best support strategy available in order to help each student achieve full attendance.

Notifying Onslow of Absences

Email: absences@onslow.school.nz

Phone: (04) 478 8189

KAMAR (Notify Absence): Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Your student is unwell or has an unavoidable absence:
Advise full or part-day absences each day as early as possible to the contact details above. Medical certificates may be requested for prolonged illness and are critical if senior students miss an NCEA Internal or External assessment. Contact the Subject Teacher and promptly supply a medical certificate to the Office.

You wish to request leave for family reasons, eg. holiday, sport representation:
It is a Ministry requirement that when students will be absent for a day or more for reasons other than sickness or bereavement, leave is requested from the Principal. Consider NCEA assessment dates for senior students. Email details of the leave to Principal at principal@onslow.school.nz for their consideration.

Your student needs to leave early e.g., medical appointment:
Prior notice is needed by the Office for release of Year 9-12’s – see above contact details. Year 13’s can sign out without notice but must provide confirmation of the reason from their caregiver or show an appointment card to the Attendance Officer afterwards.

Your student notifies you that they are sick and wish to leave:
Call the Office to advise that your student will sign out or request that they wait for you in Sickbay.

You receive an Absence Txt (Early Notification)
Reply to the text, or use the contact details above, either to provide information on the absence or to find out more.

You wish to access Attendance data:
Follow your child’s attendance via live data on the Parent Portal, accessed from the Onslow College Website. Choose “Student Information” then click this icon beside the photograph to reveal three Attendance data tabs.

Keeping in touch:
Establish an email contact with your student’s Ako and subject Teachers, then keep them informed of absences throughout the year.

Click to access the login or register cheese
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