Attendance service

Learn about the attendance services, who can assist schools to effectively manage attendance and reduce unjustified absence rates.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Recommended

  • Principals and tumuaki
  • Teachers and kaiako
  • Boards
  • Parents, caregivers and whānau

Sections 36, 48, 49 and 242 of the Education and Training Act 2020 state that every school board must take all reasonable steps to make sure that students attend school when it is open. 

Legal responsibilities and national guidelines for schools on attendance

About attendance service

The attendance service is a national service. We contract providers to deliver the service throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

The attendance service primarily works with students aged from 6 up to 16 years old.

The attendance service may also work with any child, older or younger, who is enrolled but has not been attending school. We aim to support schools to:

  • effectively manage attendance
  • reduce unjustified absence rates and non-enrolment
  • reduce the time taken to return students to education.

The attendance service's vision is:

Every student attending school every day, as a foundation for engagement in learning and achievement. 

Student attendance, along with effective teaching, has the greatest influence on student engagement and achievement.

How to make absence referrals to the attendance service

To make absence referrals to the attendance service, you’ll need to use the Attendance Service Application (ASA).

Once a referral is generated in ASA, it goes straight to the service provider who will allocate the referral to an Attendance Advisor or Kaiawhina for action.

Non-enrolment notifications – Guide to using ENROL

Apply for access to the Attendance Service Application

List of attendance service providers by region

Training for schools in managing attendance

Our Training services team run online training in managing attendance for school leaders and administration staff.

If you haven’t yet received an email invite to online training, email training.services@education.govt.nz.

List of attendance service providers by region

Your school should have heard from your service provider already. If you haven’t, use this list to find one.

For more detail, please see the map showing location of attendance officers and attendance service providers: Attendance service provider map 2023(external link)

2024 Service providers

Service area

Ngātiwai Trust

Whangarei North

Ngātiwai Trust

Whangarei South

Te Uri o Hau

Kaipara

Te Kura o Pangaru Hokianga
Ngati Rehia Kerikeri
Bay of Islands College AS Bay of Islands
Ara Whakamaua Kaikohe
Ara Whakamaua Far North
North Auckland AS Auckland North

Waitakere Alternative Education Consortium

Auckland West

Auckland City Education Services

Auckland Central

Unjustified Absence referrals only:

  • Engagement Workers in Schools
  • Greenmeadows Intermediate AS
  • Baverstock Oaks School AS
  • Kereru Park Campus AS
  • Pukekohe Intermediate AS
  • Taukau College AS

Non-enrolled referrals only:

  • New Zealand Blue Light Ventures

South Auckland

Tokoroa Council of Social Services

Waikato South

Starfish Social Services

Matamata-Piako

CAPS Haruaki Inc

Thames - Coromandel

Te Kuiti High School AS

Te Kuiti-Waitomo

Te Awamutu Rural and Roses AS Te Awamutu
Raglan Area AS Raglan
Te Hononga Te Pae Here AS Fairfield
Hillcrest AS Hillcrest
Te Kāhui Ako o Te Oko Horoi As Cambridge
He Waka Eke Noa AS Nawton
Northern Waikato Kahui Ako AS Huntley
CKC REAP Taumaranui
Te Kohao Health Waikato North
Mount Maunganui College AS Mount Maunganui
Papamoa College AS Papamoa
Rotorua Boys' High School AS Rotorua
Tauhara College AS Taupo-Turangi
Tauranga Moana AS Tauranga Moana
Te Puki Attendance Service Te Puke
Whakatāne Kāhui Ako Attendance Service Whakatane
Pūtauaki ki Rangitāiki Attendance Service Kawerau
Ashbrook School Opotiki
Tiaki Mai Attendance Service Gisborne
Ngati Porou Oranga Kaiti - Gisborne East
Te Taiwhenua ki te Wairoa Wairoa
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Hawkes Bay South - Wairarapa
Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea Hawkes Bay Central
Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui-a-Orotū Incorporated Napier
South Taranaki AS Taranaki South
Te Kāhui Ako o Kōhanga Moa AS  Inglewood
Central New Plymouth AS New Plymouth Central
MT SPA AS Opunake
West New Plymouth AS  New Plymouth West
Te Kāhui Ako o Taranaki Mohoao AS Stratford
Waitara Schools AS Waitara
Palmerston North & Manawatū AS Palmerston North
Feilding AS  Feilding
Ruapehu AS Ruapehu/Taihape
South Rangitikei Attendance Service Rangitikei South
Life to the Max, Horowhenua Trust  Horowhenua
Paraparaumu College AS Kapiti-Otaki
Rangikura School AS Porirua North
Porirua College AS  Porirua East
Taita College AS Hutt City
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated Porirua West
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated Upper Hutt
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira Incorporated Wellington City
Kaikoura High School AS Kaikoura
Marlborough AS Marlborough
Tāpitomata Nelson
Motueka High School AS  Motueka
Buller High School AS Buller
Māwhera AS  Greymouth
Westland High School AS Westland
Tupuranga Canterbury North
Ashburton Safer Community Council Trust Canterbury Central
Arowhenua Whānau Services Canterbury South
Arowhenua Whānau Services Mackenzie
Tupuranga Christchurch
Invercargill Secondary School Network Invercargill
Fiordland College AS Fiordland
St Kevins College AS Oamaru
South Otago High School AS Otago South
Otago Youth Wellness Trust Otago Central
REAP Southern Incorporated Southland
Whakatipu Youth Trust Whakatipu

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