Attendance codes for New Zealand schools

Background
Since 2008, Synergetic has been used to meet the New Zealand Ministry of Education (NZ MOE) attendance and absence requirements.
Either Synergetic or SynWeb can be used by teachers to record student attendances. See:

Attendance and absence codes
The following attendance and absence codes apply to New Zealand schools.

Code

Reason

Description

In class?

Audit code

Truancy code

Half day calc

?

Unknown

This is the initial entry for a student not in class and the reason is unknown.
It is updated as soon as relevant information becomes available about the reason for the absence.

No

U

U

A

A

Alternative education

The student is not in class, is on the school roll but is funded elsewhere.

No

N

P

P

C

Justice Court proceedings

Under existing legislation this type of absence is deemed to be present when calculating half day summaries.

No

J

J

P

D

Doctor/Dentist

Under existing legislation this type of absence is deemed to be present when calculating half day summaries, provided there is documentation verifying it.

No

J

J

P

E

Explained but unjustified

An explained absence where the explanation is accepted by the school as the reason for the absence but is not a justifiable reason for the student to be absent even though the parents may think it justified.For example, staying home to look after a younger sibling.

No

U

U

A

F

Off site course/class

The student is not in class but is on a legitimate off-site school-based course.

No

S

P

P

H

Health camp/school

The student is not in class but is in an approved environment for which the school is entitled to be funded, including:

  • health camp
  • regional health school
  • residential school.

No

F

J

P

I

Internal school appointment

Students who are out of class for internal school appointments, such as meeting with form teachers, deans, senior management, counsellors, sports administrators, nurses or careers advisors.
Students who are on an administration activity such as acting as a messenger or collecting attendance.
It should not include a student sent out of class (during the period) to the administration area for disciplinary reasons; they would be coded P in the class and possibly changed to R by the senior staff member attending to them.

No

J

J

P

J

Justified

Justified explanation within the school policy that may include:

  • unintentional absences such as a bus breakdown, accident, road closure and so on
  • nonattendance which is pre-arranged and justified such as for national or local representation in a sporting or cultural event
  • family circumstances or bereavement.

No

J

J

A

K

Teen parent unit

The student is not in class, is on the school roll but funded elsewhere.

No

N

J

P

L

Late

School policy (or teacher policy) will determine when this entry is made.For example, the school may decide that more than 5 minutes late is considered late and more than 15 minutes late is considered truant.

No

P

P

P

M

Medical/illness

Student is at home, with an illness or medical reason. Depending on your organisation's policy, a medical certificate may be requested for a prolonged illness.

No

J

J

A

N

School based activity

On site school-based activity, such as:

  • cultural, sporting presentation or practice including swimming or athletic sports
  • one to one tuition either as tutor or student.

No

S

P

P

O

Justified Overseas

The student is accompanying or visiting a family member who is on an overseas posting. For example, a military or diplomatic posting.
Other approved overseas absences should be coded J if approved or E if unapproved.

No

J

O

A

P

Present

Student is in their regular class.

Yes

P

P

P

Q

Attending a school trip/camp

Off-site school-based activity, such as:

  • sporting, cultural or academic school trip
  • school camp
  • school-organised overseas trip.

No

S

P

P

R

Removed temporarily from class

Students who are being temporarily supervised in another teacher's class or in the administration corridor.

No

S

P

P

S

Sick bay

Student is known to be in the school sick bay.

No

J

J

P

T

Truant

Absences where no written or phone explanations are received.
It may also be applied when the student offers an unacceptable excuse for not attending the class.

No

U

U

A

U

Temporarily withdrawn/stood down

Student is stood down or suspended according the conditions of Section 14 of the Education Act 1989.

No

J

J

A

V

Study period

This code is for supervised and possibly unsupervised study periods.
A school's process should include the means by which the codes are collected and entered for non-supervised study. The school's policy should clearly state the limits of their knowledge of students' whereabouts for unsupervised study.

Yes
/ No

S

P

P

W

Work experience

Student is working for a recognised employer as part of their course.

No

F

P

P

X

Exam leave

Under existing legislation, a student on exam leave from school is deemed absent when calculating half day summaries.

No

S

J

A

Y

Activity centre

The student is not in class but in an approved environment for which the school is entitled to be funded.

No

F

J

P

For more information:

Audit codes
The following audit codes apply to New Zealand schools and are used for audit resourcing.

Audit code

Description

S

Student is not in class but is on a legitimate school-based activity.

J

Student is not in class but the absence is justified (Ref 1998/48 Circular).

F

Student is not in class but is in an approved environment for which the school is entitled to be funded with the required supporting documentation.

U

Student is not in class and the absence is unjustified.

P

Student is present for tuition in the class.

N

Student is on the school roll but is funded somewhere else.


Truancy codes

The following truancy codes apply to New Zealand schools and are used for truancy reporting.

Truancy code

Description

J

Justified absence.

U

Unjustified absence.

P

Present.

O

Overseas holiday.

Half day calculation codes
The following half day codes apply to New Zealand schools and are used for:

  • attendance rate calculation and reporting
  • alerting the school should a student's unjustified absenteeism reach a certain number of half days.

Half day calculation code

Description

A

Marked as absent based on certain absence codes that apply to the student's class on a given day.

P

Marked as present based on certain attendance and absence codes that apply to the student's class on a given day.