Stand-down and suspension forms
What are the stand-down and suspension forms?
They are forms used for notifying the Ministry when a principal stands-down or suspends a student. They include:
| Form |
Purpose |
| Advice of stand-down |
To notify when the principal has decided to stand-down a student under s14 of the Education Act. |
| Advice of suspension |
To notify when the principal has decided to suspend a student under s14 of the Education Act. |
| Advice of BOT decision |
To notify when the board of trustees has met regarding a student’s suspension, and what decision was made. |
| Notification following exclusion |
To notify the actions taken following a board’s decision to exclude a student. |
How do I learn to use the SDS forms in ENROL?
A self-paced learning module has been developed for all ENROL users, and it is strongly recommended that all staff that work regularly on SDS work go through the module. It only takes about 20-25 minutes to go through it so may be appropriate to view at a team meeting.
This module is now live and can be accessed by:
- Logging on to www.e-admintraining.co.nz/schools
- Selecting your school
- Selecting your name, then continue
- Clicking on "Browse Training" on the left hand side of the page
- Clicking on the double arrows next to: "ENROL Stand-downs & Suspensions" from the right hand side of the page.
The eAdmin Contact Centre is available to answer all school enquiries on how to use ENROL.
Email eadmin@minedu.govt.nz
Phone (04) 463 8383
Fax (04) 463 8374
Is it mandatory to enter all stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions, and expulsions into ENROL?
Yes, it is now mandatory to enter this information into ENROL. This replaces the previous process where forms were sent by post or fax to the Ministry. We hope that this new process will be easier, quicker, and more effective.
When does the information need to be entered and submitted in ENROL?
Advice of stand-down/ or Advice of suspension
When a student is either stood-down or suspended these should be notified immediately to the Ministry.
Advice of BOT decision
Board decisions must be immediately notified after the board has made their decision regarding a suspended student.
Notification following exclusion
After exclusion the principal must try to arrange for the student to attend another school. If after 10 days this has not occurred the Principal must notify the Ministry of the steps they took in trying to arrange a new school.
Where does the information go once I submit a form?
The forms are sent directly to the Ministry. You will receive a copy of the completed form at the same time by email, direct to the address you have entered into ENROL. At the Ministry, local office staff are responsible for identifying the students that require support from the Ministry.
Should the old SDS forms continue to be completed, signed and filed at the school?
No, you should print a copy of the electronic form (the email copy) and store this in your own filing system. The process of entering this information and submitting the form in ENROL is done with the authorisation of the principal, therefore without the need for additional paper signatures.
Who can see the stand-down and suspension history for a student?
Once enrolled at a school, that school can see the total number of stand-down days the student has had for the current term and year (including those at previous schools). Only the school where the child is currently enrolled, and was responsible for standing-down or suspending the student, can see the summary information about the student’s history. The Ministry can see all the history for a student.
How can I see how many stand-down days the student has had already this term/ year?
Find an individual student in your school, and select the Student Details screen for that student. On the Student Details screen, select the Stand-Down and Suspension tab at the far right, and the following page will be displayed for the student.
What messages does ENROL display if the process has not been followed correctly?
ENROL checks the cumulative total of stand-down days per term and year. When entering a new stand-down if the new total exceeds the legal maximum, then the user is warned with a red message telling them that "The legal maximum number of stand-down days has been exceeded for this student".
ENROL also checks that the process has been completed before a student is withdrawn from a school. If not, the following message appears in red: "The Ministry has been advised this student was suspended by your school. Please submit the 'Advice of BOT Decision' form before withdrawing the student."
What happens if the maximum number of term/year stand-down days is exceeded?
The principal should be notified immediately to resolve. If possible the number of days should be reduced or completely retracted to fall within the legal maximum, if the time has not already passed.
If the time has passed the principal need to contact the family to explain the situation.
What happens if I make a mistake in the information after I have submitted it?
You can delete the information in the latest form by hitting the cancel button beside the case in ENROL. You will then need to retype in the form with the correct information.
When should an excluded student be withdrawn from the school roll in ENROL?
Under section 17C of the Education Act, the student must remain on the school register (ENROL) until the student:
- is enrolled in another school (this should be identified in ENROL as a "pending enrolment" and task to withdraw the student)
- is given either an early leaving exemption, or homeschooling exemption (updated by the Ministry in ENROL)
- turns 16, and the day in which the student leaves school.