Tauranga Boys' College is set to receive a lunchtime concert of big acts after it came in as the top Tauranga school for attendance.

In the last month the college has managed to accumulate the top attendance rate out of five Bay of Plenty schools in the ‘Big Day In' initiative run by attendance service Ecase, which aims to get every Bay student into class.

Tauranga Boys' College have clocked up the best attendance rate across four weeks of monitored attendance.

As the winners the school will receive a lunchtime concert featuring comedy duo The Laughing Samoans, DJ Sir-Vere and New Zealand rapper K.One.

The competition, launched on June 10, was run at Mount Maunganui College, Otumoetai College, Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College and Te Puke High School.

Based on the total attendance data across four weeks Mount Maunganui College placed second, with Otumoetai College in third, Tauranga Girls' College in fourth and Te Puke High School following behind in fifth.

Tauranga Boys' College acting principal Ian Stuart he is very pleased with how the boys accepted the attendance challenge and maintained a high rate throughout the competition.

'The college has specifically focused on the students' attendance over the last five years and (I) felt confident that the boys were already in good habits with regular attending school.”

Mount Maunganui College deputy principal Ady van der Beek says ‘Big Day In' is a great initiative focusing on the importance of being at school.

However, he doesn't believe the initiative will have a huge impact on schools' attendance rates.

'Anything that draws the attention to the importance of being at school has got to be commended.

'To a degree it will reward good behaviour. I don't think it's necessarily going to change. But it is going to focus the parents and families attention to the need that if you're not at school, you can't learn.

'It's up to the families and the students to make that difference.”

Ady says student attendance rates at Mount Maunganui College are 'quite good anyway”.

'I don't see the children talking about it because I believe they genuinely like coming to school.”

Ecase regional supervisor Kelly Sadler says the initiative monitored the daily attendance of 7400 Bay students across four weeks and congratulates the efforts of students at Tauranga Boys' College.

'They came out on top with the best attendance overall.”

The attendance data, collected by Ecase Service Provider, supports data held by the Ministry of Education showing attendance is poorest on Mondays and Fridays. Data also found the year level struggling the most with regular attendance is Year 13 students.

Kelly says weather also has a big influence on attendance. Predictably there was better attendance in schools when the weather is fine, and decreases when it rains heavily.

The initiative also highlighted systems and practices at a school administrative level to ensure attendance reports are recorded accurately and on time.

Several students with the best attendance from each school won $50 t-shirts, provided by sponsor Once Clothing. Bayfair Shopping Centre provided five $200 gift cards as prizes for students who completed the on-line truancy survey.

The initiative is supported by Mai FM Street Team with free food, prizes and giveaways.