A Whangarei school principal says transient families are a serious problem in Northland with their children falling well behind in school attendance and learning.
Hora Hora primary school - where 80% of pupils are Maori - has just had a glowing report from the Education Review Office.
It says children who attend regularly are achieving well in relation to the National Standards.
The office says those falling below the standards are most often from transient families and have poor school attendance.
The principal, Pat Newman, says many Northland families move constantly, looking for work or housing, and the continual changes are highly disruptive to their children's education.