Attendance and Absences

Parents are responsible for ensuring their children attend school. The school has a number of procedures for checking the attendance of students and informing parents or carers.

Regular school attendance is vital for progress in learning and engagement with school. Year Advisers work with all students 7-12 to ensure satisfactory attendance rates are consistently maintained. Our school target for attendance is 95 - 100%.

Process to check the attendance of students

1.  At 8.38 am each morning a warning bell is sounded to notify students to proceed to  their period 1 class.
2.  At 8.40 am electronic rolls are marked in every class by every teacher. 
3.  Electronic rolls are marked every lesson providing a record of attendance for each lesson for each student.
4.  For all students who are marked absent in period 1 an SMS message is sent to the parent/caregiver on the day of the absence.
5.  A daily report is generated that checks a student’s attendance to ensure they are present every lesson.
6.  Parents are notified by letter or SMS if a student is found to truant or a student’s attendance is of concern.

If a student is late:

• Any student arriving after 8.40am is classified as late.
• The student must go to Office A. Office staff will record the absence as 'Explained' if a note, phone call or email is provided from either a parent, carer, doctor or other authority figure. If not, the student will be marked as 'Unexplained'.
• The student will be issued with a note indicating the time of arrival and then should proceed quickly to class. The student will not be accepted into class without a note.
• If a student is late three times in a term without suitable explanation, parents are notified by letter or SMS.

If a student is absent:

• Parents are notified by SMS or email if their student is absent from Period 1.
• A note of explanation should be given in to Office A on the day the student returns to school. If a note is not received within 7 days, the absence is classified as ‘unexplained’.
• For unexplained absences a letter or email is sent to the parent(s) or carer(s) seeking an explanation for the absence (see below, “Sick and Family Leave” for further information).
• If absence(s) are not explained, the Year Adviser may contact the parents by phone and/or request an interview.The ‘Home School Liaison Officer’ (HSLO) may be notified in cases of unacceptable levels of unexplained  absences.
• Students referred to the HSLO are interviewed with their parent(s)/carer(s) and the DP and an improvement plan is negotiated. Legal action can be taken if attendance rates do not improve or if absences remain unexplained.

Sick and Family Leave

Leave can be granted by the Principal for:

• sickness (a doctor’s certificate needs to be provided)
• unavoidable medical appointment (a doctors note needs to be provided)
• religious holidays
• urgent family business

Students needing an Early Leave Pass

• A parent or carer must notify the school via note, email, phone call or Schoolstream app when an early leavers pass is required. The student will pick up the early leavers pass at Office A before departing.
• The electronic roll will be updated and classroom teachers will be able to view early leavers.  If a student does not have an early leavers pass or does not appear on the electronic roll they will not be given permission to leave class.

• Students wishing to apply for extended periods of leave for travel (more than one week’s absence from school) must complete an Application for Leave at Office A.
• Students are expected to maintain a program of study while on attendance exemption and make arrangements to catch up missed work. 
• Tests/assessment tasks missed due to extended leave in Years 10 – 12 may be awarded a zero.  In Years 7, 8 and 9 arrangements for assessment are at the discretion of Head Teachers.
• Exemptions are open to approval and not automatic.
• Appropriate documentation must be provided to verify travel arrangements.

Related Links About School Attendance

• NSW DOE Quick Guide for Parents
• NSW DOE School Attendance Policy
• NSW DOE Compulsory School Attendance
• NSW DOE School Leaving Age

Last Updated September 2019