Education for your child is important and regular attendance at school is essential for your child to achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options. Our school works in partnership with our parents to encourage and support regular attendance of our children. When your child attends school every day, learning becomes easier and your child will build and maintain friendships with other children.
If a student misses as little as 8 days in a school term, by the end of primary school they will have missed over a year of school.
What are parents' legal responsibilities?
Education in New South Wales is compulsory for all children between the ages of six years and below the minimum school leaving age. The Education Act 1990 requires that parents ensure their children of compulsory school age are enrolled at, and regularly attend school, or, are registered with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards for home schooling.
Once enrolled, children are required to attend school each day it is open for students.
Why is it important for children to arrive at school on time?
Arriving at school and class on time:
- Ensures that students do not miss out on important learning activities scheduled early in the day
- Helps students learn the importance of punctuality and routine
- Give students time to greet their friends before class
- Reduces classroom disruption
Lateness is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained by parents.
What if your child has to be away from school?
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
- being sick, or having an infectious disease
- having an unavoidable medical appointment
- being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)
Following an absence from school parents must ensure they provide the school with an explanation for absence within 7 days of the first date of absence. Explanations of absence can be notified to the school via email, letter/note or via the Skoolbag app (see here Notes & Skoolbag).
If the school has not received an explanation from you within 2 days, the school may contact you to discuss the absence.
The principal may decline to accept an explanation that you have provided if the absence is not believed to have been in the best interest of your child. In these circumstances your child's absence would be recorded as unjustified.
What happens if you wish to travel with your family?
Families are encouraged to travel during school holidays. If travel during school term is necessary, discuss this with the school principal. An Application for Extended Leave may need to be completed at the principal's discretion. Parents seeking an Application for Extended Leave are required to provide all appropriate documentation and submit it to the school for consideration at least ten days prior to travel to enable appropriate processing time. Approval of any Application for Extended Leave is at the principal's discretion and parents are advised that their application may be declined.
Absences relating to travel will be marked as leave on the roll and therefore contribute to your child's total absences for the year.
In some circumstances students may be eligible to enrol in distance education for travel periods over 50 school days. This should be discussed with the school principal.
What should you do if your child won't go to school?
You should contact the Deputy Principal as soon as possible to discuss the issue and ask for help. Strategies to help improve attendance may include a referral to the school's learning and support team or linking your child with appropriate support networks.