Somerset Hills SS
POLICY
Topic: / Attendance
Affecting: / Staff members, Students and families / Authority:
Date Written: / April, 2015 / Date Revised: / 13 July, 2016

Rationale

Non-attendance and irregular attendance can be viewed as early indicators of the potential for disengagement from the education program. There is a correlation between under-achievement in primary school and non-attendance in later years and consequent lack of success in adult life. Absence from school can limit a student’s achievement of essential knowledge and skills required for effective participation in work, relationships and families, and active citizenship.

This policy is based on the following principles:

  • Families, society, peers and educators and other significant adults influence the life choices of young people.
  • Attendance has benefits and consequences that increase or decrease life choices.
  • Continuity of relationships and learning in an educational program is dependent upon attendance.
  • Attendance is a shared responsibility between the staff of the school, parents/caregivers, students and members of the wider community.
  • Attendance is critically linked to the quality of the curriculum, teaching and learning and the development of relationships which then foster improved learning outcomes and increased wellbeing for individuals and groups.
  • Participation in educational programs fosters the development of personal and social skills.
  • The attendance of students-in-care will be closely monitored each morning. Carers will be contacted by 9:30am if a student-in-care is absent.

Aims

Somerset Hills State School Attendance Policy aims to:

  • Improve student attendance and participation.
  • Increase understanding of the importance of regular attendance by the community of educators, learnersand families of each school student.
  • Communicate clear messages to students and parents that attendance is vital.
  • Communicate strategically the processes for identifying and following through on student absences.

Somerset Hills State School expects:

  • Shared responsibility between parents/caregivers and the school to ensure student attendance.
  • Strong parental/caregiver accountability for student non-attendance including explanations andcommunication when necessary.

School Community beliefs about the importance of regular attendance

It is important that students, staff and parents/carers have a shared understanding of the importance of attending school.

Somerset Hills State School:

  • Is committed to promoting the key messages of the Every Day Counts initiative.
  • Believes all children should be enrolled at school and attend school all day, and every school day.
  • Monitors, communicates and implements strategies to improve regular student attendance at school.
  • Believes high rates of absences from school can limit student achievement and growth in academic, socialand emotional situations. The research clearly documents the impact attendance or non-attendance canhave on future schooling, employability and life choices.
  • Believes attendance at school is the responsibility of everyone in the community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Responsibilities

  • The Principal and Staff communicate to parents and students at the enrolment interview and through regular information in the school newsletter and on the school’s website, the expectation of a written note, personal contact or telephone contact to the office/class teacher from parents explaining a student’s absence
  • All unexplained absences are reported to Administration by the class teacher each morning by 9:15 am.
  • Parents or Carers are to be contacted by 9:30 am each day where students are absent from school.
  • An additional absence of two (2) days or more (unexplained or questionable) require further action by thePrincipal. Refer to the Procedures for Unexplained Absences flow chart.
  • Work with identified ‘at risk’ students and their parents/caregivers to support improved attendance.
  • Identify reasons for non-attendance and develop and document all strategies to improve attendance in OneSchool.
  • Make referral to, and seek support from, appropriate agencies and support services when a student’spattern of attendance becomes irregular.
  • Provide a relevant and dynamic learning program that seeks to engage all children and students and offersopportunity for success, thus encouraging regular attendance
  • Develop and implement an Individualised Attendance Plan for ‘at risk’ students.
  • Record student non-attendance using the OneSchool database.

Student Responsibilities

  • Develop awareness of individual responsibility for regular attendance.
  • Attend school on every school day.
  • Be punctual in arriving at school and for all associated lessons and activities.
  • Engage appropriately in the education program as negotiated.

Parent/Caregiver responsibilities:

  • Establish the expectation and importance of attendance with their child.
  • Enable their child to attend punctually and regularly on every day the education program is offered.
  • Provide explanation to the school (letter, email, telephone call) when the child is absent from school orwhen the child returns to school.
  • Book all appointments and holidays outside of school hours/dates where possible.
  • Provide information to the school that may assist planning for the child’s learning; for example, medicalconditions, developmental milestones and family issues.
  • Work with the school on intervention strategies to improve attendance.
  • If it is known that the child is going to be absent for a prolonged period of time due to illness or familymatters, the parent needs to inform the school.
  • Complete an Exemption for Attendance form is students are to be absent for 10 days or more for a planned reason.

5.Responding to Student Absences

At Somerset Hills State School, we are committed to achieving the following targets in improving attendance:

  • Have a zero tolerance on unexplained absences.
  • Supporting students to achieve >95% attendance per term.
  • Reducing ‘at risk’ absenteeism rates by 10%.

When a student is absent without explanation Somerset Hills State School will take the followingactions:

Phone call to parent/caregivers.

A formalised letter sent to parents/caregivers communicating the dates of absences and reiterating theattendance expectations.

If the situation does not improve, the following action will be taken:

  • Meetings will be arranged to discuss the student’s absences and may include the Principal, Guidance Officer, Class teacher and Parent/Caregiver.
  • An Individual Attendance Plan will be developed and implemented if this is deemed to be appropriate. Thisplan will be developed in consultation with all stakeholders.
  • Withdrawal from certain school activities such as interschool sport, school camps and excursions may benegotiated so that the student may complete missed work.
  • Involve the Guidance Officer in cases of extreme absenteeism.
  • Liaise with other agencies such as the Queensland Police Service, Department of Communities, and localnon-government organisations for assistance in addressing patterns of absenteeism and to supportstudents and families.
  • Prosecution of one or both parents may occur if the parent does not fulfil their legal obligation in regard tothe enrolment and attendance of their child at school. However, prosecution is considered to be a lastresort for use when sustained alternative approaches to improving a student's attendance have not beensuccessful.

Reporting and Monitoring Absences

At Somerset Hills State School reports of absence or truanting are taken seriously. Students, parents, members ofcommunity and school staff may report an absence in the following ways:

  • Reporting directly to office staff/ Principal/class teacher
  • A phone call
  • Letters
  • Email
  • A Notification Slip for unexplained absences for use by staff

Office staff are to record student absences made to the office on OneSchool. Class teachers are to mark the roll twice a day (after 9:00am am and after 12 am).

Students who are absent for 2 days without school notification are to be reported to the Principal on the second day of their absences. The principal/ Admin will contact the student’s parents to advise them of the process enacted when a student is absent from school without acceptable reason for 3 days.

6.Strategies

At Somerset Hills State School we promote 100% attendance by:

  • Using strong verbal and visual communication with students, parents, staff and the wider schoolcommunity about the importance of attendance every day. This point of contact starts during the initialenrolment process lead by the Principal.
  • Establishing and continuing liaisons between home and school.
  • Monitoring student attendance closely and following up with parents/ carers.
  • Rewarding attendance that meets Semester targets
  • Celebrating improvement in attendance for students displaying chronic and patterned absenteeism.
  • Implementing a school-wide initiative to reward individual, class and/or cohort ‘best’ attendance practices.

Reward and Recognition

Class attendance will be analysed using Class Dashboard each week. The class with the highest weekly attendance will be awarded the Attendance Trophy on assembly and noted in the school newsletter.

Student attendance will be analysed each semester and recognition letters acknowledging individual attendance meeting or exceeding semester targets will be sent home.

Students with attendance under 90% for the term will be identified and parents notified.