Impact of absence from school on the student’s access to learning time
Attendance during one school year – 40 school weeks
| Equates to days absent during one school year…
| Which means the number of hours learning missed is…
|
95%
| 10
| 50 hours
|
90%
| 20
| 100 hours
|
85%
| 30
| 150 hours
|
80%
| 40
| 200 hours
|
75%
| 50
| 250 hours
|
When families plan events that require a student to be absent for more than 10 consecutive school days for any reason, parents should comply with their obligations in respect to compulsory schooling or compulsory participation under policy guidelines. They need to contact the office to complete the required paperwork to be approved and signed by the principal. Options available to parents within the form allow them to:
- Seek an exemption from their obligation through the principal or
- Negotiate with the principal to make an alteration to a student’s educational program or
- Seek to make a flexible arrangement for the student through the principal.
If truancy is suspected, the matter will be reported to the parents and/or appropriate authorities.
Arrival at school
Children have a better opportunity to perform well if they arrive at school on time and are able to prepare for the school day. Arriving late on a regular basis can impact significantly on a student’s ability to engage in and follow the lesson and may influence perceptions of the value of school and punctuality. For this reason we ask all parents/carers to make continued efforts to ensure their children arrive by 8:45am.
Parents who remain with their children until students have access to their classroom (or who collect them from school in the afternoon) are asked to ensure that their children comply with the school rules and expectations that apply to all other children during these times. All children have designated areas in which to assemble before school (See School Routine) and should not be outside classrooms, on verandas or in the playgrounds. Compliance with these guidelines assists in maintaining consistency for all children and reinforcement of the school’s expectations without exception. Our duty of care obligations may be compromised if adult supervision and compliance with school procedures does not occur.
Early arrival at school
Students should not arrive at school before 8:20am unless they, or their siblings, are involved in early morning extra-curricular activities. Siblings, not involved in the activities, must sit quietly in the old gathering area.
Late arrival at school
If children are late arriving at school, they are required to report to the office and inform office staff who will record their late arrival and provide them with a late slip. Deputy Principals will monitor and contact the parents of students who are regularly late without adequate reason.
Early departure from school
Parents are requested to inform the class teacher by note, phone call or in person on the morning prior to the time early collection is to occur and need to be signed out at the office before leaving.
During school time, students will not be permitted to walk unaccompanied out of our care to make their own way home independently or to wait in car parks or at the front of the school for a parent to collect them. If a person other than a parent/carer is to collect a child from school during the school day, the person’s details will need to be provided to the school by the parent and added to the child’s file as an emergency contact.
School departure at the end of the day
Parents/caregivers are requested to wait in the Junior Courtyard or under B Block after school until classes finish for the day. This procedure maximizes class time without distraction for the children and anxiety for individuals who cannot see their parent or carer waiting nearby.
Students are dismissed at 3pm. Once dismissed, students are to proceed home as directed by their parents/carers. For safety reasons, children are not permitted to play on playground equipment after school: this includes the Prep Playgrounds. Staff members are not rostered to supervise these areas after students have been dismissed from classrooms.
Parents/carers who collect students each afternoon are asked to ensure that their children are not left waiting for long periods after school. Where children have not been collected by parents/caregivers by 3:30pm, our school office will make contact by phone. Where delays in collection are extended, students may need to attend OSHC. Parents may be required to meet the associated costs.