Attendance Matters

Every Day Counts

No matter how hard parents/carers try, some students may be reluctant to go to school. Here are some ideas which may assist you to support a child or teen who is reluctant to go to school and may even be school refusing. Addressing attendance issues promptly and setting up good attendance patterns can lead to future success and can help students feel more engaged and connected at school.

Did you know?

Patterns of late arrival at school or missing classes are early warning signs of disengagement from school. Missing one day of school each week adds up to 2 months missed over a year. Each day of absence has an impact on skill development and social connections, and poor attendance may be associated with future unemployment, criminal activity, substance abuse, and poorer health and life expectancy.

Causes of School Problems

Some of the more common causes of school problems are underlying learning difficulties, learning disabilities or behavioural or emotional issues. 

School factors might include:

• bullying or cyberbullying
• feeling isolated at school
• disliking, or not feeling connected to, the school culture or environment
• falling behind on school work or feeling overwhelmed about keeping up
• disliking school subjects, not liking the choice of subjects, or not feeling challenged by the work
• poor school or academic support, especially in relation to heavy workloads
• not getting along with teachers or other students at school
• competing demands on time, such as extracurricular activities
• not feeling understood and fully accepted by peers or teachers
• cultural acknowledgement and understanding

Personal factors might include:

• chronic illness
• intellectual or cognitive disability
• behavioural or developmental difficulties or disorders
• mental health issues such as depression or anxiety 
• history of abuse and neglect
• poor self-concept or self-esteem
• poor communication skills
• poor social skills
• poor sleep habits 
• difficulty with listening, concentrating or sitting still 
• generational trauma

Family factors might include:

• parents who aren’t involved in their child’s education
• a home environment that doesn’t or can’t adequately support a young person’s learning
• family problems such as relationship breakdowns
• competing family or social responsibilities, such as caring for family members, or working outside school hours
• cultural differences with the school culture and environment

What Parents/Carers Can Do

It's important for parents/carers to act early if they are concerned. Talk to your teen about the importance of showing up to school every day and make that the expectation. 

Regular attendance at school sets up good behaviours for regular attendance at future workplaces and other life commitments. Don’t let your child stay home unless genuinely sick. Complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety.

Reward appropriate behaviour and don’t unintentionally reward unwanted behaviour by letting children who stay home have access to their devices and the internet. Be sure to set a good example – how you meet your commitments impacts on how they will meet theirs.

Daily Routines & Sleep 

Help your child maintain daily routines such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. Primary school aged children need about 10 to 11 hours sleep. Teenagers need an average of 8-9 hours of sleep to be healthy and alert. 

You may also need to monitor your child’s use of the Internet, mobile phone and TV at night to ensure they are not staying up too late or being disturbed while sleeping. Consider how your child is sleeping – is their room cool and dark and have all devices, including TVs and mobile phones, been removed?

Talk about school

Talk to your child. What are their feelings about school? What interests them at school? Are there any difficult situations? 

For teens, it helps if you open these discussions in a relaxed way so that your teenager knows you are demonstrating concern, not authority. It’s often a good idea to have these conversations while doing something else together such as driving, preparing dinner or going for a walk. If your teen doesn’t want to talk right then, let them know you’re ready to listen whenever they’re ready to talk

For younger children, talking about the school day shows your interest.  Ask simple, positive and specific questions about parts of the day e.g. What was fun? Who did you play with today? Did you help anyone today?

Extracurricular activities, social connections & part-time work

Encourage meaningful extracurricular activities that your child enjoys, such as sports and clubs, to develop positive relationships and experience success outside of a classroom setting. These activities can help your child feel part of the group, important to the school, and more motivated.

For teens, try to be aware of your child’s social contacts. Peer influence can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated

Set clear parameters around part-time work. Make sure that the hours your teenager is working do not impact on their ability to go to school the next day, or interfere with school assessment expectations or exam preparation. Most schools recommend no more than 10 hours per week.

Family holidays & appointments

Try not to schedule hair, dental or medical appointments during school hours. Arrange family holidays during scheduled school holidays so that students don’t miss out on classes and feel left behind. If it is necessary to be absent from school for an extended period, arrange with your school for a Student Absence Learning Plan.

School policies & monitoring attendance

Familiarise yourself with the school’s attendance policy. This can help when trying to reason with a child or teenager who is resisting going to school.

Monitor your child’s attendance and school performance. Periodically check with their teachers to find out how things are going. If you find it difficult to contact several different teachers by phone, please email them. Alternatively, the Year Level Leader may be a helpful point of contact in relation to specific issues.

Top Tips for Parents/Carers

Schools want to work in partnership with parents. If you have concerns, act early by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support. Remember:

• Every day counts
• There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
• Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
• Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea 
• Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term

Seek help from the school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.

The College works in partnership with parents/carers and students and we are here to support you.  If concerns arise, please reach out to any of the school staff below at your earliest convenience.

Tim Pearson

Leader of Senior School 9-12