Fresh off a long weekend and we are straight back into business, with only a few weeks remaining before the end of Term 1.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Wheatbelt Principals' Conference, with principals from across the region gathering together to discuss education in our unique context. Through the discussions it became evident that many secondary students struggle to see the relevance of the learning they are doing in schools, and it was refreshing to then hear that this was not seen as the case for our College. In the 2023 student surveys, 94% of students believed that the College develops pathways that assist students to access employment, training and/or further education post-school. This is significantly high, especially when compared to the whole of Year 10-12 students around WA, where only 54% say that at their school, they are learning knowledge and skills that will help them in the future. This reinforces that the vision of the College remains sharp, and it is important then that we maintain our focus on the outcomes for our students.

One way we can better assure outcomes for students is by ensuring our students are attending class. Currently, our attendance rate is at its highest since before the arrival of COVID, with an average attendance of 92.3% each day, and our students are to be commended for this. Where we can improve is in our regular attendance. Currently, only 68.7% of students have attended 90% or greater. This means that almost a third of our students are considered at risk through not attending enough school. Missing a day here or there due to appointments or illness is unavoidable, but regular absences have a direct impact on the outcomes students can achieve through their time here at the College. Below is a table indicating the impact absences can have on student learning, and if you want to know how your child is travelling, their attendance can be accessed through Compass.

Attendance during one school year	Equivalent days missed	Equivalent weeks missed	Equivalent lessons missed
95%	9 days	2 weeks	63 lessons
90%	18 days	4 weeks	126 lessons
85%	29 days	6 weeks	203 lessons
80%	38 days	8 weeks	266 lessons
75%	48 days	10 weeks	336 lessons
70%	57 days	11.5 weeks	399 lessons
65%	67 days	13.5 weeks	489 lessons

Jonathon Arnott

Principal

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