Assistant Principal 

Megan Franklyn 

Assistant Principal

Attendance

We seem to have well and truly entered flu season and are seeing a peak in Covid cases across Victoria. We want all children to be getting a great education here at Kingswood and that starts with being at school each and every day when your children are well enough to attend. We recognise that Covid is still having an impact on attendance at school, however it is important that children are only away on the days that they are genuinely sick.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in English and Maths and can also have a negative impact on students socially and emotionally.

Statistics to be aware of:

• Pre-Covid, the average number of absences for Prep to Year 6 students in Victorian Government Schools was 15 days (92%).
• Even a yearly 80% attendance rate, which may at first sound high, is the equivalent of missing a day a week or 40 days a year.
• Being away from school for one day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school.

Supporting your child to attend school:

• Set regular night time routines including bedtimes
• Schedule appointments for outside of school hours
• Communicate with the classroom teacher if there are worries or concerns that are preventing your child to attend school
• Get in early if there are early signs of school refusal – attendance patterns are formed early.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s absences at school, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 9551-1727 or megan.franklyn@education.vic.gov.au