Attendance

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

School is better when your child is there

Why it’s important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.

Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading.

Getting in early

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates.

It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school.

Student Absences

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and developing good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s school in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission. There can be many reasons for truancy. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together.

If your child is away

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

Inform the school

Speak with your child’s classroom teacher and find out what work they need to do to keep up.
Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible.

Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated to a School Attendance Officer. A School Attendance Officer is a Department of Education and Training Regional Director who has authority to follow up attendance issues. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s.

If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

Top attendance tips for parents

Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support
Remember that 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 us 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.

School Student Broadband Initiative extended – Department of Education

The School Student Broadband Initiative offers eligible families with school-aged students free NBN broadband internet at home. The initiative was due to end on 31 December 2025 but has been extended. The initiative is capped at 30,000 services connected. Once this number is reached, no further applications to participate in the initiative will be accepted.

Households already connected through the initiative, or with a voucher to do so

Families and carers currently connected to the NBN network through the initiative will have their connection automatically extended with their participating internet provider until Friday 30 June 2028. Eligible families and carers who already have a voucher to take part in the initiative should activate their free service with a participating internet provider as soon as possible. This voucher will become invalid once the cap is reached.

For all other households

Please encourage families and carers who haven’t been assessed and may be eligible for the initiative to contact the NBN’s National Referral Centre for an assessment. If they are eligible, they will be sent a voucher to access free home internet until Friday 30 June 2028. However, this voucher must be activated before the 30,000 cap is reached.

Find out more

For more information, refer to:

For further enquiries, contact the School Student Broadband Initiative team by email: ssbi@education.vic.gov.au

Please note that this initiative is for NBN customers only. Those under OptiComm are unable to access this initiative.

Active Transport to and from School

It's wonderful to see the increasing number of students who are engaging in active transport—walking, cycling, and scootering—on their way to and from school. This is fantastic as it encourages physical activity and supports environmental sustainability.

Some important reminders:

Helmet Use:
- It's essential that all students wear helmets, as required by law. Parents and carers play an essential role in supporting this by ensuring their children wear proper protective gear before heading to school.
- Legally, all cyclists must wear an approved bicycle helmet that meets the Australian Standards Mark (AS/NZS 2063), which ensures the helmet is safe and suitable for cycling.
Safe Cycling Areas:
- Students under the age of 12 are allowed to ride bicycles or scooters on footpaths, as can a supervising adult. They must always give way to pedestrians and wheel their bikes over pedestrian and children’s crossings.
- Children aged 12 and older are required by law to ride on the road / bicycle paths.
- Road safety authorities recommend that children under the age of 9 are supervised by an adult when riding on the road. Depending on their cycling skills and experience, some children over this age may still require supervision.
- It’s essential to remind students to only ride in designated cycling areas and avoid using unsafe locations like car parks, which can pose a risk to both the riders and pedestrians.
Secure Bicycle Storage:
- The school provides a designated secure storage area for bicycles and scooters, which is excellent for keeping students’ property safe during the school day. However, this storage area is currently near full capacity, which may cause delays when accessing the area.
- Students are asked to be patient and to wait their turn when storing or retrieving their bikes or scooters. We appreciate everyone's understanding as we work to maintain an organised and safe environment.
Parental and Carer Involvement:
- Staff continue reminding students of safe cycling practices. We ask parents and carers to actively reinforce these safety measures at home. By working together, we can help students stay safe while enjoying the benefits of active transport.

Let’s all contribute to a safer environment for our young cyclists and help them develop good habits for years to come. Thank you for your co-operation!

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