Attendance

At Norwood, we expect all students to strive for their personal best and being present in the classroom is paramount to success. VCAA requires a minimum of 50 hours of face-to-face learning for each VCE Unit, which equates to 90% attendance. A student may be deemed as not having demonstrated an understanding of the specific subject outcomes if they attend less than 90% of classes without evidence to support a medical issue. All absences require a medical certificate or at the very least, an approved absence to explain non-attendance.

Completion of all coursework is required to gain a satisfactory result and an effective use of class time is the first step to success. Students should come prepared and take responsibility for their learning by choosing a productive attitude when attending class. If students are repeatedly absent, learning time is lost meaning extra work needs to be completed at home. Preparation for assessments is instrumental to success and students not attending will miss explanations from their teachers and invaluable practice time to prepare them for school assessed coursework and exams.

*NB: To ensure fairness and equity for all students, those who have not attended school during the day are not permitted to sit a scheduled after-school SAC and a valid medical certificate must be provided to support any rescheduling. This is designed to maintain consistent expectations and uphold the integrity of assessment conditions for all students.

Attendance Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

• ensure all children of compulsory school age are enrolled in a registered school and attend school every day the school is open for instruction

• ensure students, staff and parents/carers have a shared understanding of the importance of attending school

• explain to school staff and parents the key practices and procedures Norwood Secondary College (NSC) has in place to:

  • support, monitor and maintain student attendance

  • record, monitor and follow up student absences.

Scope

This policy applies to all students at NSC. 

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Department of Education and Training’s School Attendance Guidelines. It does not replace or change the obligations of NSC, parents and School Attendance Officers under legislation or the School Attendance Guidelines. 

Definition

Parent – includes a guardian and every person who has parental responsibility for the child, including parental responsibility under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and any person with whom a child normally or regularly resides.

Policy

Schooling is compulsory for children and young people aged from 6 to 17 years (unless an exemption from attendance or enrolment has been granted).

Daily attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they do not fall behind both socially and developmentally. School participation maximises life opportunities for children and young people by providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values that set them up for further learning and participation in their community. 

Students are expected to attend NSC during normal school hours every day of each term unless:

• there is an approved exemption from school attendance for the student

• the student has a dual enrolment with another school and has only a partial enrolment in NSC, or

• the student is registered for home schooling and has only a partial enrolment in NSC for particular activities.

Both schools and parents have an important role to play in supporting students to attend school every day.

NSC believes all students should attend school all day, every day when the school is open for instruction and is committed to working with its school community to encourage and support full school attendance.

Our school will identify individual students or cohorts who are vulnerable and whose attendance is at risk and/or declining and will work with these students and their parents to improve their attendance through a range of interventions and supports.

Students are committed to attending school every day, arriving on time and are prepared to learn. Our students are encouraged to approach a teacher and seek assistance if there are any issues that are affecting their attendance.

NSC parents are committed to ensuring their child/children attend school on time every day when instruction is offered, to communicating openly with the school and providing valid explanations for any absence. 

Parents will communicate with the relevant staff at NSC about any issues affecting their child’s attendance and work in partnership with the school to address any concerns. 

Parents will provide a reasonable explanation for their child’s absence from school and endeavour to schedule family holidays, appointments and other activities outside of school hours.

Supporting and promoting attendance

NSC’s Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy supports student attendance. 

Our school also promotes student attendance by: providing breakfast clubs, lunchtime clubs, a variety of co-curricular programs to support student engagement, and ensuring there are adequate Education Support Staff to follow up student attendance issues in consultation with Heads of Year Level and Year Level Coordinators. Our Student Wellbeing Team provides programs to support student attendance and facilitates counselling as required.

Recording attendance

NSC must record attendance in every class. This is necessary to:

• meet legislative requirements

• discharge NSC’s duty of care for all students

• meet Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority requirements for VCE students.

Attendance will be recorded by the classroom teacher at the start of each lesson using Compass to mark the roll.

If students are in attendance at a school approved activity, the teacher in charge of the activity will record them as being present.

Recording absences

For absences where there is no exemption in place, a parent must provide an explanation on each occasion to the school. 

Parents should notify NSC of absences by:

• Logging onto Compass to record an absence and the reason for the absence. If it is a planned absence, the relevant Head of Year Level or Year Level Coordinator should be contacted as early as practical either by phone or through a Compass email.
• If a student is absent on a particular day and the school has not been previously notified by a parent, or the absence is otherwise unexplained, NSC will notify parents by SMS. Emails and phone calls may also be used to notify parents of unexplained absences. NSC will attempt to contact parents as soon as practicable on the same day of the unexplained absence, allowing time for the parent to respond.

If contact cannot be made with the parent (due to incorrect contact details), the school will attempt to make contact with any emergency contact/s nominated on the student's file held by the school, where possible, on the day of the unexplained absence.

NSC will keep a record of the reason given for each absence.  The Principal will determine if the explanation provided is a reasonable excuse for the purposes of the parent meeting their responsibilities under the Education Training Reform Act 2006 and the School Attendance Guidelines. If NSC considers that the parent has provided a reasonable excuse for their child’s absence, the absence will be marked as ‘authorised absence’. 

If the school determines that no reasonable excuse has been provided, the absence will be marked as ‘unauthorised absence’. 

The Principal has the discretion to accept a reason given by a parent for a student’s absence. The Principal will generally excuse:

• medical and dental appointments, where out of hours appointments are not possible or appropriate
• bereavement or attendance at the funeral of a relative or friend of the student, including a student required to attend Sorry Business
• school refusal, if a plan is in place with the parent to address causes and support the student’s return to school
• cultural observance if the parent/carer notifies the school in advance.

If no explanation is provided by the parent within 10 school days of an absence, it will be recorded as an ‘unexplained absence’ and recorded on the student’s file.

Parents will be notified if an absence has not been excused.

Family holidays

Families are encouraged to organise family holidays during term breaks. Family holidays that take place during the school term are not automatically considered as approved absences but will be at the discretion of the principal. In this instance, families should email the Head of Year Level a month prior to the expected absence. For these to be approved, it is expected that:

• the parent notifies the school in advance and the student completes any Student Absence Learning Plan agreed by the school, student and parent
• the length of absence will not affect the student’s learning

• VCE students will not miss School Assessed Coursework (SACs) or School Assessed Tasks (SATs)* 

   

*In situations where VCE students miss SACs and SATS for unapproved absences, a student must complete the SAT or SAC upon their return to school to achieve a satisfactory outcome (‘S’), however, only a zero will be awarded for the assessment. 

For students in Years 7 – 10, unapproved absences as a result of family holidays during term, may lead to an unsatisfactory outcome for school assessed work.

Managing non-attendance and supporting student engagement

Where absences are of concern due to their nature or frequency, or where a student has been absent for more than five days, NSC will work collaboratively with parents, the student, and other professionals, where appropriate, to develop strategies to improve attendance, including:

• establishing an Attendance Student Support Group
• implementing a Return to School Plan
• implementing an Individual Education Plan
• implementing a Student Absence Learning Plan for students who will be absent for an extended period
• arranging for assistance from relevant Year Level Coordinators, Heads of Year Level and the Student Wellbeing Team.

We understand from time to time that some students will need additional supports and assistance, and in collaboration with the student and their family, NSC will endeavour to provide this support when it is required.

Referral to School Attendance Officer

If NSC decides that it has exhausted strategies for addressing a student’s unsatisfactory attendance, we may, in accordance with the School Attendance Guidelines refer the non-attendance to a School Attendance Officer in the North Eastern Regional Office for further action.

If, from multiple attempts to make contact with a parent, it becomes apparent that a student will not be returning to the school, the Principal may make a referral to a School Attendance Officer if:

• the student has been absent from school on at least five full days in the previous 12 months where: 

  • the parent has not provided a reasonable excuse for these absences; and

  • measures to improve the student's attendance have been undertaken and have been unsuccessful

• the student’s whereabouts are unknown and:

  • the student has been absent for 10 consecutive school days; or 

  • no alternative education destination can be found for the student.

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways: 

• Available publicly on our school’s website 

• Included in staff induction processes

• Included in staff handbooks/manuals

• Discussed at annual staff briefings/meetings 

• Included in transition and enrolment packs

• Discussed at parent information nights/sessions

• Reminders in our school newsletter 

• Hard copy available from the General Office upon request

More information and resources

The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL): Attendance

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Absences

The Department of Education and Training requires that a parent, carer, or guardian must notify the school of a student's absence either in writing or by phone. The College preferred method is for parent/carers to approve attendance notes electronically by logging on to Compass. 

If the College is notified in this way, a written note on the day of return to school is not required. An explanation to the relevant Sub-School will be necessary if no contact has been received. Only parents/carers or guardians are to advise of an absence from school. Any communications recieved from students will be verified by a return call to the parent/carer or guardian. Should no absence notification be received, the sub-school attendance officer will call a parent/carer to check on the unapproved absence.

Signing-in, Signing-out

Students must remain on school grounds from their first class until their last class of the day. Students found to be off the school grounds without permission or a valid reason will be subject to consequences.

Students at Norwood Secondary College are expected to maintain at least 90% attendance. When students arrive at school, they are required to go directly to their first lesson which commences at 8.40am. Those arriving after 8:40am must sign in at the Sub-School Compass Kiosk before proceeding to class.

Families should aim to schedule appointments outside of school hours, on weekends, or during school holidays. Parents/carers who require students to leave the College grounds during the day are required to lodge an attendance note via Compass or contact the relevant Coordinator or Head of Year Level. Any students leaving early must sign out at the Sub-School Compass Kiosk.

Students must use their Norwood ID card to sign in and out at the Sub-School office for administrative safety. No student is allowed to sign out and leave the grounds without parent/carer consent.