From the Principal

The Importance of School Attendance

Dear BMGS Community,

I would again like to welcome back to Term 2. Last week, I indicated that I would raise the subject of attendance with our community. I raise this topic in partnership with you. I raise it because attendance is fundamental to our children’s progress, success and wellbeing. Ensuring regular attendance can be challenging in our busy and often unpredictable family lives. I fully understand that illness, disruptions and life events happen – whether it’s a bad flu, a family emergency, or an unpredictable delay that you did not see coming. This is a judgement-free conversation about attendance, why it matters, and how we, as a school community, can support you in getting our students to school as often as possible.

Why Every Day Counts

Research consistently shows that every day of school counts. Even when absences are for good reasons, missing class equates to missing out on learning and routines that help students grow in the community. Studies have found that any absence – irrespective of the reason – can cumulatively affect a student’s academic outcomes over time (1). This does not mean that a single sick day will derail a child’s education, but patterns of frequent absences add up. For example, missing just 10% of school (about one day per fortnight) might not seem like much, but it equates to roughly 20 days a year – about 4 weeks of lost learning in one year (2). Throughout a child’s schooling, that amounts to more than a full year of school missed.

To put this into perspective, please see the table below. This data in this table is produced by the NSW Department of Education and is a measure widely accepted by educators across the country. 

Attendance Rate Approx. Days Absent per Year Equivalent Weeks Missed

Even at 90% attendance (often considered “good”), a student misses about a month of school in a year. It’s easy to see how “just a day off here and there” – for a birthday treat, feeling a bit tired, or an extra day to recover from camp – can accumulate. Regular absences may quietly undermine your child’s learning progress and sense of routine. On the flip side, small improvements in attendance can yield quick benefits. 

Perhaps more sobering is the fact that if a student misses an average of 1 day a fortnight, they miss 4 weeks of school a year. This equates to missing 1 year of school between kindergarten and Year 12. If a student misses an average of 2 days a fortnight, they miss 8 weeks of school a year, which means they miss almost 2 ½ years of their time at school (K-12). While a day here or there can seem immaterial, they add up. Research in NSW found that students with positive attendance habits (attending regularly) by Year 7 were, on average, three months ahead in reading and maths by Year 9 compared to those with poorer attendance (2). This shows that consistent attendance isn’t just about complying with rules – it directly improves learning outcomes, and the gains can appear sooner than might be expected.

Understanding the Broader Picture

Across Australia, schools have seen a decline in attendance in recent years, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (3). Before the pandemic, about 75% of students attended school regularly (at least 90% of the time), which means one in four students was missing more than a day of school per fortnight1. Since COVID, absenteeism has increased nationally – in 2022 fewer than half of students attended 90% or more of the time3. In Semester 1 of 2023, the national attendance rate for Years 1–10 was around 88.6%, an improvement from 2022 but still a few percentage points below pre-pandemic levels (3). Clearly, many families everywhere have been keeping children home more often, whether due to illness precautions, lockdown disruptions, or new habits formed during those years.

Our attendance rates at Blue Mountains Grammar School are currently better than the national average, but we have noticed a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. While our attendance is still relatively strong, we are closely monitoring this trend as it mirrors patterns seen nationwide – with more “at home” days and increased absences due to general fatigue or extra rest following significant events. We understand that these absences often come from a place of care and concern for your child’s wellbeing. It is reasonable to keep children home when they’re unwell or genuinely exhausted – as we would prefer to have healthy, rested students in class. 

It is also worth noting that improving attendance is a key focus for our school and schools across NSW right now. The NSW Department of Education’s latest research review points out that the decline in attendance in 2022 was remarkably consistent across all regions and school sectors (2). Everyone has felt this challenge and has a role in addressing it. At BMGS, we are enhancing our attendance monitoring and early intervention strategies. This includes regular communication with families, recognition for good and improved attendance, and providing extra support where needed.

At the same time, research tells us that if these “optional” days at home start to become a pattern, they can unintentionally set students back. The good news is that the same research shows change is possible. Small shifts can make a big impact. If families trim back just one or two unnecessary absences each term, it can move the needle for your child and our whole school. Imagine if a student who usually misses 15 days in a year due to various small events, cut that down to 10 days – that’s one extra week of learning gained. Over a child’s time in high school, that is almost a term of extra learning. That additional learning time boosts confidence, improves results, and strengthens habits for showing up.

Research also shows that consistent school attendance at school can profoundly impact a person’s long-term life outcomes. Beyond academic and financial benefits, regularly attending school contributes to stronger mental health projections. Students who are engaged with school communities develop better coping strategies and stronger social networks and are less likely to experience isolation or mental health issues as adults. Moreover, these students often form deeper connections with peers and adults, creating a supportive network to protect against future challenges. This sense of belonging at school fosters wellbeing and resilience, helping young people confidently navigate the transitions to adulthood.  Ultimately, the habits formed through regular school attendance set the stage for a healthier, more fulfilling life—emotionally, socially, and financially.

Working Together for Better Attendance

Please know that when I reach out about attendance, it is as part of a collaborative effort, not to place blame. I do not know your family situation or circumstances and would never pretend to. I am confident that we both want what is best for your child(ren). If your child is struggling with a problem that’s making them avoid school (be it academic anxiety, friendship issues, or anything else), we absolutely want to know so we can help. Please reach out. 

I encourage you to reflect on your family routines and any emerging patterns of absences. Perhaps it’s become common to take a “rest day” after a busy weekend or to extend a long weekend for travel. The swimming, cross-country, or athletics carnival may be earmarked as days off. Each of these community-focused events also speaks to the benefits of attendance, as they are part of the collective responsibility to one another. The benefits of regular attendance spill over into showing up, contributing and taking your place in your community. That is why I encourage involvement in every day available to our young people. While some are not athletic, they can cheer, inspire, and help.  

Our Commitment and An Invitation

I want to finish by again emphasising that my concern about attendance comes from a place of care. I want the very best for each student at BMGS. The evidence is clear that if we can help all students attend more consistently, they will benefit academically and in their friendships, confidence, and overall growth. Those benefits can appear quickly; teachers often see improvements in engagement and results within the same term. 

I also invite your voice into this conversation. If there are particular challenges you’re facing with your child’s attendance, or if you have ideas and insights into how we can support families better, please get in touch with me. You can also contact your child’s class teacher, Tutor, our Pastoral Care team, or me directly. We genuinely want to work together – school and home in partnership – to help your child maximise their time at school. Sometimes, a quick chat can reveal solutions or supports we can offer, whether dealing with morning routines, health concerns, or wellbeing issues.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this message. We can make positive changes by being aware of attendance patterns and communicating openly. A few more days at school across the year can make a real difference for your child. We are here to support your children’s journey every day.

Warm regards

Steven Coote 

Principal

Footnotes

1. Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2019). Spotlight: Attendance Matters. Melbourne: AITSL. (Highlights the strong correlation between attendance and student achievement, noting that non-attendance – regardless of reason – has a cumulative adverse effect on outcomes and that 25% of Australian students (Years 1–10) were attending less than 90% of school days prior to 2020.) 2
2. Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE). (2024). Understanding attendance: An updated research review on school attendance. Sydney: NSW Dept. of Education. (Updates research on why attendance matters and how small improvements can yield benefits. Defines chronic absence as >10% of school days (~4 weeks a year) and notes the sharp decline in 90%+ attendance rates in 2022. Also cites that NSW students with good attendance in Year 7 were ~3 months ahead academically by Year 9 compared to those with poor attendance.) 3
3. Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). (2024). School attendance: New insights. Canberra: AERO. (Provides latest data on attendance trends, noting national attendance declines during COVID-19. For example, in 2019 about 73% of students attended ≥90% of the time, dropping to <50% in 2022, and overall attendance in Semester 1 2023 was ~88.6%, still below pre-pandemic levels.) 1,2,3