Student attendance

Attendance rates for 2025

Pilgrim School's overall attendance rate improved from 91.5% in 2024 to 92.4% in 2025 - a pleasing result that reflects our community's commitment to consistent engagement with school life. Every year level from Foundation through to Year 5 recorded an improvement, with Year 1 and Year 5 showing the strongest gains of 2.8 and 2.7 percentage points respectively.

The Year 6 attendance figure of 88.4% requires some context. One student with a significant and documented health condition recorded an attendance rate of 51%, and a further six Year 6 students recorded attendance in the 83–89% range. Together, these circumstances substantially affected the cohort average. The school maintained close and compassionate contact with each of these families throughout the year, providing appropriate support and flexibility. Excluding these factors, Year 6 attendance would have been consistent with the whole-school figure.

Across the school, 22 students recorded attendance below the 90% benchmark in 2025. Each of these students was known to and actively supported by our Wellbeing Team, with families contacted and engaged through our pastoral follow-up processes in line with our attendance guidelines.

Management of student attendance

At Pilgrim School, we value consistent attendance as foundational to student learning, wellbeing and connection. Our processes for monitoring and supporting attendance reflect both a pastoral and proactive approach.

In 2025, student attendance is managed through Compass, our school management platform. Teachers record attendance daily, and the system supports the timely identification of attendance concerns, automatically flagging patterns that may require follow-up. As in previous years, where a student has five or more absences or late arrivals within a term, a gentle check-in with the family is initiated to offer support and clarify any concerns. Where absences reach ten days within a term, more formal follow-up is undertaken in line with departmental guidelines.

Compass has also streamlined communication between families and the school. Parents and carers can notify the school of absences quickly and conveniently through the Compass Parent Portal or App, alongside the usual options of phone or email. For any planned absence exceeding five consecutive days, an Exemption from School form is required and submitted to the Principal for approval.

Pilgrim School remains committed to partnering with families to maintain strong attendance, recognising that consistent presence at school is foundational to every child's learning, relationships and sense of belonging.