Logging Students Absences

Using Compass: Late Arrivals, Early Departure & Absences

The office responds to many questions on how to log absences and late arrivals. Here’s a quick FAQ to help explain the process.

My child was 2 minutes late. Do they need to be signed in at the office?

YES. Many teachers mark the roll right at 9am. If your child was not in class, they are recorded as absent. Compass sends an automated email to parents at 9:45am stating that ‘your child is absent without explanation’. This can be a disconcerting/worrying message to receive.

If you are late (even by a couple of minutes) drop your child off at the classroom, then come by the office to sign them in.

My child has a medical appointment in the morning. They will arrive at school around 11am. What should I do?

You have two choices here – the first is the preferred option:

1. DO NOTHING. When you arrive, sign your child in at the office. If they arrive after 9:45am you will receive the ‘absent without explanation’ email from Compass. Just ignore this – you know where your child is! Signing in at the office overrides this.
2. In Compass, mark your child as absent for the entire day (keep the default of 8am – 5pm). Use the reason ‘Medical Appointment’. When you arrive at school, signing in at the office will override this.

My child has an morning dental appointment. I think we should be at school by 10am. Should I record that time in Compass?

NO. If something happens and you are not back by this time, our attendance record is incorrect. We need accurate attendance data in case of an emergency. For example, if there was a fire and it was just after 10am, we need the correct record of who is onsite.

For this type of absence, either do nothing in Compass, or record them out for the entire day. Signing in at the office when you arrive will update your child’s attendance correctly.

My child needs to leave school early. What should I do?

When you collect your child, sign them out at the office.

My child is unwell and they will stay at home for the day. What should I do?

Add an attendance note in Compass. Keep the default times (8am – 5pm) and add the reason ‘Medical/Illness’ from the choices available.

We are going away for a two-week holiday during term time. Do I put this in Compass?

YES. Adjust the dates to show the duration of the holiday and select ‘Family Holiday’ as the reason.

Where do I find the ‘absence notification’ in Compass?

• App: From the homepage, click on the ‘Shortcuts’ menu, which is located at the bottom of the page. Select ‘Submit attendance note’.
• Browser: From the homepage, click on the ‘Add Attendance Note’, which is located on the left-hand side of the page.