Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week we have had a focus on attendance with our students. I would like to ask for your support in ensuring students attend every day unless they have a valid reason. Attendance matters for learning to be strong, students need to be at school everyday. Non-attendance has many effects on students, both academically and socially. Being absent can 

• increase social isolation, including alienation
• lead to a lack of engagement with the school community
• lead to emotional and behavioural issues
• lead to an increased rate of non-completion of school.

Many studies have been conducted into the implications of low attendance. The following paper from Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) ‘Spotlight - Attendance Matters’ has a good summary of current research into Australian attendance and its effects.

“Every day counts and there is no ‘safe’ threshold for absences”

 – Hancock et al., 2013

There are many variables that affect students' learning including teacher/student relationship and student engagement. Attendance can really affect how students build their understanding and skills in a subject  – all school days matter. The pattern between absence and achievement is negative and declines in achievement are evident with any level of absence. 

So what does a day here or there matter -

90% attendance means 1 day absent a fortnight, in a 10 week term that is 5 days, 1 week of learning, in a year that is 4 weeks = 1 month of learning per year.

80% means 1 day a week, in a 10 week term 10 days absent, 2 weeks a term, 8 weeks a year - almost a whole term per year

Our current school attendance rate is 87 %. The breakdown in Year groups are as follows

As you can see there is some work to be done. I would like to set a target of attendance of 95%. I understand there are circumstances where absences are unavoidable (illness, bereavement, unexpected emergencies) and I am not saying that students should attend then. There are times when students ‘just don’t want to go’ and this is not a valid reason. 

We have an outstanding wellbeing team, and if your daughter or son needs support in attending school we are here to help. If this is the case please contact your Leader of Learning (Year) or your child’s Pastoral Academic Care. 

Let’s work together to make every day count. 

What new learning will you undertake this week?

Regina Menz