Student Attendance 

Every Day Counts!

“Taylors Lakes Secondary College believes that students need to attend school regularly in order to gain maximum benefit from their schooling. Regular attendance enables students to access a comprehensive education, enabling them to reach their full potential.”

Did you know…?

• Poor attendance makes it difficult for students to form positive relationships with their peers.
• There is a direct link between students’ school attendance and their level of school achievement.
• Once students form a pattern of absence and lateness from school, it often escalates through subsequent school years.

100% attendance

Like every school, we have a concern about ensuring that student attendance is as high as possible.  We want all students to aim for 100% attendance.  In saying that, it is understood, that students do get sick and it is necessary to be absent, but we genuinely seek parent support to ensure student attendance is as close to 100% as possible and that the school is made aware when a student is absent.  In the later years there is an attendance component, which can result in a student receiving a ‘Not Satisfactory’ (N) result for a subject or multiple subjects if attendance requirements are not met.

Overseas Trip Arrangements

We wish to convey a very clear message that attendance is a key contributor to success in schooling. If a student needs to be absent for a genuine reason please ensure that an explanation is provided. Some parents may be concerned about timing of overseas trips and the impact of these on their child’s education. In many cases we have arrived at a compromise that has suited the parent and has minimised any impact on the child’s education.

We ask that for any family holiday that will result in more than 5 school days of absence, parents will need to write a letter to the principal outlining the details of the family holiday.  The principal will evaluate the merit of the holiday and will approve the request, or speak to parents further if necessary.

We encourage parents to speak to sub-school leader or a member of the principal class team on these issues prior to any booking being made. 

Explaining absences - Procedures for all students

Every absence from school needs to be explained by a phone call to the attendance line, or an absence note. Parents are also able to log on to Compass and approve absences accordingly.

Lateness and Early leavers – procedures for all students

Marie Taylor, our Attendance Officer, operates from the attendance office near the main office.

Students arriving after 9 a.m. or who wish to leave early for any reason must report and sign in/out at the Attendance Office (not the General Office). Please call before midday if your child needs to leave early for any reason.

• If leaving early, students must have a note from parent. They also need to see their Year Level Leader or Sub-school Leader to obtain their permission and signature on the note. The student then brings the signed note to the attendance office
• Parents wishing to collect a child for any reason are encouraged to call the attendance office before 12 noon (where possible)  and to report to the attendance office located next to general office.

If parents/guardians have any concerns regarding student attendance please contact the school and speak to one of the Year Level Leaders of Sub-school Leader for that particular year level.

Students also have access to a Kiosk near the Year 12 study room. They will be able to use this Kiosk to:

• Sign in when late and print a late pass
• Sign out and print early leavers passes (For Year 12 students who have permission to leave when they have study periods after lunch)

Compass Program

Parents are able to access Compass to:

• Easily check on their child's attendance at any time
• See any excursions or events your child has coming up
• Approve lateness and absences online
• Pre-approve absences if your child has an appointment coming up
• Contact teachers via email
• View their child’s learning tasks
• Access their child’s progress reports and semester reports

Frequently asked questions

What can I expect from the school?

Taylors Lakes Secondary College will:

• Monitor student attendance and regularly review progress
• Contact you if your child is absent from school without a valid reason
• Alert you if your child’s attendance is putting them ‘at-risk’ of not meeting the attendance requirements of the College
• Support you as a parent encourage your child to go to school

What is my responsibility as a parent or carer?

Make sure your child:

• Attends school on ALL school days and is punctual.  The school day begins at 8:50am (9:00am for Year 12 students) and it is expected that students arrive at school at a time where they can prepare themselves to begin the school day on time.

Make sure you:

• Provide the school with an explanation if your child is away
• Contact the school if your child does not want to go to school
• Arrange doctor and dentist appointments out of school hours (where possible)
• Arrange birthday or other celebrations out of school hours (where possible)
• Do not allow your child to stay at home for minor reasons.

Must I send my child to school every day?

Yes, unless:

• Your child is too sick or injured to go to school
• Your child has an infectious disease
• The principal is provided with any other genuine and acceptable reason for absence.

There are multiple reasons I can select to approve my child’s absence. Which one should I select?

Select the most appropriate reason that will explain your child’s absence.  For example, ‘medical/illness’ would be selected if the child has not attended school for a medical reason. PLEASE NOTE: Only select the option for ‘Truancy’ if you, the parent, DO NOT approve of your child’s absence.  In these instances, it is always a good idea to call the school and speak to the relevant Year Level Leader/Sub-school Leader.

What if my child is involved in sport or another school approved activity?

It’s okay and will be recorded as an approved absence, provided that it is a part of the school program such as Inter-school sport or excursion and has been approved by classroom teachers/Year level coordinators