Attendance and missing school

Why going to school is important

Going to school every day is an important part of your child’s education. Children and young people learn new things at school every day, connect with friends, have fun and develop good habits that help them to succeed. Attending and participating in school will help your child:

• develop important skills and knowledge to help them learn
• develop social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team-work
• establish friendships with peers which help develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

There is no good number of days for missing school. Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight adds up to missing 4 whole weeks of school a year. Where possible, you should avoid your child missing school, for example, make appointments for your child outside of school hours and keep family holidays to outside term time.

What to do if your child can’t go to school

As a parent/carer, you are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day, and if your child is absent you must provide an explanation.

Schools acknowledge and understand that parents and carers may be juggling various challenges to get their children to school every day. If your child must miss school for any reason, notify the school as soon as possible so you can work together to ensure your child is supported. Each school will have a preferred way to do this. It may be by phone, email or via an app.

Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is important. If you’re having attendance challenges with your child or if your child needs to take an extended period of time off, please let their classroom teacher know as soon as possible. There are things you and the school can do together to ensure your child is supported to attend or can stay up to date with their learning and engagement while away.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence

Schools need to know when and why a student is absent, so you must let the school know on the day of the absence and explain why your child can’t come to school. If you do not let the school know, they must contact you on the same day to make sure your child is safe. Please ensure your contact details are up to date so the school can follow up on absences as required. They may also call your emergency contacts.

Your child’s school will keep a record of the reason provided for each absence. This will be marked under a category such as medical/illness, bereavement (including Sorry Business), truancy, family holiday and religious or cultural observance. As parents/carers there may be additional reasons. to those listed above, you choose to keep your child at home - these are recorded as Parent Choice.

The principal will determine if the explanation provided for the absence is reasonable. If the principal considers it to be reasonable, then the absence will be marked as an ‘excused absence’. If not, the absence will be marked as an ‘unexcused absence’ and you will be advised.

If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

If your child misses a lot of school

If your child has frequent unexplained absences then their school will work with you to implement appropriate supports to assist your child and ensure they attend school every day and remain at school during school hours.

If the supports do not improve your child’s attendance, your school might make a referral to a school attendance officer at the Department of Education. The school attendance officer will monitor and investigate your child’s attendance, and may issue an attendance notice, an official warning or a fine.

Example situations

Sickness

If your child is sick they should stay at home to stop the spread of illness to other students and staff. You should seek medical attention for your child as needed, including about when to return to school.

While the Department of Education does not mandate medical certificates for student absences, many schools have policies requiring them for extended absences. See your school’s attendance policy for further information. For a small number of infectious diseases, a medical certificate needs to be provided before a return to school. For more information visit the Department of Health’s School Exclusion Table.

If your child is well enough, your school might give them work to do so they can keep up with their peers while they are away.

Medical appointments

Make medical appointments for before or after school or during the school holidays. If this is not possible, tell your child’s school before the appointment that they will not be at school during that time.

Family holidays

Take holidays during school holidays and not during term time. Any holidays planned for during school time must be discussed with your child’s school in advance. The school will decide if it is okay for your child to miss any school for a holiday. They might give your child work to do so they can remain engaged with their learning while away. If the school does not approve the holiday and you decide to go, the matter may be referred to a school attendance officer at the Department of Education.

A death in the family

Contact the school and let them know how long your child will be away. The school can offer counselling and keep an eye on your child’s wellbeing when they return. For Sorry Business absences, find more information below.

Koorie cultural absences (including Sorry Business)

Culture plays an important role in a Koorie student's education and overall wellbeing. If your child needs to be away for a cultural activity or obligation, families are encouraged to discuss this with the school in advance.

For families of Koorie students, we encourage you to let the school know when there is Sorry Business. Teachers can work with you, your child and the Koorie Engagement Support Officer to identify the right support. The school will record the absence in a specific category for Sorry Business. The category accounts for the unique responsibilities that come with this type of absence.

More information

• Watch the Koorie attendance: missing school for cultural reasons video.
• Read Missing school for cultural reasons - information for Koorie families (PDF, 76.33KB).

Truancy

This is when your child chooses to not go to school without you knowing or giving permission. Your school can help you investigate why your child is not going to school, and work with you to improve your child’s attendance.

Wellbeing days

Try to avoid letting your child stay home for a “wellbeing day”. Although it may feel that staying home will provide short-term relief for your child, absence from school can lead to disconnection from classmates and teachers, as well as missed learning opportunities, making it harder to return in the long run.

Supporting students with a disability

For students requiring additional support, such as students with a disability or additional learning needs, reasonable adjustments may be required to enable their full-time attendance and participation. Please contact your child's school in the first instance if you would like to discuss what supports are available.

You can also contact the disability coordinator at your nearest regional office to talk about the options for your child.

Tips to help improve your child’s attendance

Setting up good attendance patterns and addressing attendance issues promptly can lead to future success and help your child feel more engaged and connected at school.

Here are some ideas which may assist you in supporting your child to attend school:

• Talk to your child about school and the importance of attending every day. You can ask them how they feel about school, what interests them or if they are having any difficulties. Some problems to look out for include:
  • bullying or cyberbullying
  • feeling isolated at school
  • disliking or feeling disconnected from the school culture or environment
  • falling behind in school work or feeling overwhelmed about keeping up
  • disliking school subjects, choice of subjects, or not feeling challenged by the work
  • finding relationships with teachers or other students at school difficult
  • competing demands on time, such as extracurricular activities
  • not feeling understood and fully accepted by peers or teachers
  • not experiencing cultural acknowledgement and understanding
• Encourage and celebrate good attendance habits with your child, including arriving at school on time every day.
• Set a good example. Show them how you keep to your own commitments.
• Encourage your child to take on hobbies at school that they enjoy such as sports and clubs. This will help them develop positive relationships outside of the classroom setting and can help your child feel part of a group, important to the school, and more motivated.
• Help your child maintain daily routines such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Help them pack their school bag the night before with everything they need.
• Have a set time for breakfast.
• Plan for your child to meet with a friend so they can travel to school together.

Remember, Every day counts. Act early if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and contact their school to discuss how you can work together to support positive attendance.

Useful websites/contacts

Be You – beyou.edu.au

Headspace – headspace.org.au or e-headspace for online counselling & support eheadspace.org.au

Reach Out – reachout.com

Kids helpline – 1800 55 1800 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or visit here for web counselling

Raising Children Network – raisingchildren.net.au

Parentline – 1300 22 89, 8am to midnight, seven days a week Get advice

Speak to your school and ask for support if you have concerns about your child’s attendance.