School Information
Attendance & Student Absences
ABSENCE NOTIFICATIONS
It is a legal requirement for parents/carers to notify a school of the reason for any absence as soon as it is possible. Notifications cannot be given by any other person unless there is a formal arrangement with the school.
Notifications can be made via the following methods:
- The child’s diary/communication book
- Emailing the school at dl.1170.info@schools.sa.edu.au
- Phoning the school on 85691503
- Leaving a message on the answering machine any time before 8:30am or after 4pm
- Sending an SMS to the Student Absences notification number: 0437 944 801
- Responding to the text message sent in the morning when an absence has not be explained.
Please note: The school is not able to assume a child’s illness. For example, if a parent rings the school on Monday to say their child is sick, we cannot assume they are sick on Tuesday if they are not at school. We need further communication from the parent on Tuesday. Alternatively, if the parent knows on Monday that their child will not be at school Tuesday, they can let us know when they contact us on Monday or phone back later in the day.
RESPONSE TO ABSENCES
When a student is absent without explanation for 3 days we will follow this process:
- Home Group or class teacher to contact (email, phone, diary note) the parent to discuss the non-attendance
- If there is no response, a report to Department for Child Protection may be made and we may refer the matter to the Department for Education Truancy Social Worker.
When a pattern of absences has been identified or if a child has 10 or more absences without valid reason we will follow this process:
- Communicate with parents asking them to meet with the Home Group/class teacher and Wellbeing Coordinator
- The Wellbeing Leader and sub-school Leader will meet with the parents to develop an individual attendance improvement plan including key actions and review timeframe
If after a review period, attendance hasn’t improved, a further review meeting will be arranged between either the Principal or Deputy Principal, Wellbeing Leader, parent(s) and student and a referral to the Department for Education Truancy Social Worker will be made.
If you have any questions regarding attendance or this policy please contact the school.
EVERY DAY COUNTS
We are committed to assisting our community to understand the impact that poor attendance has on learning. We actively work to educate families about the impact absenteeism can have on a child’s future opportunities.
| If your child misses… | That equals… | Over 13 years of schooling, that is .. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day per fortnight (1 out of 10) | 20 days / 4 weeks per year | Nearly 1.5 years |
| 1 day per week | 40 days/ 8 weeks per year | Over 2.5 years |
| 2 days per week | 80 days / 16 weeks per year | Over 5 years |
Mannum Community College believes that:
- Every day counts
- Children should be enrolled at school and attend all day, every school day unless they are too unwell to attend.
- Regular attendance can be improved when we monitor, communicate and implement positive strategies.
- Truanting (school absence without valid reason) can place a student in unsafe situations and impact negatively on their future employability and life choices.
- Attendance at school is the responsibility of EVERYONE in the community
How is everyone responsible?
The school is responsible for:
- Positively encouraging maximum school attendance
- Recording daily attendance and submitting attendance by 8.50 every morning
- Sending daily text messages to families for any unexplained absence
- Following-up any unexplained absences with weekly letters and maintaining accurate records
- Escalating attendance concerns to relevant sub-school leaders and/or Wellbeing Leader
- Informing all families of attendance expectations
- Following-up patterns of non-attendance with families and discussing these at twice-a-term Student Review Team (SRT) meetings
- Referring habitual and chronic absence cases to the Department for Education Truancy Officer when appropriate.
Each student regardless of their age is responsible for
- Being prepared and ready for school on time
- Ensuring all communication in diaries/communication books is given to the teacher/parent
- Reporting to the front office to sign in late if they arrive after the first bell. They should provide a note from their caregiver explaining the reason for the lateness.
Parents are responsible for:
- Reading and following the Attendance Policy which is provided with their enrolment pack.
- Positively encouraging maximum school attendance
- Ensuring children are ready to start learning at the first bell and that appropriate, safe arrangements have been made for the student’s pick-up at the last bell of the day
- Contacting the school for assistance when an attendance concern arises to prevent it from becoming an issue
- Notifying the school of any absences, part or whole day, via the means set out in the Absence Notifications section of this policy
- Requesting an exemption (in writing via a form ED175) from the Principal for any known extended absences of three days or longer
- Signing children in at the front office for any arrivals after first lesson has started (8.50am)
- Signing children out at the front office if collecting their child before the final bell of the day
- Applying for an exemption for a student whose attendance is affected by a period of prolonged illness or other circumstances related to their personal situation. Parents are required to provide supporting evidence such as medical reports, reports from psychologists / psychiatrists etc.
- Being responsible for making appointments outside of school hours whenever possible
- Providing the school with a medical certificate if their child is away ill for 3 or more days