Attendance and absences

Students must attend school regularly so they can achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options.

In NSW, all children from the age of 6 are legally required to attend school or be registered for home schooling through the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). All students must complete Year 10, or its equivalent.

Young people below the age of 17 who have completed Year 10 must be:

• in school, or registered for home schooling
• in approved education or training, such as a traineeship, apprenticeship or TAFE
• in full-time paid employment (average 25 hours a week)
• in a combination of work, education and/or training (average of 25 hours a week combined).

Students 17 years and over who are enrolled in school must attend school regularly to meet HSC course requirements.

As a parent or carer, you are responsible for ensuring your child attends school every day when they are of compulsory school age. You must explain all absences to the school within 7 days.

For more information about compulsory school attendance, visit:

• School attendance policy
• Compulsory school attendance

School attendance

Students should arrive at school by 8:45am. It is expected that unless a student is seriously ill, he should attend school each day. Further information regarding Compulsory School Attendance.

Roll call

Attendance is taken in Roll Call 1 Period (before the commencement of Period 1) and Roll 2 Period (after the end of Period 8). In accordance with school policy all mobile phones are to be locked in a secure locker found in each roll call class. All students are marked present or absent for the day. Rolls are then subsequently marked every lesson by the classroom teacher. Parents/carers will be sent an SMS if your son's absences are not explained on the day. An afternoon roll call is conducted on Monday, Tuesday and Friday to allow students to collect their mobile phones.

Students leaving school early

Students leaving early should present a written request to either Ms Henry or Ms Arya who will sanction the early leave. It is then the student's responsibility to swipe out at the attendance desk and obtain an early leaver's pass. Your son's name will then be recorded on the absentee sheet with the time he is leaving the school.

Early leave passes on Wednesday

The school does not issue leave passes for students on Wednesday sport's afternoon for dental or medical appointments. All dental and medical appointments are to be made after school. In extreme circumstances a leave pass is required, your son is required to provide a signed note and a medical/dentist card with appointment details to Mr Hopwood.

Students arriving late to school

Lateness of students should be actively discouraged. Students who are habitually late will be referred to the Principal. Students who are late to school three times with unexplained lateness are given a detention.

Partial attendance

Students must attend all their timetabled lessons. Every student is issued a timetable and are given the responsibility to follow this timetable. The department of education requires you to have above 85% attendance record.

If your son has unexplained absences a letter will be sent home to notify you, which is the requirement of the Department of Education. If you receive one of these letters could you please fill it in and return it as soon as possible as this reflects on your sons records.

Leave applications

As part of the implementation of the National Standards, holidays taken by students outside of the school vacation periods will now be included as absences. A Certificate of Exemption can no longer be granted for this purpose.

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