Secondary School Attendance

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education.

Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

School is better when your teenager is there

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Why it’s important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.

Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.

Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VCAL, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes.

Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and lead to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways.

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Getting in early

It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest,  going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts.

Schools are there to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to us about ways to address those issues.

Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school

If your teenager is away:

If for any reason your teenager must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

  • Inform the school via your teen’s Learning Group Leader or Year Level Leader
  • Have your teenager find out what work needs to done to keep up – they can email their teachers or get onto Moodle at any time
  • Develop an absence learning plan with your teenager’s teacher and ensure they complete the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your teenager must miss school, speak with your learning group leader or year level coordinator as early as possible.

Openly communicating with the College about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues worsening.

If you’re having attendance issues with your teenager, please let your child’s Learning Group Leader or Level Leader know so you can work together to get your teen to school every day.

Top attendance tips for parents

  • DSC wants to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s learning group teacher and asking for advice and support
  • Remember that every day counts
  • There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
  • Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
  • Open and prompt communication with the College about all absences is a good idea
  • Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term
  • Seek help if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. We want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.

Source:  Department of Education, http://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/school/parents/the%20importance%20of%20attendance%20at%20secondary%20school.docx

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