Missing school means your child misses out on vital information and maintaining learning routines. This can result in a loss of confidence and missing out on forming vital friendships.
Attendance is recorded each day. As a parent or caregiver you are responsible for ensuring your child attends school every day, including sports days unless your child:
- has an unavoidable medical or dental appointment (preferably these should be made after school or during holidays)
- is required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- is required to attend an exceptional or urgent family circumstance (such as attending a funeral)
- is sick, or has an infectious illness.
If you are having difficulty getting your child to attend school regularly, you might like to talk to the school principal or the school counsellor.
If your child has to be absent from school for any reason, including arriving late or leaving early, please log into the Parent Portal to provide a reason. You can also tell your child's teacher or the administration assistant at our school, or explain the reason by phone, email, or written note as soon as possible and within seven days.
Home - School Liaison Officer
Attendance at school is a legal requirement . A Home-School Liaison Officer (HSLO) examines class rolls regularly for attendance.
The Home - School Liaison Program
Schools and parents are responsible for maintaining the regular attendance of students at school. The Home School Liaison Program provides a resource to support schools and parents in fulfilling this responsibility.
Home school liaison personnel are authorised attendance officers who promote regular attendance by working as a part of regional student services teams.
The Home School Liaison Program is an initiative coordinated by the Student Welfare Directorate.
The Home School Liaison Officers work closely with students of compulsory school age for whom regular attendance at school is an issue.
The Role of Home - School Liaison Officers
Home school liaison officers support schools by:
- monitoring attendance registers, suggesting areas for development and identifying emerging issues
- advising principals on the development of School Attendance Action Plans and the implementation of strategies to improve student attendance
- collaborating in the development of student attendance improvement plans consistent with timeframes for non-attendance and non-enrolment
- assisting schools in the implementation of the Department's attendance strategies
- liaising with government and non-government agencies, and
- participating in anti-truancy operations with the New South Wales Police Force.