A T T E N D A N C E P O L I C Y PREAMBLE St Vincent s College is an independent Catholic College for girls owned by Mary Aikenhead Ministries and in the tradition of the Sisters Charity. The purpose of the College is to provide a quality Catholic education for girls from various cultures and social traditions that focuses on the whole person. The philosophy that underpins the curriculum at the College is informed by the charism of the Sisters of Charity, the Ignatian Spirituality and the Mission Statement of the College. This spirituality encourages us to find God in all things in people, in all events and in every moment. Through a process of experience, reflection, decision and action, students at St Vincent s College are encouraged in their search for God, in their academic studies and in the way they can find expression of their faith in their lives. POLICY STATEMENT It is the policy of St Vincent s College that students are to attend the College for the full duration of each term and that punctuality and reliability are to be fostered. The College considers that the development of these habits will contribute to the development of responsibility and self-discipline in each student and to an orderly College routine. A register of enrolments that includes the following details will be maintained for each student. Name, age and address The name and contact telephone number of parent(s)/guardian(s) Date of enrolment and, where appropriate, the date of leaving the school and the student s destination For students older than 6 years, previous school or pre-enrolment situation St Vincent s College monitors the daily attendance and absence of students in the College by maintaining a daily register for each class of students, in Edumate. Student absences from classes or from the School are identified and recorded in a consistent manner by the staff member responsible. (The common code approved by the Minister will be used from 2012). Unexplained absences from classes are followed up in an appropriate manner with the student and/or their parent or guardian. Mandatory reporting procedures apply where absences are extended or the student may be at risk. The school notifies parents and/or guardians in an appropriate manner where a student has a poor record of School or class attendance. Where unsatisfactory class or School attendance is identified, the attendance issue and any action taken is recorded, as appropriate, on the student file. The register of enrolments will be maintained for a minimum period of 5 years. The register of daily attendances will be retained on the School s administrative database for seven years (previously held in archives). Copies of the information in the register of enrolment and the register of daily attendance will be stored off-site at regular intervals. PROCEDURES ATTENDANCE The College expects each student to attend the College on every day in each term.
Each student is to attend from 8.30 am until 3.20 pm. Each student is to be in her Tutor group at 8.30 am. LATENESS A student who arrives at the College after 8:30 am must obtain a late slip from the Student Office. The late slip must be shown to the teacher of the class you are entering. The late slip must be given to your Tutor. Frequent lateness to class will be recorded by the Tutor and parents will be contacted. Repeated lateness will be dealt with in accordance with the College s Discipline Policy. ABSENCE The College expects a parent/carer to inform Reception, before 10.00 am, if a student is to be absent on that day. A student who is absent from the College on any day is required to present to the Tutor Teacher, on the day of their return, a note from a parent/carer explaining their absence. This note is required irrespective of the required phone call. Parents or guardians are required to provide a written explanation (within 7 days of the absence occurring) for all absences. These notes are retained in Reception and kept for a period of 1 year after the absence. Email notifications must be followed up with a signed note. These notes are retained by the College. A formal letter will be sent to parent/carers regarding frequent/unexplained absences. It is the role of the Tutor Teacher to monitor and follow up absences. After morning Tutor group, the Class Captain is to bring the list of absentees from her Tutor group to the Student Office. A SMS message is sent to parent/carer for any unexplained absences at approximately 10.30am. Teachers are required to take the roll at the beginning of each period and follow up any students who are missing. In the first instance they are to refer to Edumate and report any discrepancies to the relevant Head of Year. If the student is going to be absent for an extended period of time, the College must be notified by letter addressed to the Principal from the parent/carer. If a student is absent from an assessment task, a medical certificate (or such other appropriate document explaining the absence) must be presented to the Tutor Teacher on the first day of the student s return to the College. A student seeking leave from sport is required to bring a note explaining their absence to the Sports Coordinator for permission. PARTIAL ABSENCE Leave during the school day is discouraged. A student seeking partial absence is required to provide a letter that states the student s full name, class, date, time of partial absence, reason for absence and signed by the student s parent/carer. Such letters are to be handed to the Tutor Teacher at roll call each morning. A partial leave stamp will be placed in the student s diary by Student Office when the student leaves the College. On her return to the College, the student s re-entry is noted in the database by the Student Office. TUTOR GROUP AND STUDENT OFFICE PROCEDURES The Tutor Teacher marks the roll (a hard copy of the roll is in the folder). Students are marked present or absent. Any absence notes are placed in a folder. Notes are checked to ensure that each has the following details clearly written: o student s name o tutor group o date of absence
o reason o parent/carer signature o and, if necessary, the times for partial absence. The Edumate database generates the absence data which is available. Tutor Group Teachers are required to keep a record of unconfirmed absences. Unconfirmed absences are recorded on Student Reports. Any enquiries about unconfirmed absences are to be directed to the Tutor Group Teacher. WITHDRAWAL OF ENROLMENT In the case where a parent is wishing to withdraw their daughter from St Vincent s College, the parent is required to write a letter to the Principal indicating that the student is leaving the College, the date when the student will finish at the College, the reasons for leaving, and the school where the student will be enrolled. Once this has been received by the Principal, the student must complete a student exit form which can be collected from Student Services. The student exit form is to be completed before the student s last day at the College and handed in to Student Services, who will pass it on to the Principal. DESTINATION OF A STUDENT UNDER 17 YEARS OF AGE Where a student leaves the College before the age of seventeen, appropriate evidence must be provided that the student is taking a recognised educational pathway or is entering employment that has a formal training component. Such instances may be where a student is commencing an apprenticeship and is undertaking study at TAFE. Where the destination of a student under the age of seventeen is unknown the Department of Education and Communities will be notified of the student s name, age and last known address. The College will also undertake to contact the student regarding their future educational destinations and the appropriate procedures for leaving the College. Notification must be received in writing from the parents/guardians of the student if a student is to leave St Vincent s College. Confirmation of the student s destination is obtained from parents and recorded in Edumate (the Colleges database). Where the destination of a student under seventeen (17) years of age is unknown, the Department of Education and Communities officer with home school liaison responsibilities is notified of the student s full name, date of birth, last known address, last date of attendance, parents names and contact details, an indication of possible destination, other information that may assist officers to locate the student, and any known occupational health and safety risks associated with contacting the parents or student. The proforma in Appendix 1 may be used when contacting the Department of Education and Communities officer with home school liaison responsibilities. The Data entry person records this information in the student file record on the School database. REVIEW This policy will be reviewed in 2014.
STUDENT DESTINATION UNKNOWN NOTIFICATION Appendix 1 This form has been prepared to provide a Department of Education and Training Home School Liaison Officer with details where the destination of a student below seventeen (17) years of age is unknown. School details Name of school Location of school (street address) Student details Student name Date of birth Last known address Last day of attendance Parent (guardian) details Parent (guardian) name(s) Contact details of parent(s) (guardian) Mailing address Further information Possible destination Telephone (home) Telephone (work) Telephone (mobile) Other relevant information Any OHS risks associated with contacting the student or parent (guardian)
Exemption policy statement Where a student of compulsory school age seeks an exemption from attendance at school or an exemption from enrolment, the school will process the parent s application in accordance with the guidelines from NSW Department of Education and Communities. Procedure Parents will submit the application and supporting documentation, where requested, to the Principal; The college will send applications for over 50 days in a year to the Minister s delegate at the Student Welfare Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Communities; Applications for Up to 50 days in a year or a leave request to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship, will be considered by the Principal; The Principal will consider the application in accordance with the criteria in the guidelines from the NSW Department of Education and Communities; Where the application is supported, the principal will provide the original exemption certificate to the parent/s; Where the application is not supported, the principal will notify the parents in writing of the unsuccessful outcome using the format from the guidelines; Copies of the application and exemption certificate or notification are kept on the student s file; The Minister s delegation and copies of exemption certificates are filed in the school s attendance records. Exemption from School Procedures 1.1 General Principles 1.1.1 This section applies to students of compulsory school age who are enrolled at school where an exemption is sought from the legal requirement to attend school. See section 2 for exemptions from enrolment at school. 1.2.1 It is the duty of the State to ensure that every child receives an education of the highest quality and it is the duty of parent to comply with the compulsory education requirements of the Education Act 1990. 1.3.1 Certificates of Exemption from the compulsory education requirements of the Act may be granted by a delegated officer (as identified in 1.10.1 below) when it has been clearly demonstrated by the applicant that an exemption is in the student s best interests in the short and long term and that alternatives to exemption have been considered. For example, in some cases, application for Distance Education may be more appropriate than seeking an exemption from school attendance. 1.4.1 Procedural fairness must be accorded to an applicant for an exemption. 1.5.1 Generally, Certificates of Exemption should not be approved where the delegate is aware that the student has been the subject of a Community Services (Department of Human Services) report or Child Wellbeing Unit report and for whom unresolved issues concerning a risk of harm remain. A risk assessment should be conducted to identify and strategies developed to manage any risk prior to approval being granted. 1.6.1 Where the delegate is aware of existing child protection concerns, (including where it may be in the child s best interest to grant the exemption) the Director, Student Welfare must be consulted prior to approval being granted. 1.7.1 Applications for exemption from school attendance must be made in writing to the Principal. In exceptional circumstances, an oral request can be made to the Principal, seeking assistance on completing an application for exemption from school attendance. 1.8.1 In the case of students of compulsory school age who are enrolled in school, applications for exemption from school attendance must be applied for in advance. 1.9.1 Exemptions from school attendance cannot be granted retrospectively under these Guidelines.
1.10.1 Under Section 25 of the Education Act 1990, the Minister may grant a Certificate of Exemption. This power is delegated, subject to these Guidelines, to the Principal, in relation to granting of an exemption from school attendance for periods totalling up to 50 days in a 12 month period for any one student. 1.11.1 Exemption from school attendance should only be granted where conditions exist which make it necessary or desirable in the view of the Principal, that a Certificate of Exemption be granted. 1.12.1 In these guidelines, the term parent or parents includes any person or persons having the custody or care of a child. Reasons for Granting Full and/or Part Day Exemptions from Attendance at School 1.2.1 The Principal, may grant exemptions due to: exceptional domestic circumstances, including but not limited to participation in family holidays during school term subject to being satisfied that this is in the best educational interests of the child other exceptional circumstances such as health of the student where sick leave or alternative enrolment is not appropriate the child being prevented from attending school because of the direction under section 42D of the Public Health Act 1991 employment in the entertainment industry or participation in elite sporting events for short periods of time i.e. for one or two days, and at short notice. 1.2.2 The attendance register must indicate full day exemptions with the approved code. Exemption from Enrolment 2.2.2 The Principal may grant exemptions to students of compulsory school age from the requirement to be enrolled in school provided approval has been given to their entering a full time apprenticeship or traineeship before they have completed Year 10 under section 21B of the Education Act. Such exemptions will only be granted to a student where the: Principal considers that, in all the circumstances, the student is a suitable candidate to complete his or her education through an apprenticeship or traineeship student's parents give permission for this to occur Principal has sighted a full time apprenticeship or traineeship contract signed by the employer and a summary training plan authorised by the Registered Training Organisation employer agrees to notify the Department of Education and Training (through the Principal) if the apprenticeship or traineeship is abandoned before the student turns 17. If the student does not complete the apprenticeship or traineeship, she will not have completed Year 10 and will be legally required to do so under another pathway of the Act (for example by returning to school or seeking enrolment in TAFE NSW) the apprenticeship or traineeship is subsequently approved by the Commissioner for Vocational Training, State Training Services as suitable for the young person and the training contract attains registered status following the probationary period. (Where approval is granted by the Principal and the Commissioner subsequently notifies the student of his or her decision not to approve the contract following the probationary period, the approval and the exemption from compulsory schooling cease from that point to operate, and the student s parents must take steps to comply with their compulsory schooling obligations). Conditions Attached to Exemptions from Enrolment at School 2.3.1 Certificates of Exemption from enrolment must: include any specific conditions that apply to the exemption state that the exemption may be cancelled if any such conditions are not met specify a period for which the exemption had been granted 2.3.2 The original Certificates of Exemption will be provided to the parents. 2.3.3 A copy of the Certificate of Exemption will be provided to the school on subsequent enrolment and must be attached to the student s file.