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.
Students need to attend school regularly to meet the course requirements of the Higher School Certificate.
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.
Our procedures are as follows:
Late Arrivals:
All students who are late to school must sign in at the office with a note from a parent/carer or an email to explain the lateness.
This lateness remains as an unexplained absence until an explanation is received.
It is imperative that students sign in at Reception when they are late so they are not marked as absent for the whole day, and so that in the event of an evacuation or incident they are not viewed as absent.
Early Leavers:
If it is necessary for your child to leave school early for an appointment, please send an email to springwood-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Attn: Administration OR send a note to school with your child advising of the reason for the Early Leave and the time your child will be required to leave.
This note needs to be handed into the office BEFORE school and an electronic Early Leavers Pass will be generated and given to your child. Your child will show their class teacher this pass, which informs the teacher that this student has permission to leave at the approved time.
Students are then free to leave the school premises with this pass and do not have to come through the school office before departure.
If your child returns to school after an appointment, he/she should report to Reception to sign back in.
Absences Explained:
After the rolls are marked each day, a TXT message will be sent out to parents/carers of students who are absent. The most effective way to advise of an absence is to reply to this text message, indicating the reason for the absence.
Once the reply is received, there is no need to follow up this notification with a note or email. This text reply is sufficient.
Extended Leave Applications
Within Department of Education policy, applications are required to be made for students being absent from school for an extended period of time, which includes family holidays or travel for other reasons, both inside Australia and overseas, during term time. A request for the required application form is to be made to the principal. The issuing of a certificate of approval may then follow upon return of the completed application form to the principal. It is important for parents/carers to note that the relevant policy states: "A principal should not accept a reason for travel during school term if it is not in the best interests of the student. Educational, social and participation reasons should be specified on the application." The policy also indicates that travel documentation, such as travel itinerary or e-ticket, should be attached to the application. If the application is accepted by the principal, the absences will be recorded as "L" – Leave. The application form for extended leave, which includes but is not limited to travel, may be found here.