Attendance
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The ACT Education Directorate (the Directorate) recognises the strong link between attendance and student outcomes. While school attendance is a legal obligation of parents, supporting students to attend school each day is the shared responsibility of all parents, students, school staff and the wider community.
In accordance with the Board of Senior Secondary Studies policy (BSSS), it is required that students will attend all scheduled classes/contact time/structured learning activities for the units in which they are enrolled. Any student whose attendance falls below 90% of the time-tabled classes/contact time without a reasonable excuse after final grades have been submitted, will be deemed to have voided the unit (V grade).
Teachers mark their rolls in every lesson. It is a legal requirement that parents/guardians explain their child's absence.
If students are absent from class for one lesson, a day, or longer, an explanation for the absence is required.
All absences are required to be explained in writing and can be done so via:
- Email to Erindalecollege.absences@ed.act.edu.au – only authorised email addresses will be accepted. (Preferred method)
- Handwritten notes with student full name, dates and/or lines and reason.
- Medical certificate is required for 10 or more consecutive days for an absence.
- If you foresee any family leave or have a sporting commitment an 'advanced notice' form must be completed prior to the absence, with approval granted by the Principal or Deputy Principal. (Forms are available from student services or here). An email or note explaining the intended absence must also be attached.
All explanations for student absences must be submitted within ten school days of the first day of an absence.
If a parent/guardian contacts the school by phone, whilst this is appreciated, they will be informed that written documentation is required to justify the absence.
Advance Notice of Absence
Parents are required to inform the college in writing of any advanced absence proposed for 3 or more days, e.g. overseas or domestic travel and interstate sporting events. In consultation with their teachers, students are required to negotiate the makeup of any missed work or assessment tasks and make a record using the ‘Advanced Notice’ form (available from Student Services). Once complete, this form must then be approved and signed by the Principal or delegate PRIOR to the intended absence.
Additional information on ATTENDANCE REQUIRMENTS can be found here: https://www.education.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/policies