Supporting And Being Supported
I write this on the eve of another extended lock down. I have witnessed a lot of emotions from staff, parents and students – anger, frustration, resignation and anxiety. I have also seen amazing behaviour – self-care, consideration, preparation, adaptability and resilience. A community of people coming together to support each other through hard times. Look out for family and touch base with friends.
Every Minute Matters.
Attendance is one of the key major indicators for success at school and later in adulthood. Studies have strongly shown that young people who attend school more frequently have better outcomes after school – they earn more money, have better job prospects, are less likely to misuse drugs and alcohol and are generally healthier.
Small amounts of missing periods or days can add up very quickly. Missing one day a fortnight is the same as missing four whole week of school a year. From Foundation to Year 12 that adds up to 1.5 years of missed school. Or the equivalent of only receiving mid-Year 10 worth of education.
Students are building habits that they will take into adulthood through attending school regularly. They come to school to learn more than numeracy and literacy – they are learning all sorts of skills like working in teams, meeting deadlines, strengthening work habits that will help them when they are an adult.
So, what does good attendance look like? Ideally 100%. However, we know that sometimes young people are ill, attending events such as funerals, or that there are appointments that cannot be scheduled after hours, weekends or during the holidays. Attendance should be above 90%.
How can you check what your attendance is? The first way to check is via Compass. Clicking on the ‘Profile’ and then the ‘Attendance Tab’.
When you scroll down you can see each subject. The important place to look is at the last three columns
Class %: This is in class percentage. This is the most important percentage to check. This is how much a student has been in the class, in front of the teacher and learning.
Ac’td %: This is accounted for percentage. This percentage reflects how much a student’s time is accounted for. This includes time spent at school, as well as absences from school that parents have informed the school about.
Schl %: This is school attendance percentage. This is the second most important percentage to check. This is how much a student has attended school. This includes attendance to class as well as attendance to events and excursions during school time.
What can I do if attendance is falling below 90%?
- Have a conversation with the school and see what support are available. If there is an issue that is affected your young person in wanting to come to school, let the school know as soon as possible by contacting the Mentor Group Teacher as they are your first point of call.
- Ensure your young person attends school and place a large family value of importance on attendance
- Make sure your young person has a good sleep routine and hygiene: such as set time to bed and being disciplined with technology
- Contact Parentline on 13 22 89. This is a confidential service that supplies support for all Victorian parents and carers of children ages from 0-18 years.
*Much information cited is from Attendance Is Important from DET
**Images and instruction are for Compass with a PC. Access via mobile phone may be slightly different.