Attendance

Resources

To help schools improve attendance

Policy template, information and strategies for improving attendance

• School Attendance Policy template (staff login required)
• Schools’ guide to attendance (DOCX)
• Checklist for schools for unexplained student absences (DOCX)
• Unexplained student absences – template excerpts for schools newsletters and social media (DOCX)
• Fact sheet – Information sheet for schools on same-day notification of unexplained absence (DOCX)

Resources to help with the implementation of the schools’ guide to attendance

• Documented roles and responsibilities table (DOCX)
• Map of key mental health and wellbeing support (PDF)
• Supporting attendance for at risk students (DOCX) (staff login required)

Examples of how to incorporate attendance as a goal in your school’s Annual Implementation Plan (AIP):

• AIP attendance worked example for element 1 (DOCX) (staff login required)
• AIP attendance worked example for element 3 (DOCX) (staff login required)
• AIP attendance worked example for element 4 (DOCX) (staff login required)

Case studies on improving attendance

• Every Day Counts Case Study – Carlton Gardens Primary School (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Every Day Counts Case Study – Guthrie Street Primary School, Shepparton (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Every Day Counts Case Study – Carisbrook Primary School (DOCX) (staff login required)

Attendance information for parents

Resources to support communication with parents about the importance of school attendance and managing absences

• Unexplained student absences – fact sheet for schools to give to parents absences (DOCX)
• School attendance (Easy English) (PDF)
• The importance of attendance at primary school (DOCX) (staff login required)
• The importance of attendance at secondary school (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Recommended approaches to school absence (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Managing anxiety about going to school (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Getting children or teenagers to go to school (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Victorian attendance legislation fact sheet (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Student Attendance and Educational Outcomes: Every Day Counts

Attendance information for students

Resources to help students to understand the importance of attendance and where they can get help if they are struggling with attendance.

• School is better when you’re here – primary students (DOCX) (staff login required)
• School is better when you’re here – secondary students (DOCX) (staff login required)

Resources for recording and monitoring attendance

Resources to support the accurate recoding of attendance data CASES21 and third party software:

• Fact sheet: attendance data matters (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Attendance and absence recording guide (DOCX) (staff login required)
• CASES21 administration user guide – attendance (PDF) (staff login required)
• Attendance software functionality matrix (DOCX)

For more information on using CASES21, refer to: CASES21 Portal (staff login required)

Resources for managing student absences

Resources for following up absences

• Common reasons for absence and general advice for principals (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Template letter for principals to notify parent that absence excused (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Template letter for principals to notify parent that absence not excused (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Template letter for principals to raise concerns about repeated and/or unexplained absences (DOCX) (staff login required)

Resources to support implementing attendance improvement strategies

Resources to support the use of attendance improvement strategies and support students in returning to school

Templates

• Implementing a staged response to non-attendance – template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Communication to support a staged response to non-attendance – template (DOC) (staff login required)
• Attendance improvement plan (primary school) – template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Attendance improvement plan (secondary school) – template (staff login required)
• Return to school plan (primary and secondary school) – template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Return to school plan for a school refuser – template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Student absence learning plan – template (DOCX)

Information

• Attendance support group guidance (DOCX) (staff login required)
• School based apprenticeships and traineeships
• International Student Program: Supporting students – Learning and engagement

Support from regional offices

Health and wellbeing officers in regional office are able to support schools in following up on student absence and attendance issues. They can also provide advice on the appropriateness of making a referral to a school attendance officer.

Regional contact details

For advice and support in managing issues relating to attendance, contact your regional office.

Referring to a school attendance officer

• Things to consider prior to making a referral to a school attendance officer (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Attendance referrals for students in out-of-home care (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Referral form: Principal to school attendance officer – whereabouts of student unknown (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Referral form: Principal to school attendance officer – 5 days unexplained absence (DOCX) (staff login required)

Reporting concerns for student wellbeing

Where a student and their family may need the assistance of family services, consider making a referral to Child FIRST, refer to: Making a referral to Child First

Where there may be a serious impact on the student’s immediate safety, stability or development, or a student has suffered or is at risk of immediate harm, consider making a report to Child Protection, refer to: Making a report to child protection.