School Attendance and Absences

It is most important that students attend school unless there exists a genuine reason for absence. It is also most important that students attend school for the full school day. Whilst the first 10 minutes of school or the last 20 minutes of the school day may seem unimportant to parents, it is during these times that students are instructed of the essential routines and guides of the school day that help to create productive learning environments. As parents, you are urged to ensure your child/ren arrive at school on time and stay for the complete school day every day of the week. 

Below is an outline of the processes Good Samaritan will use to follow up extended absences from school. 

As a systemic primary school within the Wollongong Diocese, Good Samaritan adheres to the School Attendance Guidelines and Procedures of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong. As such, the following process will be used to support the regular attendance of students at school.

Step 1: 3 - 4 days absent

• Phone call to parents (if required ).
• Follow up with letter to parents if absences continue - arrange meeting with parents to discuss.
• Review situation for the following week. 

Step 2: 7 - 14 days absent

• Regular phone call to parents re attendance.
• Registered letter to parents re attendance.
• Referral to school counselor/Family Support.
• Meeting with school Principal.
• Head of School Services to be informed. 

Step 3: 14 - 21 days absent

• Inform Head of School Services.
• Regular contact to parents.
• School informs Catholic Education Office.
• Meeting with school Principal and Head of School Service (Action Plan agreed on and review date set).
• Registered letter to parents. 

Step 4: 22+ days absent

• Head of School Service with Principal to determine Action Plan. 

Step 5: Above 30 days absent 

• Report ‘education neglect’ (i.e., habitual absence or not enrolled) to Family and Community Services (FACS) Child Protection Helpline.
• Letter to parents from Head of School Services advising that the system has reported to Family and Community Services (FACS) or if not enrolled, also reported to Department of Education and Training (DET). If there are any concerns for the child’s wellbeing, normal child protection procedures apply - this can be made any time during the above procedure.