Attendance and missing school

Why going to school is important

Going to school every day is an important part of your child’s education. Children and young people learn new things at school every day, connect with friends, have fun and develop good habits that help them to succeed after school. Attending and participating in school will help your child:

develop important skills and knowledge to help them learn
develop social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work
establish friendships with peers which help develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

There is no safe number of days for missing school. Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight adds up to missing 4 whole weeks of school a year. Where possible, you should avoid your child missing school, for example, make appointments for your child outside of school hours and keep family holidays to outside term time.

What to do if your child can’t go to school

If your child is sick or absent you should let the school know as soon as possible and tell them why your child can’t come to school. Each school will have a preferred way to do this. It may be by phone, email or via an app.

If you do not let the school know, they must contact you on the same day to make sure your child is safe. They may also call your emergency contacts.

Talk to your school if your child needs to take an extended period of time off and find out what work they can do to keep up with their learning and other ways to stay connected while they are away.

If your child misses a lot of school

As a parent/carer, you are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day, and if an absence is required, you must provide an explanation.

If your child has frequent unexplained absences then their school will work with you to implement appropriate supports to assist your child and ensure they attend school every day and remain at school during school hours.

If the supports do not improve your child’s attendance, your school might make a referral to a school attendance officer in the Department of Education. The school attendance officer will monitor and investigate your child’s attendance, and may issue a warning, an attendance notice or a fine.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence

Schools need to know when and why a student is absent so you must let the school know as soon as possible on the day of absence and explain why your child can’t come to school. Your child’s school will keep a record of the reason provided for each absence. This will be marked under a category such as medical/illness, bereavement (including Sorry Business), truancy, family holiday and religious or cultural observance. Parents/carers can also select Parent Choice as an absence reason when it is not one of the reasons listed above.

The principal will determine if the explanation provided for the absence is reasonable. If the principal considers it to be reasonable, then the absence will be marked as an ‘excused absence’. If not, the absence will be marked as an ‘unexcused absence’.

The school will notify you if an absence has not been excused.

Example situations

Sickness

If your child is sick they should stay at home to stop the spread of illness to other students and staff. You should seek medical attention for your child as needed, including about when to return to school. For some diseases, your child is not allowed at school until they are getting better. If your child is well enough, your school might give them work to do so they can keep up with their peers while they are away.

Medical appointments

Make medical appointments for before or after school or during the school holidays. If this is not possible, tell your child’s school before the appointment that they will not be at school during that time.

Family holidays

Take holidays during school holidays and not during term time. Any holidays planned for during school time must be discussed with your child’s school in advance. The school will decide if it is okay for your child to miss any school for a holiday. They might give your child work to do so they can remain engaged with their learning while away. If the school does not approve the holiday and you decide to go, the matter may be referred to a school attendance officer at the Department of Education.

A death in the family

Contact the school and let them know how long your child will be away. The school can offer counselling and keep an eye on your child’s wellbeing when they return. For Sorry Business absences, find more information below.

Koorie cultural absences (including Sorry Business)

Culture plays an important role in a Koorie student's education and overall wellbeing. If your child needs to be away for a cultural activity or obligation, families are encouraged to discuss this with the school in advance.

For families of Koorie students, we encourage you to let the school know when there is Sorry Business. Teachers can work with you, your child and the Koorie Engagement Support Officer to identify the right support. The school will record the absence in a specific category for Sorry Business. The category accounts for the unique responsibilities that come with this type of absence.

More information

Truancy

This is when your child chooses to not go to school without you knowing or giving permission. Your school can help you investigate why your child is not going to school, and work with you to improve your child’s attendance.

Children who refuse to go to school

Your child might refuse to go to school. This is different to truancy. School refusal can occur in instances where a student is experiencing significant emotional distress about attending school and their parents/carers and the school are working together to support them to identify the underlying issue/s.

Signs of school refusal include:

an expressed reluctance to attend school
sleep disturbance
psychosomatic complaints (headaches, nausea)
emotional distress when faced with the prospect of attending school
avoidance behaviours (not wanting to get out of bed, not wanting to get ready for school, hiding or refusing to leave the house, refusing to get out of the car).

It can be normal for children to go through a stage where they refuse to go to school.

If you think your child is experiencing school refusal, it is important to find out why they don’t want to go to school. Speak to them about what’s happening. Then work with them and the school to find solutions. You can speak to your child’s classroom teacher, year level coordinator, wellbeing leader or principal in relation to accessing mental health support for your child if they are experiencing school refusal.

Wellbeing days

Try to avoid letting your child stay home for a “wellbeing day”. Although it may feel that staying home will provide short-term relief for your child, absence from school can lead to disconnection from classmates and teachers, as well as missed learning opportunities, making it harder to return in the long run.

Students with a disability

For students requiring additional support, such as students with a disability or additional learning needs, reasonable adjustments may be required to enable their full-time attendance and participation. Please contact your child's school in the first instance if you would like to discuss what supports are available.

You can also contact the disability coordinator at your nearest regional office to talk about the options for your child.

Tips to help improve your child’s attendance

Talk to your child about school and how important it is. You can ask them how they feel about school, what they like and if there are any problems.
Encourage and celebrate good attendance habits with your child, including arriving to school on time every day.
Set a good example. Show them how you keep to your own commitments.
Encourage your child to take on hobbies that they enjoy such as sports and clubs. This will help them develop positive relationships outside of the classroom setting.
Help your child maintain daily routines such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
Help them pack their school bag the night before with everything they need.
Have a set time for breakfast.
Plan to meet up with a friend so they can travel to school together.

Get advice

Speak to your school and ask for support if you have concerns about your child’s attendance.

Education Parents & carers

Updated 20 December 2024