Parents & Community - Attendance
Every day counts at River Valley Primary School, with regular attendance highly important in support of your child's school progress. Attendance is compulsory for all students, Kindergarten - Year 6, with regular attendance strongly encouraged.
Section 23 of the School Education Act 1999 requires for every year of the student’s compulsory education period (Pre-primary onwards) that the student attend the school at which they are enrolled, or participate in an educational program of the school, on the days on which it is open for instruction.
When a student’s attendance falls below 90% or is identified as a concern, the Student Attendance in Public Schools policy and procedures requires the school to investigate the reasons for a student’s absence, discuss with parents and implement strategies for improvement that are linked to the causes of absence.
It is important for children to attend school, all day, every day during the school term.
Why attending school every day matters
Every day your child learns something new. Every day they build on what they know. What they learn today is the foundation for what they need to learn tomorrow. That’s why attending school every day is so important.
At school, many concepts such as literacy and numeracy are taught in a sequence. Missing school means missing out on learning – which can often make it difficult to catch up later. This is particularly important in the early years when essential foundation skills are being taught.
Going to school every day helps children learn the important life skill of ‘showing up’ – at school, at work, to sport and other commitments.
Research from the Western Australian Telethon Kids Institute shows that every day at school counts towards a student’s learning. Students who attend regularly, generally do better at school and in life.The more children attend, the more they learn, the more they achieve. This creates more opportunities for their future.
We encourage you to support your child to attend every day. If you need any help, please let us know.
When is it OK to not go to school?
An OK reason is one that prevents your child from getting to school. This could include:
- your child is unable to attend because they are sick
- attending cultural or religious observances such as sorry time and funerals
- an unavoidable medical appointment
- an unavoidable natural event such as flood waters, bushfire or a cyclone