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2025 Attendance Expectations

13th February 2025. Featured News, General. 94 page views. New!
At Fountain Gate Secondary College, we have high expectations matched with high support around attendance.

At Fountain Gate Secondary College, we have high expectations matched with high support around attendance. Evidence conclusively tells us that when a student attends school every day their learning, engagement & wellbeing improve.

Any day a student is absent from school for family holidays, medical/illness, parent choice, refusal, truancy, suspension or unexplained is COUNTED as an absent day.

All parents are required to give reasons for all absences.  Students should only be absent for medical/illness, bereavement, religious/cultural observance or a planned family holiday that has been approved by the Year Level Leader and an Absent Learning Plan is in place.

It is a Department of Education requirement that all student absences must be accounted for by their families. For information on attendance expectations parents should read the Victorian Attendance Legislation. 

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/attendance/policy

If your child is absent, you must do one of the following:

Year 7 Hub

8762 6822

0498 500 121

Year 8 Hub

8762 6833

0498 205 000

Year 9 Hub

8762 6844

0498 109 909

Year 10 Hub

8762 6855

0477 605 022

VCE Hub

8762 6866 / 8762 6877

0498 809 022

 

Reasons given by families and follow up required:

 

Medical / Illness

 

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘medical/Illness’.

 

  • If your child will be absent, is likely to be absent or has been absent 3 or more days, call the Hub to ensure an Absence Learning Plan can be provided.
  • Provide medical certificate.  If your child is in VCE, you must provide a medical certificate within 48 hours of student absence. 

 

  • If your VCE child is absent missing a SAC, a medical certificate must be provided within 24 hours after a SAC.

 

Medical Appointment

 

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as Medical Appointment.

 

  • Provide medical certificate.

 

  • If your child is in VCE, you must provide a medical certificate within 48 hours of student absence.  If your VCE child is absent missing a SAC, a medical certificate must be provided within 24 hours after a SAC.

 

Bereavement

 

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘Bereavement’.

 

  • If your child will be absent 3 or more days, call the Hub to ensure an Absence Learning Plan can be provided and request wellbeing support if needed.

 

  • If your child is in VCE and missing a SAC, exam or assessment, VCAA require a death notice to be provided to the school.

 

Family Holiday

 

  • Select dates that cause the least interruption to your child’s learning.

 

  • Inform the Hub at least 2 weeks prior to family holiday to have holiday approved and to ensure an Absence Learning Plan can be provided.

 

  • Students in VCE are to see the VCE Hub for a Family Holiday Approval Form.  This must be completed, signed and returned to the VCE Hub before approval is granted.

 

Religious / Cultural Observance

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘religious/cultural observance’.

 

  • If your child will be absent more than 3 days, please contact the Hub to ensure an Absence Learning Plan can be provided.
  • If your child is in VCE, they should ensure if they have an assessment on this day it is rescheduled in advanced.

 

Parent Choice

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘Parent Choice’.

 

  • This should be only selected when families have a reason for their child’s absences that is an unforeseen circumstance.  Any reasons given that are not a reasonable excuse e.g. shopping, visiting friends, will be listed as ‘unauthorised’.

 

  • If your child will be absent more than 3 days, please contact the Hub to ensure an Absence Learning Plan can be provided.

 

  • This will be considered an unapproved absence for VCE SAC, exams and assessments.

 

 

Refusal

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘Refusal’

 

  • Refusal is used as a reason when the student is refusing to come to school and the family is working with the school to address the underlying issue.  Contact the Hub to organise supports.

 

Truancy

 

  • Enter absence on Compass as ‘Truancy’.

 

  • Truancy is used as a reason when the parent does not know about the absence and does not approve.

 

  • Students will often be issued after school consequences to make up the time.

If you have any questions about attendance, please contact the Year Level Leader.

Year 7 Leader: Mr David Burgess

Year 8 Leader: Ms Kat Newman

Year 9 Leader: Mr Izayah Ropata

Year 10 Leader: Ms Teisha Hickleton

Year 11 Leader: Ms Elise Corney

Year 11 VM Leader: Ms Laura Carney

Year 12 Leader: Ms Kelly Jessop

Year 12 VM Leader: Ms Jessica Latchford

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Information provided in the Fountain Gate Secondary College Newsletter may contain content from various resources used to educate and inform our community on a range of topics. These sources being the Internet, DET, Headspace, Educational Websites, Community News, Articles and Magazines. The College takes no credit or claim to have written these articles.

© 2016 - 2025 | Fountain Gate Secondary College
45 Josephine Ave
Narre Warren, VIC 3805

fountain.gate.sc@education.vic.gov.au
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(excluding school and public holidays)

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Phone: (03) 8762 6839
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Absence Lines:
Year 7: (03) 8762 6822
Year 8: (03) 8762 6833
Years 9: (03) 8762 6844
Year 10: (03) 8763 6855
Years 11: (03) 8762 6866
Year 12: (03) 8762 6877

Contacts

Principal: Ms Jo Cucchiara

Head of Junior School (Yrs 7, 8 & 9): Ms Christine Muir
Head of Senior School (Yrs 10, 11 & 12): Ms Carys Freeman
Pathways Leader: Ms Nancy Huez-O'Rourke
High Achievers Program Applications: Ms Vanessa Chiswell
Enrolment Enquiries: Ms Vanessa Chiswell