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:

  • Call your child’s Year Level Hub or text the Hub mobile.  Please note the Hub mobiles cannot receive calls, only text messages.

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

 

  • Provide a medical certificate.
  • Provide a written note the next day with your child’s name, year level and reason for absence.

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