Case Celebrating successes Guthrie Street Primary Creating Action for those with irregular attendance. School, Shepparton Strategies implemented to Guthrie Street Primary School is a improve attendance school of 500 students. The school is A strong focus on building school connections for located in the south end of students, for example: relationships with teachers, Shepparton. The school has friendships and connections with the curriculum. students from a range of Parents are encouraged to engage and backgrounds, cultures and participate in the school, for example: daily morning reading program, special event days environments. (Mother’s Day and Father’s Day breakfasts) and The project excursions. Emotional intelligence is explicitly taught across Improving school attendance when the school – the school. This contributes to developing an started this project to focus on student attendance, environment where children feel safe and students averaged 15 days absence per year. respected. Key objectives Links have been established or strengthened with community health and welfare agencies to Regular attendance at school provides students support families in need. with the strong foundations necessary to develop Teachers identify students in their class who have academic skills and emotional and social a history of poor attendance and develop connections. strategies to improve their attendance Guthrie Street Primary School aimed to reduce the performance (goals are set as part of average absence days per student to less than 12 Performance & Development Plan). days per year. Teachers take responsibility for following up all Key actions absences of greater than one day with a phone call. Key actions in improving attendance at Guthrie The newsletter is used to regularly communicate Street included: the importance of daily attendance at school. Comprehensively focusing on attendance data at Goals for attendance performance are set and a of school, cohort, classroom and individual communicated at a whole of school, classroom student level and for some students at an individual level. Regularly monitoring and sharing data with Good attendance is recognised and rewarded. teachers, parents and children Certificates are awarded at the end of each term Brainstorming strategies to improve attendance at recognising both 100% and 95% attendance. End the school (see below) of year awards are given for children who have attended school every day. Setting an attendance target to reduce absence The principal meets with parents of students with Including attendance data goals in teacher chronic absenteeism. Discussion at these Performance & Development Plans meetings focuses on the importance of regular
Case Guthrie Street Primary School, Shepparton Guthrie Street Primary School is a school of 500 students. The school is located in the south end of Shepparton. The school has students from a range of backgrounds, cultures and environments. The project Improving school attendance – when the school started this project to focus on student attendance, students averaged 15 days absence per year. Key objectives Regular attendance at school provides students with the strong foundations necessary to develop academic skills and emotional and social connections. Guthrie Street Primary School aimed to reduce the average absence days per student to less than 12 days per year. Key actions Key actions in improving attendance at Guthrie Street included: Comprehensively focusing on attendance data at a of school, cohort, classroom and individual student level Regularly monitoring and sharing data with teachers, parents and children Brainstorming strategies to improve attendance at the school (see below) Setting an attendance target to reduce absence Including attendance data goals in teacher Performance & Development Plans Celebrating successes Creating Action for those with irregular attendance. Strategies implemented to improve attendance A strong focus on building school connections for students, for example: relationships with teachers, friendships and connections with the curriculum. Parents are encouraged to engage and participate in the school, for example: daily morning reading program, special event days (Mother’s Day and Father’s Day breakfasts) and excursions. Emotional intelligence is explicitly taught across the school. This contributes to developing an environment where children feel safe and respected. Links have been established or strengthened with community health and welfare agencies to support families in need. Teachers identify students in their class who have a history of poor attendance and develop strategies to improve their attendance performance (goals are set as part of Performance & Development Plan). Teachers take responsibility for following up all absences of greater than one day with a phone call. The newsletter is used to regularly communicate the importance of daily attendance at school. Goals for attendance performance are set and communicated at a whole of school, classroom and for some students at an individual level. Good attendance is recognised and rewarded. Certificates are awarded at the end of each term recognising both 100% and 95% attendance. End of year awards are given for children who have attended school every day. The principal meets with parents of students with chronic absenteeism. Discussion at these meetings focuses on the importance of regular
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