Attendance and Absences

To maximise learning opportunities, all students are expected to attend school regularly and arrive punctually. Students should be present at least five minutes before classes begin and may not leave school before the end of the day unless parental or caregiver consent is provided and all school procedural requirements are met.

The School will address unexplained absences and/or frequent lateness or frequent early departures by contacting families and may request meetings to ensure consistent attendance. If a student is unable to attend school due to anxiety or mental health concerns, we encourage families to communicate openly with the school so that appropriate support can be provided. Early intervention for school anxiety or disengagement is vital for student wellbeing. Staff will monitor extended absences and support families to help students maintain good attendance. Ongoing unexplained absences will be followed up by members of staff, and may involve the Police Liaison Officer if needed.

To minimise classroom disruptions, make the best use of staff resources, and to better meet our legal obligations associated with student attendance, we ask that our attendance and absence procedures be followed.

Absence

It is a legal requirement for children aged 5 to 17 to attend school for the entire school day. By NSW State law, absence from school for any period during the day requires explanation from a parent or caregiver. 

Parents and caregivers are asked to notify the School of any student absences, late arrivals, or early departures exclusively through the Absences link on the Engage Parent Portal, accessible on both desktop and mobile app. This feature can be easily found in the left-hand menu. 

Key Points:

• Submit one request per child at a time.
• SEQTA accepts day-of or future absences. Past absences must be reported via email.
• In the rare event that the SEQTA app is not functioning, please submit notifications via absence@scas.nsw.edu.au. 
• Regular recurring absences must be discussed with the Head of School.
• Extended leave (10 or more school days) requires School Principal approval using the Application for Extended Leave form.

How to Report an Absence in SEQTA: 

Full-Day Absence: 

To be submitted on the day of the absence or in advance for future full-day absences:

• Select the student's name
• Select the start and end date of the absence
• Select the reason for the absence from the menu options
  • Please note: if you select "other", the absence will be recorded as 'unapproved' until reviewed by a member of staff

Late Arrival Absence:

To be submitted on the day of the late arrival or in advance for future late arrivals:

• Select the student's name
• Select the start and end date
• Keep the default time as 8.50am, and alter the end time for when the student will arrive at school 
• Select the reason for the absence from the menu options
  • Please note: if you select "other", the late arrival will be recorded as 'unapproved' until reviewed by a member of staff
• Upon arrival at school, students in Kindergarten to Year 12 are to go to the Primary or Secondary offices to sign in on the Attendance iPads before going to class. 
  • Pre-Kindergarten students can sign in at Reception and will be escorted to their classroom by a member of staff. 
• If a student arrives late without prior notification, parents/caregivers will be contacted to provide a reason for the late arrival.

Early Departure Absence:

To be submitted by 8.50am on the day of the early departure or in advance for future early departures:

CHANGE TO PROCEDURES: As of Term 3, 2026, all early departures must be made by 8.50am on the day of the early departure, and there will be no early departures after 2.20pm. 

• Select the student's name
• Select the time required for the early departure 
  • It is recommended that early departures are scheduled during break times (10.50am - 11.30am and 2.00pm - 2.20pm) or at the end of lessons (9.50am, 10.50am, 12.00pm, 1.00pm and 2.00pm) to minimise disruptions to teaching and learning.
• Keep the default end time
• Select the reason for the absence from the menu options
  • Please note: if you select "other", the early departure will be recorded as 'unapproved' until reviewed by a member of staff
• At the specified early departure time, parents/caregivers of students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 10 must physically sign their child/ren out at Reception. With prior parental permission via SEQTA, Year 11 and 12 students can proceed to the Secondary office to sign themselves out.

Please note the following exceptions to the Early Departure procedures:

• Pre-approved arrangements with the Head of Schools
  • For example: regular appointments or as a part of an individualised plan 
• Emergency Situations
• Students who are unwell, and parents have been contacted through our First Aid Officers 
• Year 12 students who have a free period during Period 5

Return After a Partial Absence 

Students who return to school after a partial absence are to follow the steps for a late arrival and sign in on the attendance iPads in the Primary and Secondary Offices before returning to class. 

How to review attendance in Seqta Engage

• Log in to Seqta Engage.
• Select Dashboard on the left hand side menu. 
• Ensure Unresolved Absence is selected in the dropdown menu.
• Absences that need to be resolved will be displayed. 
• To report an absence, please see above.
  

Extended Leave

Extended consecutive leave (of 10 or more school days) requires School Principal approval using the Application for Extended Leave form. Families should carefully consider the following before arranging holidays during school term:

• Students may miss important learning, which can affect future education. The school is not responsible for missed learning during extended leave.
• Teachers are not required to set work for students on holiday leave
• Missed assessments may result in incomplete reports
• Extended absences can disrupt in-class and co-curricular activities. Participation in events like sports days, assemblies, and camps cannot be guaranteed if preparation or attendance is missed.
• Although every effort is made to set a school calendar of events in advance, due to exceptional circumstances, these dates may need to be changed during a school year.
• Event dates may change during the year despite efforts to set a calendar in advance.
• Extended leave may make it harder for students to learn routines and form social groups.

Applications for extended leave should be sent to absence@scas.nsw.edu.au at least three weeks prior to the absence. In the case of travel, you must include proof in the form of a copy of e-tickets or an itinerary. Submitting the Application for Extended Leave form does not guarantee approval; decisions are at the Principal’s discretion. Parents should review the School Education Act 1999, especially Section 23, regarding attendance.

Requests for Substitute Work

Substitute work can be arranged ahead of time if a student is going to be absent for a week or longer due to illness or other unplanned absences. Please note that teachers may require one week's notice for this to be organised. It is students' responsibility to ensure they adequately catch up on all missed work as soon as possible following their return to school.

Other types of leave

Schools may grant exemptions from attendance only for specific reasons, including health conditions, learning needs, or disability, as well as participation in elite sporting events or entertainment-industry commitments. If you need additional help, please email our Attendance Officer.

Leaving or Transferring School

In NSW, school attendance is compulsory until the age of 17. If a student plans to leave or transfer to another school, parents or caregivers must provide official written notice to the Enrolments team at least one term in advance. If sufficient notice isn’t given, fees in lieu of notice may apply.

Before leaving, an Exit Form must be completed, any outstanding fees settled, and all school property, such as library books and equipment, returned. Please also let us know the name of the school the student will be transferring to, as this is a requirement from the Board of Studies.

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