It is critically important that all students arrive at school, ready to learn on time each and every day. The school day begins at 9:00 am and increasingly there are a significant number of students arriving after this time. Consistently arriving late to school impacts student learning and just 10 minutes a day over the course of year potentially equates to 6 school days.

It is the same for early pick-up. Increasingly, the office is inundated with parents and carers from 2:15 pm requesting early departure from school. Our school day concludes at 3:15 pm and as such, without a legitimate reason for leaving early, all children should remain at school until the end of the school day.

While it is understood that there is often little choice in times available for important appointments on either side of the school day, this reminder is for the habitual late arrivals and early leavers. It is not okay to frequently request early departure from school for convenience reasons.

The Education Act (1990), states that school attendance is compulsory for all students over the age of 6 years. Current research confirms that student absenteeism has a significant impact on learning achievements and success, not to mention confidence. It is more often than not the case, that students who are challenged by their learning are those who are consistently arriving late, leaving early, or have high levels of absenteeism.