Did you know that your child’s best learning time is at the start of the school day? What sort of start is your child getting each day? Just a little bit late may not seem too serious, but even if

For learners to maximise their opportunity to learn each lesson, each day, they must be present and engaged for the entire school day. At Foxwell SSC, we have carefully structured our learning design plans and routines to ensure that students can learn based on the most current and evidenced research. However, none of these intentions or measures are effective if students are not arriving to school on time and remaining in class for the duration of the school day. 

We acknowledge that there are times when arriving late or departing early is due to extenuating circumstances and, typically, the parent/carer has contacted the College to request that the absence is approved. For example, the student needs to attend a specialist appointment for which there was no available time outside of school hours or is travelling to a college-approved activity. However, from our data, we know that most often, late arrivals to school are occurring for no valid reason. For example, students often provide the excuse of “slept in” or “couldn’t find my uniform/hat/iPad/shoes”. These excuses reflect other issues, such as a lack of organisation, and are generally not approved reasons for arriving late. As per the Foxwell SSC Student Code of Conduct (see excerpt from p 64 below), parents/carers are required to contact the College, either via a note or email or phone call, to explain the late arrival. Not only does this allow for an approval to occur, it also ensures that the student’s safety has not been compromised as the parent/carer is aware that their child was not at school. For example, the parent has brought their child to school late after an appointment and has provided a note of explanation (approved and safe) in comparison to the child presenting to the office as late, without a note (unapproved and potentially unsafe as the student could have detoured on the way to school).

Please remember your children’s safety and access to learning to achieve personal success are key priorities for our community. By ensuring that your child is at school for every minute of every day, you are supporting them and us in meeting these priorities. If you are concerned that your child is experiencing issues which are impacting their attendance, please contact the Head of Year so that we can work together in supporting your child and family.

Tips for Parents, Carers and Students to Support Being at School for Every Minute, Every Day:

From the Foxwell SSC Student Code of Conduct: