West Wallsend High School

We learn for life

Telephone02 4953 2111

Emailwestwalls-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Rules and policies

Rules and policies are in place to make sure your child remains safe and well at school.

Visit the NSW Department of Education’s policy library for all current operational policies.

Attendance and absences

Students must attend school regularly so they can achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options.

In NSW, all children from the age of 6 are legally required to attend school or be registered for home schooling through the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). All students must complete Year 10, or its equivalent.

Young people below the age of 17 who have completed Year 10 must be:

  • in school, or registered for home schooling 

  • in approved education or training, such as a traineeship, apprenticeship or TAFE

  • in full-time paid employment (average 25 hours a week) 

  • in a combination of work, education and/or training (average of 25 hours a week combined).

Students 17 years and over who are enrolled in school must attend school regularly to meet HSC course requirements. 

As a parent or carer, you are responsible for ensuring your child attends school every day when they are of compulsory school age. You must explain all absences to the school within 7 days.

For more information about compulsory school attendance, visit:

Further rules and policies

We are committed to ensuring a safe and happy environment for your young person through a range of strategies including our Anti-bullying Plan.

Please use the following guide for matters relating to attendance.

Question Answer

Is regular attendance important?

Yes, attendance matters - all day, every day. Learning is at risk when attendance drops below 90%.
What time to I need to arrive at school? All students are expected to arrive by 8.55am when the warning bell rings to move to Connect.
Where do I go when I arrive at school? Students are expected to enter the school grounds and observe the PBL expectations for passive and active areas.
What happens if I am late to school? Students arriving after 9am need to sign in at the student window at the school office. Please bring a note to explain why you are late.
Can I leave school before 3.20pm? Yes, only if you have arranged for an early leaver’s pass and have a signed note with permission from your parent/carer.
Do I come to school if I am not attending an excursion? Yes, alternate lessons are always organised on excursion days.
What if we are planning a family holiday during the school term? Permission needs to be granted by the principal prior to extended leave. Go to: Our Forms to download an Application for extended leave - travel form and return it at least two weeks prior to the leave. Visit our Extended Leave Application Procedure on this page to find out more.
Should I notify the school if my young person refuses to go to school? Yes, you should contact the school and seek assistance as a matter of urgency. We have a very supportive wellbeing team who can help you and your young person.
What happens if my young person's attendance falls below 90%? The parent/carer will receive a letter to notify them of the attendance concern. We value your support in working collaboratively with us to improve your child's attendance at school.
How do I let the school know that my young person is absent?
  • Reply to the SMS that is sent from the school at 10am.
  • Via the Sentral Parent Portal in the attendance section
  • Email: westwalls-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
  • Phone: (02) 4953 2111
  • A note from home when the student returns to school
What information do I need to tell the school when my young person is absent?
  • Student's name
  • Date of absence
  • Scholastic year
  • Reason for absence
  • Medical certificate or supporting documentation for absences of more than 3 days.
What are the justified reasons for a student absence?
  • Being sick or having an infectious disease.
  • Having an unavoidable medical appointment.
  • Being required to attend a recognised religious holiday.
  • Exceptional or urgent family circumstances e.g. attending a funeral.
What if I believe my young person is at school and I receive a message to say they are absent? Please reply to the SMS to inform us your young person should be present at school. Include the student's name and a brief statement such as Lisa Smith should be present 12/5/23. Please check. From Donna Smith. The office staff will follow this up and contact you with the outcome as soon as reasonably practical.
Why am I receiving so many text messages from the school?

The school monitors attendance in a variety of ways and sends the following messages:

  • Daily messages at 10am if a student is marked absent at Connect.
  • Daily messages at 1pm for late arrivals.
  • Weekly messages on Fridays for unexplained absences during the week.
What if my young person becomes sick at school? Your young person should notify their classroom teacher or the supervising teacher on playground duty. The teacher will give them a note to take to the first aid officer for assessment and at times, treatment. If your child needs to be picked up we will notify you by phone. 

As a parent or carer, you are an important part of our school community. Communication between our school and our community is critical for us to partner together to best support our young people.

To give our staff the opportunity to balance work and personal time, the Department of Education has implemented a Digital Communication Policy, aligned to the School Community Charter, setting clear expectations for when and how teachers respond to communication. This means staff are not expected to reply to non-emergency messages or emails outside of school operating hours.  

Visit Communication for more information.

There are occasions when you may need to collect your young person early from school to attend an appointment. To request an early leave for your young person, please follow the procedure below:

  • Students requesting early leave must provide an essential reason for their leave in writing signed and dated by their parents/carer to their Deputy Principal before 9am. 
  • Justified leave will only be approved for essential reasons such as a medical appointment.
  • Evidence of the appointment should be provided to the school enabling the Principal to approve the early leave as justified.
  • Early leave requests without evidence of an appointment will be recorded as unjustified in accordance with DoE Attendance Policy.
  • It is expected that a parent/carer will pick up their young person to attend such an essential appointment. Parents/carers should not request students walk home unless there are extenuating circumstances approved by a member of the Senior Executive.
  • We request parents/carers do not call the office to request early leave or present to the school office to pick up students without notice during Thursday sport. This practice is causing significant issues for office staff who need to attend to student and school needs. 

Unjustified early leaver requests will impact student attendance records. Like any attendance concern, repeated early leave requests will be followed up using appropriate measures, including a learning support meeting and possible Home School Liaison Officer involvement.

Unjustified absences will be recorded on student reports per the DoE Assessment and Reporting Policy.

Participation in sport is a mandatory requirement of the 7-10 school curriculum.

If your child is experiencing issues with attending sport, please get in touch with the relevant Deputy Principal so we can actively work together to resolve any concerns and avoid the impact of unjustified absence on your young person’s attendance record.

Students with an injury or valid reason not to participate in sport should provide a letter to their Deputy Principal. We will provide these students with a non-sport option. 

The Department of Education’s Student Attendance in Government Schools Procedure no longer allows schools to approve travel for an exemption unless there are compelling circumstances for the travel. A family holiday during term time unfortunately does not meet this criteria. 

If you can provide compelling reasons for travel, permission needs to be granted by the principal prior to the extended leave.

  • To apply for a Certificate of Extended Leave, go to: Our Forms to download an Application for extended leave - travel form.
  • Complete the first two pages of the form (pages 3 and 4 are for school use only)
  • Outline the compelling reason for travel during term time.
  • Attach/provide your itinerary or other supporting evidence of your travel.
  • Return the form and any supporting documents to westwalls-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au or hand in the hard copy to the front office.

Note:

  • Leave is for more than 5 school days: apply for a Certificate of Extended Leave.
  • Leave is for 5 school days or less: provide dates and the reason directly to the school.
  • Please submit the application at least two weeks prior to the leave.
  • Applications for extended leave must be submitted and approved prior to the start of the holiday. The principal cannot approve applications after the holiday has commenced.
  • Extended leave that is not approved will be recorded as unjustified for the period of leave.

Visit Mobile phone & personal tech policy and procedures for more information.

Textbooks

If students borrow textbooks from the school they remain the property of the school and should be returned promptly when requested by teachers. If students lose or damage a textbook or equipment, parents/carers will be expected to pay for its replacement.

Equipment

It is expected that students respect all school equipment including computers, furniture and facilities. Willful damage of school property will result in the student being required to pay for damages or replace equipment.

Students are asked to observe simple rules of courtesy within the classroom. Rooms should be left in a tidy manner, food should not be eaten in classrooms and all rubbish should be placed in the bins. Any work displayed on notice boards should also be treated with respect. 

The school will send parents/carers daily notification of unexplained student absences. If your child has been marked absent and the school has not already been notified of the reason for the absence, an SMS message will be sent to the parent/carer. The parent/carer can reply directly to the SMS to provide an explanation for the absence, preferably by 2pm on the day of the absence. When replying to the message, please include the student name, date of absence, reason for absence and name of person responding.

Please note: there is no cost to parents/carers for replying to these SMS messages.

Our school uses the department's School Community Charter to ensure all of our communication is collaborative and respectful.

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At West Wallsend High School, we learn on the land of the Pambalong of the Awabakal nation. We acknowledge and respect the stories, histories, traditions and language of this Country. We would like to pay our respects to Country and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and also pay respect to Elders both past, present and emerging.

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