Attendance Matters

• Enter an absence into Sentral parent portal (Sentral/Absences) OR
• Email the attendance desk at stives-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au OR
• Call the office on (02) 9144 1689

Please send in a Medical Certificate for absences of more than 3 days.

• Enter a request into Sentral parent portal (Sentral/Absences) OR
• Email the attendance desk at stives-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au OR
• Call the office on (02) 9144 1689

Students needs to sign into the office whenever they arrive. They will be issued a "timed ticket" to take to their teacher.

NOTE: If they do not sign into the office first, they will be sent back to the office by the teacher to correctly sign in and an "Absence Notification" will be sent to the parent/s if there is no prior explanation.

Please send an "Explanation Note" to the attendance by either of the methods above.

To apply for early leave, a student must present a note to the Front Office signed by their parent (or carer registered with the school) with a valid reason the day prior or prior to 8:50 am on the day. Email requests will also need to be received by 8:50 am so the student can be attended to at the Office. The school will authorise the leave if it meets the Department of Education guidelines. Students will be issued with a leave pass from the school for the designated time.

The leave request note needs to contain the following information:

• Date and time of the leave
• Reason for the leave (evidence of appointment may be required)
• Supervision and transport arrangements

For medical appointments families should provide a medical certificate to the school for the absence to be justified. 

If the leave request does not meet the Department of Education guidelines, or the procedures have not been followed, or the arrangements are considered to be a child protection concern, the parent will need to present to the Front Office to collect their child in person and speak directly with a staff member. In exceptional circumstances the School Office staff will refer the request to a Deputy Principal/Principal to approve arrangements. The school will attempt to contact the parent as soon as possible when leave is not approved. Note that frequent requests for student early leave from school will be addressed through a parent meeting with the school.

A Deputy Principal may not be available to approve the leave requests after 8:50 am. The school does not have the resources to constantly monitor emails in real time and the phone response may be limited. In addition to this, child protection and duty of care concerns, along with the Education Act requirements, mean that students are expected to remain at school unless there are exceptional circumstances.

If there is a family emergency, please call the school and we will support you and your child to make the appropriate arrangements.

Please utilise the following methods by 8:50 am:

• Enter a request into Sentral parent portal . Explain in the comment box the time and the reason. OR
• Email the attendance desk at stives-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au OR
• Call the office on (02) 9144 1689

These are regarded as an important part of the school educational program and all students are expected to be at school regardless of the change of routine.

A satisfactory explanation must be provided by parents or guardians for all student absences. Parents or guardians can notify St Ives High School of their student’s absence by:

• Calling the school office on the morning concerned (school hours are 8:30am-3:30pm), or
• Responding to the attendance SMS sent by St Ives High School (see below), or
• Respond to the Sentral Parent App notification on their device.

Thursday Grade Sport Wet Weather (Years 9-10)

Students in Years 9-10 attend Grade Sport on Thursdays, every week. In cases of Wet Weather and Sports Grounds Closures/Cancellations, the students in these years attend indoor school activities until when they are dismissed. 

Regular attendance at school is essential for students to achieve quality life outcomes. Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students.

Compulsory School Attendance Information for Parents

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

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.

More information can be found on our website by visiting Handling Absences.

For more information:

Year 11 and 12 students first come to the front office to collect a Green Form. They need to take this Green Form to their Stage 6 Head Teacher (in main Admin Building) before seeing their subject teachers.

Please note that Extended Leave for years 11 and 12 will be marked as "Explained but Unjustified Leave" (unless approved) which affects a student's overall attendance percentage.

More information can be found at HSC and Preliminary (Year 11) Assessment Page

For all Extended Leave requests (Travel Leave), parents/carers must first email the office at stives-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au at least 1 month prior to travelling.

A staff member will be in contact upon receiving your request.

Translated documents available here.