WELCOME TO UPPER SCHOOL HOW TO ACHIEVE GOOD RESULTS and HAVE A GREAT YEAR. This Powerpoint presentation has been made for teachers to use with their students at the beginning of the year. It is intended to help students in upper primary / high school to take responsibility for their own attendance. It points out how attendance and achievement have a strong correlation, and gives practical advice for students on how to improve their attendance. Please alter this Powerpoint to suit the context of your school. It could be expanded to cover a range of other subjects addressed with your students. – In addition, consult the RAI toolkit for a similar presentation directed toward parents, for the traditional Parent Meeting at the start of the year.

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL.

In the next three slides you will see the impact of poor attendance on your results using real data from school.

YR 3 Attending 90%+ Attending Below 90% Difference Average Score READING Average Score NUMERACY Average Score WRITING Remove After Reading – -This is legitimate data from an average SEI primary school. It could be used to illustrate the link between achievement and attendance, or you could put your own school data in here – simply use the FIRST CUT / EARS NAPLAN ATTENDANCE OVERLAY data to filter out below 90% attendance results to make comparisons. Average difference in NAPLAN results between the 90%+ attendee and <90%.

YR 5 Attending 90%+ Attending Below 90% Difference Average Score READING Average Score NUMERACY Average Score WRITING

YR 7 Attending 90%+ Attending Below 90% Difference Average Score READING Average Score NUMERACY Average Score WRITING

Here is legitimate school NAPLAN data with an attendance overlay. The initials have been removed. The red colours represent poor student attendance. This student here might have made it into Band 9, had they attended more often.

WHEN YOU ATTEND WELL 1.Teachers don’t have to spend as much time trying to ‘catch students up’ that have fallen behind due to poor attendance. 2.This means the teacher has more time to help other students who attend well. This benefits you and your classmates. 3.The school doesn’t need to spend as much time on attendance, which means they can devote more time to other programs. 4.Your results may improve and as a result, your options later in life.

STUDENTS WHO ATTEND WELL 1.Are more likely to pursue higher education. 2.Become employed for longer periods of time. 3.Are more likely to complete class projects / homework. 4.Become more financially independent and less likely to require government assistance when older. 5.Are more likely to avoid being involved in the justice system. 6.Have more friends and avoid being socially isolated. 7.Learn how to be good citizens because school’s reflect many of the laws of society. 8.Are safer and feel more secure at school. 9.Less likely to be involved in illegal activity. 10.Less likely to have gaps in learning created by absence. 11.Are able to read and write properly. 12.Are more likely to be successful and have high self esteem. 13.Develop an ‘on the job’ work ethic that will be valued by employers later in life. 14.Are more likely to develop resilience and are able to ‘stick at things’ when difficulties occur.

WHAT CAN I DO TO ENSURE I ATTEND WELL AT SCHOOL. 1. I can read nightly. It will help me to be successful, and want to attend school. 2. I can talk to my parents / teachers / friends if things aren’t right. Staying home from school to avoid a problem doesn’t solve anything. If I do this, in the future I might look for an ‘easy out’ when times get tough. 3. I can stay home when I am legitimately sick so I don’t make anyone else ill. I can also wash my hands and cover my mouth when I cough to reduce the chances of spreading illness among my friends / teachers. If everyone does this, we are all less likely to get sick. 4. Ensure I have adequate materials for school. I can pack my bag the night before so that I am organised in the morning. I can ensure that I have adequate food and water for each day. I can make sure that I am well rested each day. I can limit my use of technology before bed time, giving my mind a chance to ‘wind down’ to help me sleep the eight hours I need to function well at school. All these things make me more likely to be successful and therefore attend well.

WHAT CAN I DO TO ENSURE I ATTEND WELL AT SCHOOL. 5. I can complete homework and assignments on time. Getting behind with my work contributes to a lack of success, my stress levels and makes me feel less positive about school. I need to seek advice from my teacher on how I can improve my learning. I can use a diary to help my organisation. 6. I can go to medical appointments after school, not stay home for a birthday, not take a ‘rest day’ etc. 7. I can remind my parents to inform the school of any absences immediately so that they are aware of it, so that the school doesn’t waste time chasing up absences. 8. Ensure I am ‘on time’ each day and that I don’t arrive at school disorganised, flustered etc or miss early literacy support time. I can ensure I am prepared for the morning before I go to see my friends.

“Student Attendance and Educational Outcomes; Every Day Counts” was prepared for the Department of Education by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, UWA in May The report was based on the attendance patterns of some Government school students in WA. It tables an interesting point. KEY FINDING In all analyses, average academic achievement on NAPLAN tests declined as absence rates increased. - Every day of attendance contributes positively toward your child’s learning. Absence from school was related to poor academic achievement, not only in the current year but in future years as well. Gaps in student learning from one poor year of attendance have a flow on effect in future years.

STUDENTS HAVE A MASSIVE ROLE TO PLAY IN THEIR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LEGITIMATE ILLNESS WHICH THE SCHOOL UNDERSTANDS, PLEASE COMMIT TO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ATTEND WELL. MISSING SCHOOL = MISSING OUT.