Engagement strategies
for teachers
Working with students, parents
and the school community
Adopt an active role in fostering positive, open
communication with students and parents.

Form healthy professional relationships with students.

Know at least one thing about each student’s interests
out of school.

Talk to students.

Contact parents to let them know how their children are
going at school (via diary entries, phone calls, email).

Encourage all students in the class to take responsibility
for each other’s safety.

Model and develop a culture of trust.

Model effective timekeeping practices, for example
returning work promptly, arriving and finishing classes
on time.
Communicate and promote the school’s attendance
expectations regarding the importance of attending school
every day and arriving on time:

Talk to students about why it is important to be at school
and discuss the school’s attendance policy.

Talk positively about regular attendance.
Contact parents to follow up student absence:
Share, when appropriate, relevant knowledge about
students and factors which may affect their regular
attendance at school:

Ensure that all teachers are responsible for contact.

Use agreed timelines and protocols across the school
and within teams for parent contact.

Cross-reference attendance issues with learning
outcomes on a regular basis.

Provide for long-term absences through classroom
teachers organising meaningful work as required.

Share student information with appropriate schoolbased personnel, for example coordinators, student
welfare staff and pastoral teachers.

Refer to protocols to ensure a balance of access and
maintenance of confidentiality.
Actively develop a safe and secure environment for all
students:

Develop an anti-bullying campaign in the classroom.
For ideas, see:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullysto
ppers/Pages/teachers.aspx
Intervention for high-risk students
Individual attendance issues can be underpinned by more
complex and ingrained social and emotional factors.
These may be associated with other behaviours and
waning attendance may be an early warning sign.
Schools are encouraged to work in partnership with
community agencies to develop a case management
approach.
Effective strategies are best developed from the context of
a well-considered school approach.
The school plan should be based on a case-management
approach which:

conduct parent information sessions that provide
information about the importance of regular school
attendance
provides ongoing monitoring

utilises programs and scaffolds of support from across
the school and community
attend kindergarten meetings to talk to parents about
the importance of regular school attendance

provides a key relationship which facilitates other
supports.
approach local sporting clubs about delivering a
presentation on why students need to attend school

approach the management of shopping centres to
discuss how they can work in partnership with the
school

together with another local school, coordinate a local
network attendance campaign to complement and
extend the regional campaign

work with local police to ensure young people who
should be in school are encouraged to go to school and,
where necessary directed to services to assist them to
return to education.

is underpinned by a student-centred program that
matches a student’s needs and interests

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Schools could:
Engaging the community
The community can help play a significant role in
spreading the message that school attendance is
compulsory and it is compulsory because it is so
important. They can also play a role in raising concerns
about attendance with the school where necessary.
Schools are encouraged to communicate regularly about
the importance of attendance using newsletters,
noticeboards, websites, Facebook pages, brochures, and
public events.
Local councils, small businesses, shopping centres,
railway stations, Centrelink offices and libraries are also in
a position to influence the culture of the community
regarding student attendance at school.
By developing community partnerships between the
home, school and wider community, parents, students and
the community are encouraged to focus on the importance
of attending school. The main reason to create community
partnerships is to help all students to succeed in school
and in life.
When communities are involved, students hear a common
message from home, the wider community and school
about the importance of attending school.
Schools can work in partnership with the community by:

participating in community programs

using community agencies and organisations to promote
the reasons why students should be attending school

improving communication between school, home and
the community

promoting off-campus projects

sharing attendance data with parents and the
community.