Consultation is now open on policy updates relating to both attendance and student behaviour management, with consultation closing 27 September 2023. 

Guided by our commitment to ensuring that all students are known, safe, well and learning, these updates are intended to provide strong, clear and consistent approaches to responding to attendance and student behaviour management in our schools. 

Updating our Policies and Procedures 

The Attendance and Student Behaviour Management Policies and Procedures are being reviewed in two phases:  

Phase 1 (ready for use in the 2024 school year) will tighten processes and update language to best support schools to keep children and young people known, safe, well and learning. 

Phase 2 will incorporate recommendations from current school inquiry processes and ensure implementation aligns with system development. 

How do I know what has changed? 

The draft Attendance Policy, Attendance Procedure, Behaviour Management Policy and Behaviour Management Procedure documents have key changes highlighted throughout the document. 

An Attendance and Behaviour Management Policy Review Survey will ask for your input on the policy documents. 

Attendance – Key Changes 

Key changes to the Policy and Procedure proposed are:  

1. Supporting consistent practices by having a system-wide universal Attendance Policy and Attendance Procedure
2. Separation of the Attendance Policy into a new Attendance Policy and Attendance Procedure, including the development of new sections such as information on school timetabling.  
3. Adding content to support children and young people to be known, safe, well and learning, including updated language and clarifying methods to check/validate attendance after each break in scheduled classes.
4. Revisions to roles and responsibilities including clarity on the roles of social workers and student support leaders.  
5. Updated and clearer language for part-time attendance and adjustment of hours under a Learning Plan.  
6. Providing a framework to inform Principals when requesting a doctor’s certificate for absences greater than five days.

Revised Policy Documents 

Attendance 

Phase One – Consultation Draft Attendance Policy 

Phase One – Consultation Draft Attendance Procedure 

Supporting information

Attendance Fact Sheet for Student Representative Bodies

Attendance Fact Sheet for School Associations

Student Behaviour Management – Key Changes 

1. Clearer language on the scope of behaviour sanctions at school and school activities. 
2. Elevating of behaviour management approaches prior to sanctions and emphasising sanctions as a last resort.  
3. adding content to support children and young people to be known, safe, well and learning, including adding information about how to respond to incidents, disclosures or suspicions of abuse between students.
4. Supporting educational instruction during periods of suspension, further suspension, or exclusion.  
5. Addition of harm minimisation and trauma-informed practice as integral behaviour management approaches in both the Policy and Procedure.  

Revised Policy Documents 

Student Behaviour Management 

Phase One – Consultation Draft Student Behaviour Management Policy 

Phase One – Consultation Draft Student Behaviour Management Procedure 

Supporting information

Student Behaviour Management Fact Sheet for School Associations

Student Behaviour Management Fact Sheet for Student Representative Bodies

How can you contribute? 

If you have feedback on the revised policies and procedures we would love to hear it! Please complete our Please complete our Attendance and Behaviour Management Policy Review Survey, or email feedback directly to AttendanceBehaviourPolicy@decyp.tas.gov.au. 

Consultation Survey (closes 27 September) 

Survey – Phase One – Attendance and Behaviour Management Policy Review