Coniston Public School

Telephone02 4229 1117

Emailconiston-p.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.

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

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 and remain in school, employment or training until they turn 17.

For more information about compulsory school attendance, visit:

Missing school means your child misses out on vital information and maintaining learning routines. This can result in a loss of confidence and missing out on forming vital friendships.

Attendance is recorded every day. As a parent or caregiver you are responsible for ensuring your child attends school every day, unless your child:

  • Has an unavoidable medical or dental appointment (prferably these should be made after school or during holidays. 
  • is required to attend a recognised religious holiday. 
  • Is required to attend an exceptional or urgent family circumstances (such as attending a funeral) 
  • Socl, or has an infectious disease. 

If you are having difficulty getting your child to attend school regularly, you might like to talk to the school principal or the school counsellor. Please phone the office to make an appointment. 

If your child is absent from school for any reason, please send an Absentee Note in with your child to your child's teacher on his/her return to school. If your child is going to be absent for more than two or three days, please notify the school by phone on 4229 1117 or email to coniston-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
If your child is going to be absent for more than three school days due to illness, you must provide the office with a Doctor's Certificate.

If you are planning an extra holiday with your child you will need to fill in the Application for Extended Leave Travel form (PDF 283KB) and hand into office.

Absentee Notes are available in booklet form from the office throughout the year.

Alternatively you can download a copy of the Absentee Note (DOCX 283KB)

Students with unexplained absences will receive an absence letter from the school for their parents to complete and return. 

If your child arrives at school, after 8:55am, after the school bell has rung, or during the morning, he/she must go straight to the office and have their name recorded before attending class.  This is because class teachers will have already marked the student as absent on the class roll. This is very important to ensure that during an emergency all students are accounted for.

To ensure the safety of our children, if you wish to collect your child before the end of the school day you must obtain a Early Leavers Note from the school office before going to the classroom. The leavers note is then handed to the class teacher. 

A note must be provided to the class teacher if someone other than yourself is to pick up your child.

School frameworks (school rules)

As well as following the department’s operational policies, we have developed frameworks for our students in line with our school’s values and commitments.