1. Students are expected to attend school and all classes every day, in particular classes on the day of and the day prior to the due date of an assessment task. South Grafton High School Attendance Procedures requires a valid reason for any absence, this may include a medical certificate or any other relevant documentation. The KLA Head Teacher may follow up with any such absences.
2. Planned absence on the day of an assessment task:
Planned absences include, but are not limited to excursions, work experience and work placement, sporting and cultural events.
If a student knows they are going to be absent on the day of an assessment task, they must notify their teacher, complete an Illness/Misadventure Application, and inform the teacher, prior to the absence.
Hand-in tasks will need to be submitted to the teacher prior to the absence.
Under no circumstances may a student attempt a formal examination before the scheduled time without express approval of the Principal.
3. If a student is suspended from school at the time an assessment task is due, the student must make arrangements to submit the task by the due date. A student on suspension is expected to attend the lesson in which an assessment task has been scheduled, unless the Principal or Deputy Principal considers that their attendance presents an unacceptable risk to others. Alternative arrangements will be made if this is the case.
4. Illness/Misadventure at the time of an Assessment Task It is necessary that a parent or carer contacts the school immediately if one or more of the following occurs:
There is a problem completing an assessment task by the due date. Only in exceptional cases will an extension be given. The faculty Head Teacher is the only person who can give an extension, in consultation with senior executive and teacher. Teachers should regularly monitor student progress so that a fair and reasonable assessment of the situation is possible in the event that a task is submitted late.
A student’s performance in an assessment task has been affected by illness or unforeseen misadventure which occurred immediately before or during the assessment period.
A student is prevented from attending an assessment task due to illness and/or misadventure.
A student is prevented from submitting an ongoing assessment task in person (this includes practical projects, reports, speeches etc. requiring preparation before the due date) due to illness and/or misadventure.
Only in exceptional cases, can the teacher, in consultation with the faculty Head Teacher, accept a task without penalty. The student should direct their initial enquiry to the faculty Head Teacher. Where individual circumstances are of a highly confidential and exceptional nature, special cases may be presented to the Principal for consideration.
5. Completing Illness/Misadventure Applications
On return to school students are required to report to the faculty Head Teacher or Year Adviser immediately and complete an Illness/Misadventure application.
Students should also report to the teacher of the subject concerned immediately upon their return to school.
On return to school, students will be given 2 days to provide independent advice or certification of the reason for the absence (e.g. doctor’s certificate regarding illness). NESA stipulates that a relative cannot provide this evidence.
Students cannot submit an Illness/Misadventure application on the basis of misreading an assessment task notification or an exam timetable. If you miss the time an assessment task is due or arrive late to an assessment task, because you have misread an assessment task notification, or an exam timetable contact the faculty Head Teacher or Deputy Principal immediately. e) Faculty Head Teachers, in consultation with senior executive, will consider all illness/misadventure applications. If the application is successful, the task is included without penalty. If the application is unsuccessful a penalty will apply, and this may be the award of zero marks for the task.
6. Unacceptable grounds for Illness/Misadventure Applications
The provisions for Illness/Misadventure generally do not cover:
Attendance at a family holiday or social occasion.
Attendance at a sporting or cultural event.
Visiting sick relatives or friends.
Alleged inadequacies of teaching or long-term matters relating to loss of preparation time, loss of study time or facilities. This includes technology failure.
Disabilities for which NESA have already granted special provisions unless an unforeseen episode occurs.
Long-term illness such as glandular fever, asthma, epilepsy – unless the student suffered a ‘flare-up’ of the condition immediately before or during the assessment task.
Matters avoidable by the student (e.g. misreading or misinterpretation of assessment deadlines or exam timetables and instructions, loss of work due to a technology failure).
Please note that tracking of student Illness/Misadventure Applications will occur in order to monitor repeated applications from the same student. It may occur that a first application is accepted and a later one for the same reason is declined. This will ensure that the assessment process is not compromised.
7. Technology and technology failure
With the exception of computer-based courses, or where specified, the use of computers in the preparation and presentation of assessment tasks is optional. Students using computers must accept responsibility for the loss of any data or the non-completion of tasks due to computer related problems.
If a student suffers technology failure they will need to provide printouts of drafts or partial drafts or associated notes and summaries in order for extensions or misadventure to be considered.
Students will be solely responsible for maintaining backups of all personal data files, independently of the school’s computers and network.
8. Irrespective of the outcome of an Illness/Misadventure application, all students will be required to complete all tasks or a substitute task to show evidence that they have met the course completion criteria.
9. Estimates and Substitute Tasks
A substitute task may be administered, or an estimated mark may be given at the discretion of the faculty Head Teacher when a student is absent from a task with a valid reason.
It is anticipated that parents or the student would have already contacted the school regarding the problem and an Illness/Misadventure application would have been submitted.
Consultation between the faculty Head Teacher and the Year Adviser will determine appropriate measures for a student who is absent for a prolonged period with valid reasons, or a student who suffers from a chronic trauma.
Where an estimate is given this will count as the student having completed the task in relation to the requirement that students must complete more than 50% of the assessment for a course in order for it to count towards the completion of a HSC course.
Award of Zero Marks
1. Zero marks will be awarded:
For any task or component of an ongoing task that is submitted late and for which Illness/Misadventure is not approved. This includes tasks submitted after the time stated on the Assessment Task Notification.
If a student is absent from a task without a valid reason.
If there is sufficient evidence of malpractice as outlined below.
If there is sufficient evidence of a non-serious attempt. In all assessment tasks, non- serious attempts will be identified by the teacher and the faculty Head Teacher and dealt with by the Deputy Principals and the Principal.
A student refuses to complete a task. This could jeopardise the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete a course.
The answers are not written in English, except where required or permitted by the question paper.
2. Frivolous or Objectionable Material.
Teachers will bring to the Head Teacher’s attention assessment tasks that contain frivolous or objectionable material. Frivolous or objectionable material may result in an assessment task being deemed a non-serious attempt. This could result in a mark of zero.
