The School Day
The school operates on a fortnightly (week A/week B) Timetable. The school day begins at 8:45am and ends at 3:15pm. Bell times are slightly different on Tuesdays and Thursdays (to allow for Sport and SRE) and on Fridays when Year Meetings are held and students have an extended recess.
Bell Times
Attendance – Absence or Late Arrival
Our preferred method to for parents to notify the school of student absences or late arrivals is through the Sentral Parent Portal
https://fortstreeths.sentral.com.au/portal2/#!/login
All families are given a Sentral access key when they start at Fort Street High Schoo. If you have any issues accessing the Sentral Parent Portal please contact the school.
Parents can also email the school at fortstreet-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Or parents can call the school on 8585 1642 and leave a message on the absences voicemail.
If possible please notify the school prior to 9:00am on the day of your child’s absence or late arrival. If the school does not receive prior notification, you will receive an automated SMS or Sentral Portal notification or Email message to which you must respond.
If parents prefer to write a note, it must have the student’s full name and year clearly labelled, the day or date(s) of the absence or late arrival, and the reason for absence or late arrival. This must be handed to the front office.
Students who arrive at school late must report to the office on arrival. Students who go straight to class without signing in at the office will be recorded as absent for the whole day.
Following an absence from school you must ensure that within 7 days you provide your child’s school with a verbal or written explanation for the absence. However, if the school has not received an explanation from you within 2 days, the school may contact you to discuss the absence.
The Principal may request a medical certificate or other documentation when frequent or long term absences are explained as being due to illness. Principals may also seek parental permission to speak with medical specialists to obtain information to collaboratively develop a health care plan to support your child. If the request is denied, the principal can record the absences as unjustified.
Attendance – Travel/Extended Leave
Families are encouraged to arrange their travel during school holidays. If travelling for 5 days of more during the school term is necessary an extended leave form will need to be completed. Please complete an Extended Leave form. You can access the form here or on the School Bytes Parent Portal.
Please allow at least one week for this to be reviewed by the Principal. Absences relating to travel will contribute to your child’s total absences for the year. You will receive a notification if and when the leave is approved as well as a Certificate of Leave that you should carry with you when travelling.
Attendance – Early Leave
To apply for early leave, parents should create an absence through the Parent Portal https://fortstreeths.sentral.com.au/portal2/#!/login . Please clearly state the date and time that the student will need to leave school, as well as the reason.
Parents can also email the school at fortstreet-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au however we cannot accept phone calls for early leave, we must have the request in writing.
Students can also bring a signed note from their parent or carer stating the date, time and reason for the early leave. The note should be handed in at Reception before 8:45am.
All students who are leaving school early must carry an approved Early Leave Slip with them at all times. This slip must be collected from the front office before leaving the school. To understand why this is important please read the excerpt from the Department of Education School Attendance Policy:
“Students should be reminded regularly that authorised attendance officers including police officers, can direct them to return to school if they do not have a valid leave pass. Authorised attendance officers will then notify the school that a student has been identified as being out of school without a valid leave pass. The school should investigate the matter and if truancy is confirmed the student’s parents must be informed.”
More information
More information about School Attendance for parents can be found here.