1. Purpose
This Policy sets out the principles and requirements for monitoring course progress and attendance of Full Fee-Paying Overseas Students (FFPOS) at Christ Church Grammar School (the School). It should be read in conjunction with the School’s Attendance Policy and the Assessment and Reporting Policy and is particularly aimed at ensuring compliance with the visa requirements for overseas students.
2. Definitions
Assessment is the ongoing process of collecting, analysing and evaluating evidence of each student’s progress and achievements to make informed and consistent judgements to improve future student learning.
Compassionate or compelling circumstances are circumstances beyond the control of the student that are having an impact on the student’s wellbeing or progress through a course. These are determined by the School, but may include:
- Serious illness where a medical certificate states that the student was unable to attend classes
- Bereavement of close family members such as parents or grandparents (where possible a death certificate should be provided))
- Major political upheaval or natural disaster in the home country requiring emergency travel that has impacted on their studies; or
- A traumatic experience which could include:
- Involvement in or witnessing of a serious accident; or
- Witnessing or being victim of a serious crime and this has impacted on the student (these cases should be supported by police or psychologist’s reports)
- A global pandemic preventing the student leaving his home country or border closures preventing entry to Australia
- Where the School was unable to offer a pre-requisite unit, or the student has failed a prerequisite unit and therefore faces a shortage of relevant units for which they are eligible to enrol
Course means a set of subjects in which a student is enrolled
PRISMS means Provider Registration and International Student Management System
Reporting is the process of communicating student progress to parents, pastoral care providers and relevant external bodies. Reporting provides a record of a student’s progress and achievement at a point in time
Working day means any day Monday to Friday which is not a public holiday in Western Australia
3. Principles
3.1 Course Progress
3.1.1 Teachers at Christ Church Grammar School monitor, assess and record the course progress of each student for the course in which the student is enrolled. Term and semester reports are available to parents via Nexus, the School’s Learning Management System. Parents can also access live marks throughout the year via Nexus and are invited to attend Parent/Teacher/Student interviews for each year group if possible.
3.1.2 To demonstrate satisfactory progress, students need to complete all aspects of the course, including assessment tasks and examinations, to a satisfactory standard which is defined as attaining a C grade across all courses in each year or where relevant in Year 11 and 12, the standard required for achievement of the WA Certificate of Education.
3.1.3 Tutors, Heads of House and the Studies Office monitor and review student progress particularly after each report is issued and work with the Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School to counsel and support students who are at risk of failing to achieve satisfactory course progress. An intervention strategy for academic improvement will be developed and documented, and parents will be kept informed.
3.1.4 As part of the review process, the Studies Office will calculate the point in the assessment programs when it will be impossible for a student to improve to a C grade in his subjects.
3.1.5 The student’s individual strategy for academic improvement will be monitored over the following semester and records of the student’s response to the strategy will be maintained.
3.1.6 If the student’s academic performance does not improve sufficiently and he fails to achieve the required standard by the end of the next assessment period, the School, following discussion with the Admissions Registrar, will advise the student and his parents in writing of its intention to report the student for a breach of visa condition 8202, and that he has 20 working days in which to register any complaint by making an application in writing to the Principal in accordance with the procedures which accompany the School’s Disputes and Complaints Policy.
3.1.7 The School will notify the Department of Education via PRISMS of the student’s failure to achieve satisfactory course progress as soon as practical where:
- The student does not access the complaints and appeals process within 20 working days or
- The student withdraws from the complaints and appeals process; or
- The complaints and appeals process finds in favour of the School
3.2 Completion within expected duration of study (course progression)
3.2.1 As noted in 3.1.1 the School will assess, monitor and record the course progress of each student for the course in which the student is enrolled
3..2.2 Part of the assessment of course progress at the end of each term will include an assessment of whether the student’s progress is such that he is expected to complete his course within the expected duration of the course.
3.2.3 Notwithstanding externally set timelines (e.g. SCSA, ATAR examinations etc) the School will only extend the duration of the student’s study where the student will not complete his course within the expected duration due to:
- Compassionate or compelling circumstances (see page 1)
- Student participation in an intervention strategy as outlined in 3.1.3
- An approved deferment or suspension of study has been granted in accordance with Christ Church Grammar School’s Deferment, Suspension and Cancellation of Studies Policy.
3.2.4 Where the School decides to extend the duration of the student’s study, the School will report via PRISMS and/or issue a new Certificate of Enrolment if required.
3.2.5 The School will advise the student to seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs on any potential impacts on their visa, including the need to obtain a new visa.
3.3 Course Attendance
3.3.1 Satisfactory course attendance for overseas students as per the standards prescribed in the National Code for Providers is attendance of 80 per cent of scheduled course contact hours.
3.3.2 Christ Church Grammar School’s Attendance Policy for all students requires that cases of a student’s attendance falling below 90 per cent over a term are to be referred to the Deputy Principal/ Head of Senior School for further investigation and the documentation of attendance improvement plans.
3.3.3 Student attendance is:
- Checked and recorded by tutors in tutorials and class teachers in Senior School at every class period. In Preparatory School, class teachers mark attendance at the start of the day and at the start of class after lunch
- Assessed regularly
- Recorded and calculated over each semester
3.3.4 Late arrival will be recorded and included in attendance calculations
3.3.5 All absences should be accompanied by an explanatory communication from the Boarding House or parent if the student lives with his parent, a medical certificate or evidence that leave has been approved by the Principal or nominee.
3.3.6 Student attendance will be monitored by the student’s Head of House every term using the following method:
- Calculating the number of hours the student would have to be absent to fall below the attendance threshold for a semester e.g. number of study days x contact hours x 20per cent (an eight week semester with 5 contact hours a day would equal 200 contact hours. 20per cent of this is 40 hours)
- Any period of exclusion from class will not be included in student attendance calculations
3.3.7 If the calculation at 3.3.6 indicates that the student has fallen below the attendance threshold, except in the circumstances outlined below at 3.3.9, the School will advise the student and his parents of its intention to report him for breach of visa condition 8202 and that he has 20 working days in which to access Christ Church Grammar School’s internal Disputes and Complaints processes.
3.3.8 The School will notify the Department of Education via PRISMS of the student’s failure to achieve satisfactory course attendance as soon as practicable where:
- The student does not access the complaints and appeals processes with 20 working days
- The student withdraws from the complaints and appeals process
- The complaints and appeals process finds in favour of the School
3.3.9 Students will not be reported for failing to meet the 80per cent threshold where:
- The student produces documentary evidence clearly demonstrating compassionate or compelling circumstances e.g. medical illness supported by a medical certificate and
- The student has not fallen below 70per cent attendance
3.3.10 If the student does not obtain a suspension of studies under the FFPOS Deferment, Suspension and Cancellation of Studies Policy and falls below the 70per cent threshold for attendance, the process for reporting the student for unsatisfactory attendance (i.e. breach of visa condition 8202) will occur as set out in 3.3.7 – 3.3.8.
3.4 Course delivery during a Pandemic
In order to minimise disruptions to the study programs for students impacted by travel restrictions and therefor unable to attend classes in a face- to-face environment, the School will take all reasonable steps to support the students by:
- Offering remote access to course outlines, assessment outcomes and units of work via the School’s Learning Management System (Nexus) and other online platforms as appropriate
- Allowing students to be in direct contact with their teachers via email
- Offering students the opportunity to complete scheduled assessments and have these marked for feedback purposes only
4. Related Legislation and Policies
School Education Act 1999
Education Services for Overseas Students Act (2000)
National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018
Code of Conduct for Students
Attendance Policy
Assessment and Reporting Policy
Duty of Care for Students Policy
FFPOS Refund Policy
FFPOS Transfer Policy
FFPOS Deferment, Suspension and Cancellation of Studies Policy
Student Behaviour Management Policy