Attendance
Under COVID normal conditions, students are expected to attend school sites.
When restrictions, special arrangements or a school closure is in place, schools may only be open for children of essential workers and vulnerable children. Schools will keep their community informed of local arrangements.
Students of all ages, including those over 16 years of age, are able to attend school regardless of their
vaccination status.
If a parent or carer chooses to keep their child at home due to their personal concerns about COVID-19, where necessary, schools will engage with the parent or carer and offer support to ensure their child returns to school as soon as possible.
Once a student has completed their
period of isolation and no longer has COVID-19 symptoms, they are free to return to school. They do not need to produce a negative COVID-19 test result before they can return.
Boarding schools
Boarding schools are considered in the same way as a household. Therefore, when restrictions or special arrangements are in place, all staff and students who reside at the school will be able to continue learning and working on site, unless the school is closed.
Students who do not reside at the school will undertake learning at home.
Guidelines for the operation of state school-operated boarding facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic is available in the
guidelines for state-school-operated boarding facilities (PDF, 464KB) (departmental employees only).
Information regarding the operation of non-state boarding schools should be obtained from the individual boarding school.
Close contacts
A student who is a close contact and does not have COVID-19 symptoms can attend school. Parents or carers must notify the school of the child’s close contact status before the student attends. The student must comply with all Queensland Health requirements for
close contacts (e.g. face masks and testing regimes).
Continuity of learning
While students are learning onsite, schools are not required to provide home-based learning options unless there are specific circumstances impacting a student’s attendance.
Students unable to attend school because they are sick and/or following
Queensland Health isolation or close contact requirements, are not expected to do schoolwork. However, schools may choose to provide access to resources such as the
learning@home website to help students continue their learning.
Where medical advice supports the need for a student to remain at home and still access their learning program, they should be supported by their school. The school's approach to learning for the student should consider the expected duration of absence, the student's learning needs, available tools and resources, and the school's established approach to supporting continuity of learning.
Roll marking
Full details of OneSchool attendance and absence codes for use when students are attending school sites or learning at home are available on the
OnePortal attendance and roll marking page (departmental employees only).
Absence notification
Same day student absence notification (departmental employees only) requirements apply at all stages of the department’s response to COVID-19, including when students are learning at home. Schools must notify parents or carers of an unexplained absence of their child as soon as practicable on the day of absence.
Student protection
At all times, including where a student is learning at home, any concerns of risk of harm to the student must be addressed in line with the department's student protection procedures. All student protection measures and training for staff and visitors must be maintained at all times.