Logging absences on the Parent Portal and Arbor App

Parents can now log same-day absences for their children using the Parent Portal and Arbor App. To do this, they must access the Attendance section, input the absence details, and submit the request. School staff will then approve or reject the absence. Once approved, it will be visible in the Attendance tab. Absence requests cannot be edited, only deleted and recreated if changes are needed, and approved absences cannot be deleted.

School staff: To review these requests, see this article

Before you start

• You can only log an absence for today. For past or future dates, or for longer absences, contact your child's school directly.
• Your school must have enabled this feature. If you cannot see the option to log an absence, refer to the FAQs section below

Logging an absence on the Parent Portal

To record an absence, click on the Quick Actions button and then click Attendance.

From here, click the green Log Absence button in the top-right of the page.

Here, you can input the start and end time for the absence and type in the reason for the absence. By default, the absence start and end times reflect the student's full day, but these can be adjusted as needed. Once you have filled in this data, click Log Absence. This will then be visible to school staff.

Once this has been logged, school staff can accept or reject the absence. 

Approved absences also appear in the Attendance tab of the Parent Portal. 

Logging an absence on the Arbor App

To record an absence, click on the Quick Actions button (Icon with 3 lines at the bottom of your screen) and then click Attendance.

From here, click the green Log Absence button at the top of the page.

Here, you can input the start and end time for the absence and type in the reason for the absence. By default, the absence start and end times reflect the student's full day, but these can be adjusted as needed. Once you have filled in this data, click Log Absence. This will then be visible to school staff.

Once this has been logged, school staff can accept or reject the absence. 

Approved absences also appear in the Attendance section of the Arbor App.

FAQs

Who can see my absence note?

While the school is reviewing your absence, every guardian linked to the student can see the note you entered.

• While the absence is in pending: All guardians with access to the student in the Parent Portal or Arbor App can see the note. 
• Once the school approves it: The school adds an attendance mark, and the mark replaces your note. The note is no longer visible.

• Absences entered by school staff: These show an attendance code straight away, so no note is displayed.

  If you'd like your note to stay private, keep it brief and leave out sensitive details, or directly contact your school to log the absence for you.

Why can't I see the Log Absence button?

Your school may not have enabled absence logging, or your school may not subscribe to the required Communications package. Contact your school to check if this feature is available to you.

Can I log an absence for tomorrow or a past date?

No. You can only log an absence for today. Contact your school directly to report absences for any other dates.

Can I edit an absence I've already logged?

It is not possible to edit an existing absence request, so if you need to make any changes, you should delete the absence request and create a new one. 

To delete the absence, click on it and then click Cancel Change Request. If the request has already been approved, contact your school.