Attendance Officer

Attendance Officer

We are looking for an ambitious, resilient, determined and proactive person to join our excellent school team to take on the important role of further improving our children’s attendance and punctuality. You will work effectively as part of a school team, building excellent relationships with families to consider the best possible outcomes to support our families.

Job details

Salary: £12,555 - £13,672 plus London Weighting.

Hours: 20 hrs per week – 5 days

Contract type: Permanent term-time only

Reporting to: The Headteacher

Closing date : 30 September 2024

Interview Date : 04 October 2024

Start Date : 28 October 2024 or as soon as possible after this date.

Main purpose

The attendance officer is responsible for promoting and ensuring high levels of attendance and punctuality among pupils. To monitor and report on whole-school attendance data, including the analysis of data to identify key areas of concern. To work closely with pupils, staff, parents and carers to reduce levels of absence, and act appropriately when persistent absence becomes a safeguarding issue.

Duties and responsibilities

Administration , Record Keeping and Compliance

• Ensure daily attendance registers are accurate and complete, and follow up with staff members about any incomplete data 
• Follow up on any unexplained absences with parents/carers promptly and effectively, escalating issues as appropriate in line with school procedures Initiate and oversee the administration of absence procedures, for example letters home, attendance clinics and engagement with local authorities/other external agencies and partners
• Manage attendance returns for the school census
• Manage the process of referring families to Education Welfare Services Maintain accurate records of communications with parents/carers and relevant interventions
• Build and refresh knowledge of the school’s MIS and other relevant systems such as Wonde
• Ensure compliance with the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations and other relevant legislation
• Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information in accordance with data protection regulations
• Keep up to date with changes in attendance legislation and best practices

Promoting Good Attendance

• Develop and implement strategies to encourage and promote good attendance among pupils.
• Organise attendance initiatives to positively impact on attendance
•  To collaborate with teachers to create a positive school culture that values attendance

Monitoring and reporting

• Produce and interpret attendance reports for school leaders, identifying key statistics, reasons for absence and any patterns of concern 
• Track attendance of vulnerable groups of pupils and share information with school leaders
• Identify pupils that need additional support to improve their attendance
• Work with school leaders to identify appropriate interventions to improve attendance for particular groups or individual pupils
• Lead daily or weekly check-ins to review progress and the impact of support/interventions
• Work with school leaders to develop and revise the school’s attendance policy
• Implement children missing education (CME) procedures when appropriate

Supporting pupils and families

• Coordinate meetings with pupils and parents/carers to implement interventions and track progress
• Build positive relations with parents/carers to encourage family involvement in their child’s attendance
• Identify, and where possible, mitigate potential barriers to attendance in partnership with families
• Communicate with parents regarding attendance issues support them in understanding the importance of regular school attendance
• Work closely with external agencies and support services to provide additional assistance to families as needed

Professional development

• Take opportunities to build the appropriate skills, qualifications, and/or experience needed for the role, with support from the school
• Take part in the school’s appraisal procedures

Personal Attributes

• A Commitment to promoting the welfare and safeguarding of children
• Empathy, patience and resilience in dealing with sensitive issues
• A commitment to developing knowledge of our school community
• A proactive and solution-focused approach to problem -solving

Other areas of responsibility

Safeguarding

• Work in line with statutory safeguarding guidance (e.g. Keeping Children Safe in Education, Prevent) and our safeguarding and child protection policies
• Be alert to when persistent absence becomes a safeguarding concern and early help may be required
• Work with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) to promote the best interests of pupils, including sharing concerns where necessary
• Promote the safeguarding of all pupils in the school
• o     Ad hoc administration & reception duties