Attendance Officer

POST TITLE:   Attendance Officer (Maternity Cover)

POST:          Temporary up to 12 months, Full Time (Part time hours may be available for the right candidate).

GRADE:       Band 6 (Scale point 9 - 12) Term Time Only

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP:  Deputy Headteacher (Behaviour & Attitudes)

JOB PURPOSE: The Attendance Officer will promote and seek to improve high levels of attendance and punctuality at Haughton Academy. In conjunction with the Deputy Headteacher (Behaviour & Attitudes), the Attendance Lead and Heads of Year, the Attendance Officer will identify and address those individuals and/or groups of pupils that require additional support to improve their levels of attendance and punctuality, and assist in the raising of standards.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:   

·     Apply the Academy attendance and punctuality policy and procedures.

·     To ensure all registers are completed and maintained with complete accuracy on a daily basis.

·     To maintain the Academy’s attendance School Management Information System (SIMS), together with the daily automated system to contact parent/carers regarding absent/late pupils.

·     Discuss reasons for absence with parents/carers, offering support and challenge where appropriate.

·     To keep clear and concise records of all conversations/meetings with pupils/parents/carers.

·     To send out appropriate correspondence to parents/carers regarding absence and attendance, including leave of absence requests.

·     Understand, follow and implement procedures regarding child employment.

·     To ensure all attendance data from offsite providers is obtained and updated onto our systems.

·     To respond to parental enquiries and complaints regarding attendance.

·     To assist parents/carers with processes regarding admissions, suspensions and Elective Home Education.

·     Where appropriate contribute to cases that have been referred to the Local Authority for court proceedings or Penalty notices.

Interaction with the Attendance Lead/Heads of Year:

·     To meet at least bi-weekly with the Attendance Lead to review year group attendance and plan interventions, whilst assessing impact of previous actions.

·     To regularly liaise with Attendance Lead and Heads of Year regarding attendance issues and outcomes.

·     To identify those pupils where poor attendance is a barrier to achievement.

·     In conjunction with Heads of Year assess need, plan interventions and implement effective actions to support pupils and their parents/carers to improve pupil attendance at the Academy.

·     To work closely with the Attendance Lead and Heads of Year to plan and implement strategies to reduce Persistent Absence numbers each term.

·     Identify and follow Academy and Local Authority procedures regarding children going missing from education and make reasonable enquiries to locate such children, working with and referring to the Local Authority as appropriate.

Interaction with Parents/Carers:

·     To promote positive attitudes by pupils and families towards education and to ensure that parents are made fully aware of their statutory responsibilities.

·     Meet with identified pupils in school to intervene early with those pupils at risk of Persistent Absence.

·     Visit pupils and their parents/carers in their homes to identify reasons why the pupil is not attending and work with them to agree a course of action to ensure the pupil attends the Academy regularly.

·     Collect identified pupils from home and bring them into the Academy and if necessary take them home again at the end of the school day.

·     To arrange and lead meetings with parents/carers both on site and at the pupils home where appropriate.

Strategic contribution:

·     To assist in raising achievement by improving school attendance and punctuality

·     To assist Haughton Academy in meeting their obligations and targets in relation to school attendance

Other:

·     Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of Haughton Academy

·     Appreciate and support the role of other professionals.

·     To use IT systems to produce reports.

·     To manage and prioritise workload in line with service requirements and to be aware of and support any differences.

·     Ensure equal opportunities for all.

·     Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.

·     Any other duties of a similar nature and related to the post which may be required from time to time.

·     To comply with health and safety policy and systems, report any incidents/accidents/hazards and take a pro-active approach to health and safety matters in order to protect both yourself and others.

Please note that successful applicants will be required to comply with all academy policies, including the no smoking policy.

The education village is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this communication.

The successful applicant will be subject to relevant vetting checks, including a satisfactory enhanced disclosure and disqualification by association checks before an offer of appointment is confirmed. Following appointment, the employee will be subject to re-checking as required from time to time by the academy.