Are you passionate about ensuring every young person has access to full-time education?
Can you remain calm, empathetic, and professional in challenging conversations?
Are you confident navigating database systems and tracking student patterns?
About the Role
The Attendance Officer acts as a linchpin in driving pupil engagement, maintaining statutory registers, and reducing persistent absence across the setting. Operating on a full-time basis with an immediate (ASAP) start, the post holder provides crucial operational and administrative support. They lead proactive morning gate arrivals, follow up on daily unexplained absences, and work closely with pastoral leaders to spot attendance trends early.
About the School
Located in the Wakefield area, this secondary academy is a proud member of a high-achieving multi-academy trust dedicated to putting pupils first. The school provides a vibrant, inclusive, and ambitious learning environment where high expectations for behaviour and personal growth underpin academic progress.
Staff benefit from a supportive, collaborative culture supported by comprehensive continuing professional development (CPD) through the trust's dedicated training institute. With modern learning spaces, robust pastoral structures, and an active focus on staff well-being, the academy is a fulfilling workplace where every team member contributes directly to community success.
Requirements
... - Prior administrative or pastoral experience in an educational, youth, or social welfare setting.
- Solid familiarity with school Management Information Systems such as SIMS, Bromcom, Arbor, or CMIS.
- Enhanced DBS: A valid Enhanced DBS clearance registered on the Update Service (or a willingness to apply for one).
- Eligibility to Work: Valid legal entitlement to work full-time in the UK.
Required Skills
- Clear Verbal Communication: Ability to articulate expectations with warmth, authority, and empathy across varied audiences.
- Professional Written Communication: Skill in drafting formal letters, meeting notes, and compliance reports with high accuracy.
- De-escalation & Conflict Resolution: Capacity to manage challenging conversations and defuse tense situations with resilience.
- Data Literacy: Competence in interpreting absence figures, tracking percentages, and highlighting key attendance patterns.
- Active Listening: Aptitude for understanding underlying personal, social, or emotional causes behind pupil absenteeism.
- Time Management: Capacity to balance urgent morning operational tasks with scheduled meetings and administrative caseloads.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct daily morning "Late Gate" monitoring and register checks to identify and record late arrivals promptly.
- Manage the school's automated absence calling system to verify reasons for student absence each morning.
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date pupil attendance and punctuality records using the school's Management Information System (MIS).
- Identify pupils at risk of persistent absenteeism and design targeted attendance intervention strategies.
- Communicate directly with parents and carers via phone, email, formal correspondence, and face-to-face meetings.
- Conduct safe-and-well home visits in collaboration with pastoral staff and safeguarding leads when required.
- Produce and distribute daily, weekly, and termly attendance data reports for senior leadership teams.
- Coordinate formal attendance panels, parenting contracts, and statutory referrals such as Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).
- Partner with external multi-agency services, including social care, early help teams, and local authority education welfare officers.
- Promote positive school attendance across the school community through celebratory campaigns, assemblies, and rewards programmes.
What We Offer:
- A supportive, collaborative working environment.
- Opportunities for career progression and ongoing professional development.
- The chance to make a significant impact on the lives of students.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- A Refer a Friend scheme where you could earn a £300 Love2shop voucher (subject to terms and conditions).
Could this be the ideal role for you?
Click "Apply Now" to submit your application for the role of an Attendance officer. For more information, please contact leeds@randstadeducation.co.uk or call 01132462500 to speak to the secondary team.
