Attendance Officer

Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich is an outstanding place for students and staff alike. We pride ourselves on helping our students to be incredibly successful and we are as driven to support our staff, with an excellent CPD programme and development opportunities for all staff at the academy. We encourage our students and staff to live our core values of character, courage and conscience in our community and beyond. We have an excellent staff who are highly motivated, committed and happy.

We are looking for an Attendance Officer to join our dedicated team at Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich. The actual salary for this role will be £27,588.90 - £29,219.39 (39 weeks per year, 37.5 hours per week).

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Recording accurate student registers on BromCom
• Contacting parents or carers regarding absences and logging reasons
• Prioritising daily attendance checks for vulnerable students and reporting to the Director of Pastoral Care and DSL
• Making daily calls to confirm unexplained absences
• Maintaining late registration records and issuing U code letters
• Reviewing absence codes weekly for accuracy
• Sending attendance letters as requested by senior staff
• Investigating reasons for absences in liaison with tutors and staff
• Following up on poor attendance and punctuality, organising meetings, home visits and monitoring student contracts
• Preparing and distributing attendance and punctuality certificates
• Signing students in and out outside normal hours and notifying parents when required
• Liaising with welfare officers and external agencies to address attendance concerns
• Monitoring attendance against individual targets and taking appropriate action
• Providing accurate referral information to leadership
• Alerting staff to student issues and recommending solutions
• Communicating with parents, carers and external bodies regarding student welfare
• Attending weekly pastoral meetings to review attendance and actions

Qualifications & Experience

• Sound knowledge of Microsoft software
• Knowledge of BromCom system for input and export of student attendance data
• Training on BromCom system in relation to attendance and report generation
• Knowledge of attendance policies and procedures
• Knowledge of the range of agencies that work with students and their families
• Basic knowledge of first aid; e.g. emergency first aid course
• Knowledge of a range of attendance codes and when they can be used
• Knowledge of many of the social issues facing students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Three years’ experience of working in an inner-city school or educational establishment
• Experience of working with Academy welfare officer
• Experience of meeting with parents/carers formally and informally
• Experience of managing attendance systems, including completing weekly, half termly and annual reports as requested in liaison with Assistant Principal
• Experience in a similar role
• Experience of working with young people
• Experience of working with young people with challenging behaviour

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation. Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.