Education Welfare Officer (Kings Lynn) in King's Lynn

Salary: Support Staff Pay Scale G: £27,702 to £29,601 pro-rata per annum (Actual) (£31,537 - £33,699 full time/full year equivalent)

Working Weeks: 39 weeks

Start Date: To be agreed at interview

Role: King Edward VII Academy is seeking a reliable and responsible Education Welfare Officer to help drive the attendance strategy at the school. The role involves working with pupils, their families, staff and external agencies to unlock barriers to attendance and ensure that all pupils can engage with school as fully as possible.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• To identify those children in need of support by reason of their behaviour, absence from academy, family dysfunction, disability, social or emotional needs or any other special educational needs and to support children whose education is at risk.
• To assess need, plan interventions, implement effective action and evaluate outcomes against agreed objectives, whilst involving service users in decisions whenever possible.
• To work with parents and other stakeholders in relation to student support.
• To assist the Academy to safeguard students through joint work with partner agencies.
• To maintain appropriate records and prepare reports as necessary.

About You:

The ideal candidate for this post will be organised, professional, able to establish good relationships with pupils and their families, act as a role model and be innovative in their responses to the attendance challenges that they discover. You will need to be able to manage your time effectively, work under your own initiative as well as contribute to the attendance team as a whole and work with team members to implement attendance initiatives for individuals and across the school.

Essential:

• First degree or NVQ Level 4 in social work, teaching, counselling, psychology or youth and community work or other work related to work with children and/or relevant experience.
• Training on safeguarding.
• Experience of using social work or counselling approach to working with parents and children.
• Knowledge of school systems and pastoral systems.
• Ability to undertake assessments and write reports to a high standard.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in the education system and in multi-agency settings.

We offer:

• Generous annual leave, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with excellent employer contributions.
• Health Plan and Employee Assistance Programme, including 24/7 virtual GP access, mental health support and claim-back options for healthcare costs.
• Cycle-to-work scheme, retail and theatre discounts (including discounted shopping vouchers, dentist and gym memberships), and salary sacrifice options (including home technology).
• Free parking at most sites.
• Personalised CPD and development programmes.
• A structured and specific induction programme.

About Us:

King Edward VII Academy is a large, diverse, and comprehensive 11-18 school with a rich and prestigious history. Thousands of students have walked the halls of this magnificent building, all in pursuit of the excellence that the academy continues to strive for today. In October 2024, Ofsted rated King Edward VII Academy and Sixth Form as Good overall, recognising the rapid positive changes across the school.

Inspectors highlighted the academy’s ambition and high standards: "The school expects high standards of pupils’ work and behaviour. It reminds pupils that every minute counts in meeting these standards. Pupils are rising to this challenge. They know that they attend an inclusive school that has improved rapidly. In the past, academic outcomes have been low. Now, however, the sense of ambition is abundantly clear. Lessons are engaging and focused. Pupils learn well."

The report also praised the school’s curriculum and teaching: "The school’s curriculum is ambitious and ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access learning alongside their peers. The curriculum sets out what pupils will learn and the order in which it is taught. High-quality training and support from the Trust have led to precise teaching. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to present new concepts clearly. Staff are invested in the school and the community. They feel well supported by leaders who manage their workload with sensitivity. They want the very best for pupils and are proud to work at the school."

King Edward VII Academy is calm, orderly, and purposeful. Its culture is built around high expectations and consistent structures and routines, enabling teachers to focus on their subjects with expertise and passion. We are part of the Inspiration Trust, twice ranked as the country’s top family of comprehensive schools for pupil progress, and strongly believe in the importance of giving the widest educational opportunities to all young people, regardless of their background. We have strong networks across the Trust, with opportunities to work with a diverse range of schools and partners. The Inspiration Trust is a Multi Academy Trust, committed to delivering the very best educational experience for the young people of Norfolk and Suffolk, across 17 schools. We are ambitious for our schools and communities and want to create Britain’s highest performing federation of 3-19 schools and transform education in the East.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Friday 10th April 2026

Interview date: To be confirmed

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities: Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. We are an equal opportunities employer.