Attendance And Welfare Officer

Attendance and Welfare Lead

Start Date: ASAP / September 2026

Principal Education are delighted to be working with a school we support who are looking to appoint an experienced, proactive and compassionate Attendance and Welfare Lead to join their team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated pastoral professional who is passionate about improving pupil attendance, supporting student welfare and removing barriers to educational success.

The successful candidate will play a key role in promoting excellent attendance and punctuality across the school, working closely with pupils, parents and carers, pastoral teams, safeguarding staff and external agencies to identify and address barriers that may prevent students from attending and engaging successfully.

The Role

As Attendance and Welfare Lead, you will take responsibility for monitoring and improving attendance across the school, ensuring that effective systems are in place to identify concerns at an early stage and that appropriate interventions are implemented.

You will build positive relationships with pupils and families, providing practical support and appropriate challenge where required. The role will involve working collaboratively with colleagues to improve attendance outcomes and ensure that pupils receive the support they need to thrive both academically and personally.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the monitoring, analysis and improvement of pupil attendance and punctuality across the school.
• Identify patterns of absence, persistent absence and lateness, using attendance data to identify priorities and implement targeted interventions.
• Work directly with pupils to understand barriers to attendance and develop appropriate strategies to improve engagement and attendance.
• Build strong, professional relationships with parents and carers, providing advice, support and appropriate challenge around attendance and punctuality.
• Work closely with Heads of Year, Pastoral Leaders, Safeguarding teams, SEND colleagues and senior leaders to coordinate effective attendance and welfare support.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of attendance interventions, meetings, communications and outcomes.
• Monitor the impact of attendance interventions and regularly review strategies to ensure they are effective.
• Support the school in meeting attendance targets and contribute to whole-school attendance improvement strategies.
• Take a proactive approach to persistent absence and work with families to establish clear attendance improvement plans.
• Liaise with external agencies and relevant professionals where appropriate to support pupils and families experiencing significant attendance or welfare concerns.
• Contribute to safeguarding procedures by identifying and escalating concerns relating to pupil welfare, attendance and vulnerability.
• Support pupils who may be experiencing social, emotional, family or other barriers that are affecting their ability to attend school regularly.
• Participate in attendance meetings, case reviews and relevant pastoral or safeguarding meetings.
• Promote a positive culture of attendance throughout the school and communicate high expectations consistently to pupils, parents and staff.
• Provide regular attendance reports and updates to senior leaders, highlighting trends, concerns and areas for improvement.

The Ideal Candidate

The school is looking for an organised, resilient and committed individual who can demonstrate experience within attendance, pastor