Attendance Officer

Main purpose

To lead the school’s strategic approach to attendance by identifying and removing barriers to school entry for all pupils. You will analyse data to identify trends and work in partnership with families and external agencies to implement supportive interventions. You will champion a culture of attendance as safeguarding, ensuring that persistent or severe absence is met with an integrated support plan that prioritises the welfare and academic success of the child.

Duties and responsibilities

Administration

Make sure daily attendance registers are accurate and complete, and follow up with staff members about any incomplete data

Follow up on any unexplained absences with parents/carers, escalating issues as appropriate in line with school procedures

Initiate and oversee the administration of absence procedures – for example, letters home, attendance clinics and engagement with local authorities/other external agencies and partners

Manage the process of issuing penalty notices to parents/carers

Maintain accurate records of communications with parents/carers and relevant interventions

Build and refresh knowledge of the school’s management information system (MIS) and other relevant systems

Monitoring and reporting

Benchmark school performance against national and local averages

Produce and interpret attendance reports for school leaders, identifying key statistics, reasons for absence and any patterns of concern

Conduct regular audits of attendance codes to make sure they are being used correctly and consistently by all staff in line with statutory requirements

Track attendance of vulnerable groups of pupils, including pupils with SEND, those eligible for pupil premium, and children in need, and share information with school leaders

Identify pupils that need additional support to improve their attendance

Work with school leaders to identify appropriate interventions to improve attendance for particular groups or individual pupils

Lead daily or weekly check-ins to review progress and the impact of support/interventions

Work with school leaders to develop and revise the school’s attendance policy

Meet weekly with Headteacher and FSW to discuss children's attendance

Implement children missing education (CME) procedures when appropriate

Provide regular reports to attendance organisations to raise awareness of emerging at-risk pupils

Working with parents/carers

Act as the lead professional for early intervention cases, coordinating support for families and making sure that attendance goals are integrated into wider welfare plans

Coordinate meetings with pupils and parents/carers to formalise attendance support plans, EBSA support plans, implement interventions and track progress

Build positive relations with parents/carers to encourage family involvement in their child’s attendance

Identify and, where possible, mitigate potential barriers to attendance in partnership with families

Carry out home visits, where necessary, to address attendance concerns for individual pupils

Professional development

Take opportunities to build the appropriate skills, qualifications, and/or experience needed for the role, with support from the school

Take part in the school’s appraisal procedures

Other areas of responsibility

Safeguarding

Work in line with statutory safeguarding guidance (e.g. Keeping Children Safe in Education, Prevent) and our safeguarding and child protection policies

Be alert to when persistent absence becomes a safeguarding concern and Family Help Conversations may be required

Work with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) to promote the best interests of pupils, including sharing concerns where necessary

Promote the safeguarding of all pupils in the school