Job Description
Job Title: Attendance Lead
Contract Information: Term Time, plus one week Permanent 36.25 hours per week, 8.00am to 3.45pm (30-minute unpaid lunch daily)
Responsible to: Assistant Headteacher
Responsible for: Attendance Team
Terms & Conditions: NJC, Support Staff Terms and Conditions
Salary Range: NJC Grade SO2 - PO. Scale Point Range Points 26 – 30 £32,909 - £36,298 (Full time salary)
£28,478 - £31,411 (Actual salary for a working pattern of term time only, plus one week)
Starting scale point is dependent on experience
Potential R&R allowance, up to £5,000 for one year (to be negotiated at interview for outstanding candidates.
Pay progression is subject to annual performance related pay.
Other: 3 months’ notice period
Background & Vision:
Our vision for 'World Class' schooling is one in which all pupils:
- Make outstanding progress in their learning, regardless of ability, gender, social background or ethnic origin.
- Are engaged in a curriculum suffused with memorable experiences and rich in opportunities for learning.
- Learn, with teachers, in an environment which is mutually respectful and promotes a shared enjoyment of learning.
- Develop social attitudes and behaviours founded upon the values of respect, responsibility, and resilience.
- Develop the transferable skills and attitudes necessary to thrive in the global economy of the 21st Century.
We believe that we will achieve this through a commitment to the principles of Excellence, Equity, Engagement, and Enterprise.
Values:
Our values are at the heart of what we do.
We believe that everyone excels everyday here at Hollingworth Academy. This ethos is built on our core values of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and RESILIENCE and these values are at the heart of everything we do.
We believe that all of our pupils deserve an education that expands their life choices and enables social equity and mobility. We work hard to ensure that all of our pupils achieve their potential and truly believe in ‘excellence for all’.
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The postholder will lead, manage, monitor and report on whole-school attendance data, analysing data to identify key areas of concern. They will work closely with pupils, staff, parents and carers to reduce levels of absence. They will ensure effective collaboration with the school’s pastoral team regarding attendance to ensure positive aspirational outcomes for all pupils.
To work effectively with children, staff and parents and liaise with external agencies, as and when required.
ORGANISATIONAL CHART
Headteacher
Assistant Headteacher - Personal Development & Welfare
Attendance Lead
CONTROL OF RESOURCES
Personnel: Attendance Team
Financial: Responsible for relevant budgets and local monitoring
Health & Safety:
The postholder is responsible for their own health, safety, and welfare and that of others within their care, in accordance with the school’s policy and the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974.
Training and Development:
The postholder will be responsible for assisting in the identification of and undertaking their own training and development requirements, in accordance with the performance management framework.
Equipment/Materials:
Ø To be responsible for the safe use and maintenance of equipment/materials used by the postholder.
Ø To adhere to rules and regulations relating to the use of ICT, email and internet/intranet access.
Ø The operation of general office equipment, ICT systems and the orderly storage of stationery and office supplies.
Relationships (internal and external):
Internal: 1. Teaching and support staff within the school
2. Users of the school
3. Voluntary helpers
4. Pupils
External: 1. Parents/Carers
2. Visitors and customers
3. External agencies e.g. local authority
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Attendance in School
- Be the main contact for any attendance issues in school.
- Take the operational lead on improving school attendance.
- Manage, lead, and advise the school on attendance strategies and initiatives, promoting a culture of high attendance and punctuality in all pupils.
- Raise the awareness of the importance of school attendance for all stakeholders.
- Provide a specialist service to assist the school in meeting their statutory obligations and targets in relation to school attendance, especially persistent absence.
- Ensure the attendance of identified vulnerable pupils is checked at the earliest opportunity and that there is an appropriate response to non-attendance.
- Implement Action Plans for persistent absentees with a particular focus on disadvantaged pupils.
- Administer the fixed term penalty notices to improve attendance.
- Administer term time holiday fines.
- Attend multi agency meetings to discuss attendance and improvements required with targeted parents.
- Coordinate Early Help Assessments and Team Around the Family meetings.
- Demonstrate a commitment to continuous development, identify opportunities for professional development and undertake training opportunities where appropriate.
- Ensure relevant Safeguarding Policies and measures for all staff and pupils are in place and reviewed.
- Contribute to the writing and updating of policies and procedures that relate to attendance.
Attendance & Stakeholders
- Work with pupils and families to promote high attendance and reduce absence/unauthorised absences.
- Work with key staff, including, pastoral staff, SLT and professionals to improve attendance and punctuality, reducing absence and unauthorised absence.
- Ensure the necessary disciplinary measures are in place and that parents/carers are informed of lateness/absence.
- Identify persistent absentees and work with the Designated Safeguarding Lead/Safeguarding Team, to ensure concerns are dealt with promptly.
- Make regular contact with families in response to attendance referrals through contact home, coordination of home visits and/or meetings in school and keep accurate, clear and concise records of all interventions.
- Work with other professionals to ensure the Children Missing Education procedure is followed by the school.
- Liaise with other schools on pupils who historically have had poor attendance.
- Work with appropriate colleagues to ensure records are kept when a parent elects to Electively Home Educate their child.
- Attend and participate in regular meetings, and in training and other activities as required.
- Attend meetings with senior colleagues and governors as required.
Attendance Data
- Responsibility for the accurate recording and monitoring of pupil attendance.
- Collate, monitor, evaluate and update attendance data, producing regular reports to analyse attendance and punctuality on an agreed basis; providing analysis of attendance trends and patterns.
- Monitor the timely and accurate completion of all registers onto the schools MIS, taking actions as necessary and liaising with the Assistant Head when issues continue.
General Responsibilities:
· The postholder must perform their duties in accordance with the school’s Equal Opportunities Policy; be aware of, support and ensure equal opportunities for all; and have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty.
· To comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
· To contribute to the school ethos, values, aims and development/improvement plan.
· To attend meetings within the Trust, at its academies and external events as required.
· To participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.
· To maintain confidentiality always in respect of school-related matters and to prevent disclosure of confidential and sensitive information.
· Work with and process personal and sensitive information in accordance with Data Protection Act 2018 including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018.
· To understand and comply with the statutory guidance regarding safeguarding of children, ensuring the safeguarding and promotion of children’s welfare at all times, reporting any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Officer immediately.
· To carry out their duties with due regard to current and future school/Trust policies, procedures and relevant legislation. These will be drawn to the postholder’s attention during the recruitment process, induction, staff code of conduct, ongoing performance development and through Trust communications.
Hollingworth Academy expects employees to work flexibly within the framework of the duties and responsibilities above. This means that the postholder may be expected to carry out work that is not specified in the job profile but which is commensurate with the grade of the role within the remit of the duties and responsibilities.
This job description will be reviewed to reflect the plans, growth and development of the academy.
To apply for this position, please download the application form and supporting documentation from our website and email to - [email protected]
Information for all applicants / postholders:
Hollingworth Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and will be required to apply for an enhanced DBS disclosure and all other pre-employment checks outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education. All appointments are subject to Safer Recruitment practices.
We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups including those based on ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £28,478.00-£31,411.00 per year
Benefits:
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Rochdale: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 19/06/2023