Attendance Officer | Hillingdon

Secondary School & Sixth Form | West London

The Opportunity

Located in the diverse and well-connected borough of Hillingdon, our school is a vibrant learning community dedicated to ensuring every student reaches their full potential. We are seeking a persistent, organized, and empathetic Attendance Officer to join our pastoral support team. We know that "every lesson counts," and in this role, you will be the driving force behind ensuring our students are in school, on time, and ready to learn. This is a vital position that bridges the gap between the school, the home, and external agencies, requiring a unique blend of administrative precision and people skills.

The Pastoral and Administration Team

The attendance office is a high-impact department that works closely with Form Tutors, Heads of Year, and the Senior Leadership Team. In a large West London school, managing attendance requires a proactive and strategic approach rather than a purely administrative one.

You will join a supportive team that understands the complex barriers to school attendance, from transit issues in a busy borough to social and emotional challenges. We provide a professional environment where you will have access to the latest data-tracking software and a clear framework for intervention. You will be supported by a leadership team that prioritizes attendance as a key pillar of school improvement and values the specialized knowledge you bring to the role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

As the Attendance Officer, you will be responsible for the daily monitoring and long-term improvement of student attendance. Your responsibilities will include:

• Daily Monitoring: Managing the morning and afternoon registration process, ensuring all registers are completed accurately and following up on "unexplained" absences with immediate phone calls to parents and carers.

• Data Analysis: Utilizing the school’s Management Information System (such as SIMS or Arbor) to identify patterns of persistent absence or punctuality issues across different year groups and student cohorts.

• Home-School Liaison: Building strong, professional relationships with families. This includes conducting home visits, holding attendance clinics at the school, and providing support and advice to parents to help them overcome barriers to their child's attendance.

• Strategy and Intervention: Working with Heads of Year to design and implement attendance improvement plans. You will celebrate high attendance through reward schemes and manage formal interventions for those falling below the school's threshold.

• Statutory Compliance: Preparing and maintaining accurate records for the Local Authority. This includes the preparation of documents for Fixed Penalty Notices and representing the school at attendance panels or legal proceedings when necessary.

• External Agency Collaboration: Liaising with Social Care, Educational Psychology, and the Hillingdon Participation Team to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting vulnerable students.

• Reporting: Producing weekly and termly attendance reports for the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body, highlighting successes and areas for targeted focus.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be a resilient and highly organized professional with a background in education, social work, or a related field. You should possess:

• Administrative and Data Expertise: Proven experience in managing complex data sets and using database systems. Previous experience in a school attendance role is highly desirable.

• Communication and Influence: Exceptional interpersonal skills. You must be able to have difficult conversations with parents and students with empathy and firmness, always keeping the child's best interests at the center.

• Resilience and Persistence: The ability to remain motivated when dealing with challenging cases and the tenacity to follow up on absences until a resolution is reached.

• Knowledge of Legislation: A solid understanding of the legal framework surrounding school attendance, safeguarding, and the "Keeping Children Safe in Education" (KCSiE) guidelines.

• Organization: The ability to manage a busy daily routine while also working on long-term strategic projects and meeting strict statutory deadlines.

• Local Knowledge: An understanding of the Hillingdon community and the local factors that can impact school attendance is a distinct advantage.

Why Join Our School?

Working as an Attendance Officer in Hillingdon offers a rewarding career path with a direct impact on student outcomes. Benefits include:

• Professional Investment: Access to specialized training in safeguarding, legal interventions for attendance, and advanced data management.

• A Supportive Workplace: Join a team where your expertise is valued and where you are a key part of the school's strategy for student success.

• Stability and Benefits: A permanent, term-time plus role with a consistent schedule and access to the local government pension scheme.

• Impact: The professional satisfaction of seeing students return to the classroom and succeed because of your intervention and support.

How to Apply

To apply for this Attendance Officer position in Hillingdon, please submit your CV.