Attendance Officer – Harbour Learning Trust

Are you a proactive and dedicated professional looking to make a real impact on young people's lives?

Do you thrive on building strong relationships with families and providing supportive, solutions-focused guidance?

If you are a resilient, empathetic, and collaborative professional, then you could be the person we are looking for!

At Harbour Learning Trust, our success is built on a philosophy of care, inclusion, and high standards. We are a values-driven community where kindness, empathy, and ambition are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in providing an education that prepares every child to be a successful global citizen, and we are looking for a dedicated Attendance Officer to help us deliver on that vision.

You will be part of a supportive team that prioritises student well-being and parental engagement, working closely with the Education Welfare Officer & Trust Attendance Lead,  Academy Principal, Vice Principal, and wider school staff to promote excellent student attendance and punctuality.

The Role

• Location: Healing Academy

• Salary Scale: Scale 5, point 12-17

• FTE Salary: £28,598 – £31,022

• Actual Salary: £24,566 – £26,648

• Contract Type: Temporary (Maternity Cover)

• Hours: 37 hours per week, Term Time + 5 days

• Reports to: EWO/Academy Principal

• Closing Date: 26th June 2026 (midday)

• Start Date: September 2026

As the Attendance Officer, you will support and promote excellent student attendance and punctuality across the academy. You will build effective relationships with families to promote parental engagement, manage attendance cases, examine registers, and work reactively and strategically to address attendance issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor student attendance through the regular examination of registers and provide a swift, "first-day response" to absences, including sending messages to parents and carers.

• Manage attendance and punctuality cases effectively, keeping accurate, up-to-date records and undertaking home visits as required.

• Work closely with families to encourage parental engagement, and organise parent/family support classes and initiatives as agreed with the Principal.

•  Prepare high-quality reports and present data relating to individual students or groups for school staff and Attendance Panels.

• Liaise closely with form tutors, learning managers, the Vice Principal, and external agencies to share information and ensure procedures are systematically followed.

The Person: What We Are Looking For

We are seeking an organised, approachable practitioner with excellent listening skills who can operate with absolute discretion and confidentiality .

Essential Requirements:

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent (including English and Maths at Grade C/4 or above).

• Experience working within the education system or in multi-agency settings.

• Knowledge of current legislation, guidance, and safeguarding principles relating to school attendance.

• Proven ability to build trusted working relationships with parents, children, and external agencies to maximize engagement.

• Excellent ICT and administrative skills, with an understanding of school management systems (e.g., CPOMS) and accurate report writing.

• A full driving licence to facilitate home visits and community work.

• A deep commitment to safeguarding and Harbour Learning Trust’s DANCE values.

Desirable Requirements:

• A first degree or NVQ Level 4 in social work, teaching, counselling, psychology, youth and community work, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Evidence of continuous professional development and up-to-date safeguarding training.

About Our Trust

We are proud to have the highest performing primary and secondary schools in our area and we are honored to have been shortlisted for the TES Inclusive Trust of the Year Award. Most importantly, we are proud that we are improving the life chances for our children and giving them the tools and the values to lead happy and successful lives.

Our Vision is to empower and inspire children, adults and communities to be ambitious, healthy and kind, dedicated to making our world a better place.  The work we do is underpinned by our DANCE values and our magnificent seven behaviours;

Our Fantastic Five Values 

D - Harbour children deserve joyful (delight)schools that ignite creativity and learning through play. We invest in colleagues to ensure success and promote lifelong well-being for everyone.

A - We recruit the best colleagues and nurture talent in safe environments, inspiring our children to strive for excellence (ambition). By learning from the best, we improve and give back to our communities.

N - Harbour schools are rooted in care, valuing respect and empathy (nurture). We create supportive environments where children and colleagues thrive, preparing them for the future.

C - We promote pride, inclusion, and civic responsibility, celebrating diversity and community. Colleagues will experience belonging through collaboration, well-being, and continuous development.

E - Success comes when colleagues are empowered to innovate, take risks, and learn from failure. At Harbour, we encourage creativity and collaboration, helping both children and colleagues achieve their goals. 

 Our Magnificent Seven Behaviors

• We will act with integrity, honesty and transparency in all that we do

• We will trust our fellow professionals and value their skills and knowledge

• We will work collaboratively and encourage others to do the same

• We will work inclusively, building and celebrating inclusive and diverse communities

• We will be kind to ourselves and in all our dealings with others, acting with

• compassion and empathy

• We will communicate regularly and with clarity with our stakeholders and with each other, welcoming and reflecting on constructive feedback from others

• We will be aspirational for all, wanting the best for ourselves and for everyone

Come and join our happy, values led trust that truly believes in “success and happiness for all”

Harbour Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All posts are subject to satisfactory background checks and enhanced DBS.

We always offer the opportunity to discuss our roles and visit our Academy before you apply and we’d love to show you around. 

Please note all applications must be received via MyNewTerm. Please take a look at the attached documents for more information about us as a Trust, along with more information on the role, and the type of person we're looking for.