Family Engagement Partner at The Ladder School

6 Days Remaining

Job Reference #

EDV/2026/LS/91415

Location

40 George Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 1RS

Contract Type

Permanent

Contract Term

Full-Time

Salary

£25,460.00 - £28,876.00 Annually (Actual)
Grade 7 (SCP 22-27), Term Time Only (39 Weeks)

Hours Per Week

32.5

Weeks Per Year

Closing Date

9:00am, Mon 13th Jul, 2026

Start Date

01/09/2026

Positions Available

Positions Available 1

Interview Date(s)

TBC

Interview Date(s) TBC

About this Role

Job Title: Family Engagement Partner

Location: Walsall

We are an Alternative Provision Free School located in Walsall occupying a brand new fabulous building.  We are becoming the “go to place” for Alternative Provision in the borough.

At The Ladder School we recognise that the mainstream school system does not suit all young people and we are here to offer a second chance.  We believe that every student has potential and the staff work incredibly hard to ensure our students make the most of the opportunities available to them whilst they are with us.  Unlike other alternative provisions, we offer a range of GCSE and vocational courses to ensure students receive a well-rounded education and have the best chances in their future.  We have a strong careers program designed to support students reach positive destinations after they leave The Ladder School.

We have an environment where praise and encouragement are used to help our students see things differently. Our set of aspirational values underpins everything we do. Our purpose-built school has specialist facilities for our students to thrive and grow into successful, contributing members of their community.

School Ethos:

High standards – students are pushed to achieve beyond their potential, and staff work to ensure everything that we do is better than people expect.

Daring to Dream – students at The Ladder School may have been in an educational setting where they lack aspirations to be successful. At The Ladder School, we challenge students to reach their potential and go on to further education and employment.

Traditional Values – some things often get forgotten in education; at The Ladder School, we pride ourselves on mutual respect, good manners, making a positive contribution, supporting one another and an orderly, litter free environment.

Success – can come in many virtues; at The Ladder School, we celebrate the small steps every day and tell students when they are doing well. We ensure that students can have a successful future.

Personalised Support – all students at The Ladder School have a Learning Coach who guides them, sets them bespoke targets and supports them in making social and academic progress.

Find more information here: The Ladder School

Want to make a difference to young people?

Are you ready to embark on a rewarding journey within an educational community that values increasing opportunities, improving outcomes for our students. We are looking for a Family Engagement Partner to join our team. Reporting to Assistant Headteacher (Behaviour, Attendance & Safeguarding),  The Family Engagement Partner strengthens the vital connection between home and school, ensuring families feel supported, respected and empowered. Working within an Alternative Provision context, the role focuses on removing barriers, improving attendance and engagement, and supporting safeguarding through early help, multi-agency collaboration and consistent communication.

This role is central to The Ladder School’s mission: every child deserves a fresh start, a safe space, and a team who never gives up on them.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

1. Family Engagement & Support
· Build trusting relationships with families, especially those who may feel disconnected or wary of education settings
· Provide practical and emotional support to parents/carers to help them engage with their child’s education
· Conduct home visits to support attendance, welfare and engagement
· Offer early help support, signposting families to relevant services (housing, mental health, financial support, youth services)
· Facilitate family meetings, restorative conversations and solution-focused discussions
· Promote a culture where families feel like partners, not observers
2. Attendance & Engagement
· Work closely with the Attendance Lead to monitor patterns, identify concerns and intervene early
· Support families to overcome barriers to attendance, including routines, transport, anxiety, or safeguarding concerns
· Contribute to attendance action plans, parenting contracts and multi-agency attendance meetings
· Maintain accurate records of interventions, home visits and communication
· Promote a sense of belonging and connection for students and families
3. Safeguarding & Multi-Agency Working
· Act as a key point of contact for families involved with social care, early help, youth justice or CAMHS
· Attend and contribute to TAC/TAF meetings, CIN/CP conferences and multi-agency reviews
· Work with the DSL team to ensure timely reporting, accurate record-keeping and effective follow-up
· Support the school’s safeguarding culture through professional curiosity, early identification of risk and proactive communication
· Ensure families understand safeguarding processes and feel supported throughout
4. Supporting Students in AP Context
· Understand the complexities of students who have experienced permanent exclusion, trauma, SEND, SEMH and disrupted education
· Work with pastoral and behaviour teams to support re-engagement, regulation and belonging
· Support reintegration meetings, managed moves, and transition planning
· Contribute to risk assessments, behaviour plans and personalised support strategies
· Model calm, consistency and relational practice at all times
5. Communication & Administration
· Maintain high-quality records on CPOMS and school systems
· Produce reports for SLT, governors and external agencies
· Ensure communication with families is timely, respectful and accessible
· Support the organisation of family events, workshops and information sessions
· Promote The Ladder School’s values through all interactions

Pay range: Scale Grade 7 (SCP 22-27) | Actual £25460-£28876 | FTE £33699-£38220

Qualifications and Skills: 

Essential Experience & Knowledge

· Experience working with vulnerable families in education, social care, youth work or community settings

· Strong understanding of safeguarding, early help and multi-agency processes

· Knowledge of trauma-informed practice and how adverse experiences affect behaviour and engagement

· Experience conducting home visits and managing challenging conversations

· Ability to build trust with families who may be resistant or anxious

· Strong communication skills with diverse audiences

· Experience supporting attendance and engagement in a school or AP context

Desirable Experience & Knowledge

· Experience in Alternative Provision or PRU settings

· Understanding of SEND, particularly SEMH, ASD and ADHD

· Training in restorative practice

· Experience with multi-agency safeguarding

· Knowledge of local Walsall services (Early Help, CAMHS, Youth Justice, Housing)

Personal Qualities

· Calm, consistent and emotionally resilient

· Non-judgemental and empathetic

· High expectations with unconditional positive regard

· Solution-focused and proactive

· Able to work independently and as part of a team

Why The Mercian Trust?

As one Trust we share a common purpose.  We call it our social mobility and social justice mission to change our communities through the very best equitable education.  When we get this right, it enables our children and young people to fulfil their potential, thrive in the world of work, and make a positive contribution to the local, national and international community. Our recent achievements include:

Sustainable Growth - becoming one of the largest and most diverse trusts in the region

Social Mobility & Social Justice - National recognition for the Trust’s two selective grammar schools who the most successful on the number of local disadvantaged students passing the entrance and joining the schools

Increasing Opportunities – Opening brand-new purpose-built campus in Walsall Town Centre including an alternative provision for students at risk at permanent exclusion from mainstream schools alongside a Digital Skills Hub to provide professionals and employers

Pioneering Spirit – National recognition for pioneering work around youth mental health, including establishing an in-house multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and allied health professionals delivering interventions and providing support to vulnerable students

Outward Looking – Organising and hosting the region’s first Youth Suicide Conference (2023) and Youth Violence Conference (2024) at Villa Park

Innovation and Improvement – A multi-million-pound investment in the digital infrastructure of Trust schools and our Digital Skills Hub underpinning the ongoing transformation of how staff teach, students learn, leaders lead and the whole Trust operates in readiness for the AI-supercharged careers and workplaces of the future.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more: The Mercian Trust - Home

What can we offer you:

Benefits: 

Financial, Health and Lifestyle

discounts on everyday purchases (Eden Red)

a comprehensive free of charge health plan (UK Health Care)

a cycle to work scheme via Halfords

Access to the Blue Light Card

For further benefits including education sector leading CPD: The Mercian Trust - What we can offer you

The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

The Mercian Trust is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please take time to read our policies attached to this advert.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment