Attendance Administrator Lead
Grade: PS5/6 Depending on experience
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, 36 hours per week, 40 weeks a year during term time, including all INSET days. There is also a requirement to work up to an additional five days throughout the holidays.
Reporting to: Head of HR / Office Manager (as a member of the Administration Team) and the Deputy Headteacher (responsible for Attendance).
Role Purpose: To ensure that all students receive an excellent education by promoting high levels of attendance and punctuality. This role involves supporting students and their families, ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities, and contributing to the overall ethos of the school.
Key Responsibilities:
Student Attendance
Daily
* Manage the front line of communication with parents regarding attendance via email and telephone.
* Ensure that all attendance registers are accurately completed for tutor time and all lessons.
* Input timely information such as exams, music trips, sporting events, work-based learning appointments, and other absences.
* Ensure that parents are informed of unplanned student absence to safeguard students.
* Administer the collection and input of data for students signing in and out of school, for example, sickness and appointments.
* Print off registers.
Weekly
* Analyse attendance and punctuality data to spot patterns and identify areas of concern.
* Share reports and data analysis with the Pastoral and Senior Leadership Teams.
* Meet with school staff, pupils, and parents to establish reasons for non-attendance/poor punctuality and agree on a plan with appropriate strategies and timescales to address the issues.
* Maintain accurate, clear, and concise records of all attendance intervention on the school’s system.
* Run checks to ensure that attendance marks are accurate and used appropriately.
* Create letters and forms for the Leadership team to sign relating to fixed-term exclusions, penalties, and absences.
* Issue attendance letters to parents/carers/guardians.
Half Termly
* Advise and work on initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of good school attendance within the whole school community.
* Collate and maintain attendance data for analysis and draft half termly attendance reports for the School Leadership Team.
* Generate data for statistical returns for Xavier Catholic Education Trust and the Department for Education and Skills.
* Work with the Local Authority Attendance team regarding students deemed to be missing in education, referring students with concerning attendance rates, and issuing fines to parents for poor attendance.
Always
* Liaise and work with staff and external organisations as required.
* Disseminate information both internally and externally in a timely manner.
* Manage workload in line with school priorities.
* Maintain a good working knowledge of the statutory framework and any policies and procedures related to school attendance, child employment, child protection, and special needs to offer informed advice to parents, school staff, and others.
* Coordinate the work of any colleagues assisting with attendance management.
Health, Safety & Well-being:
* Promote and safeguard the welfare of children you are responsible for or come into contact with.
* Maintain confidentiality at all times.
* Understand and adhere to all school policies, procedures and risk assessments alongside statutory Department for Education guidance.
* Ensure all work is carried out in line with Child Protection/Safeguarding Procedures. Be aware of indicators of safeguarding and child protection concerns and escalate safeguarding concerns about students to a member of the safeguarding team immediately.
Supporting Parents/Carers:
* Work with student families to promote high levels of attendance.
* Listen and offer guidance on problems and issues, signposting parents to appropriate support.
* Improve family relationships and be available for families, especially in crisis situations, helping those who need short-term assistance.
Supporting Selected Students:
* Monitor the attendance of vulnerable groups of students including persistently absent students, severely absent students, SEN, EAL, disadvantaged students
* Liaise with the relevant staff that work closely with these students, including tutors, SENCO’s, and Head of Inclusion.
* Work to support Persistent Absentees (PAs) to improve engagement with school and reduce absence rates.
* Meet regularly with a targeted group of students whose attendance is below the 96% target, either 1:1 or in small groups, to help improve aspiration, confidence, and motivation.
Supporting Behaviour and Safety:
* Contribute to ensuring the absolute safety of all students on and off-site.
* Support the tracking of identified students who follow alternative curriculum pathways, updating attendance and completing relevant checks.
* Attend meetings as required.
* Create regular reports on positive and negative behaviour for Heads of Year and the wider Pastoral Team.
* Allocate students to detentions and ensure clear communication home.
* Log behaviour incidents such as Internal Exclusions, External suspensions and supporting documentation.
Administration:
* Work closely with the Database Administrator regarding student moves
* Provide ad-hoc cover on school reception during the day or sickness absence.
* Undertake a first aid course to administer medical support.
* Assist with filing, photocopying, and student reporting.
* Undertake other tasks as reasonably requested by Line Manager’s or SLT that may be required from time to time and are commensurate with the grading and general duties of the post.
Personal and Professional Qualities, Qualifications and Skills:
* A good level of education including GCSE Maths and English.
* Strong organisational and administrative skills.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to relate effectively to and earn the confidence of staff, students, and parents.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
* Proficiency in IT and data management systems.
* Experience of administration; attendance experience is desirable but not essential.
* Qualified in first aid is desirable but not essential; appropriate training will be provided.
* Commitment to ongoing professional development.
* Flexible and positive approach to work with a good sense of humour.
Salesian School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Enhanced CRB checks will be sought prior to appointment