Attendance Officer

Coombe House School; Leeds; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff benefits and discounts

Professional development opportunities

Supportive team

Job summary

Co-op Academy Oakwood in Leeds is seeking an Attendance Officer to bridge home and school with warmth, empathy and practical problem solving. You’ll be the friendly face at the gates, supporting families to improve attendance while safeguarding pupils.

You will monitor daily attendance, build strong relationships with parents, design engaging initiatives to encourage 100% attendance where possible, and maintain accurate records using SIMS/Arbor in line with local authority guidelines.

Qualifications

• Ability to build trust with children, families, and carers.
• Experience using attendance data and safeguarding context.
• Excellent record-keeping and attention to local guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Champion attendance: monitor daily attendance and identify patterns needing support.
• Build Bridges: work with parents with empathy to improve attendance.
• Celebrate Success: design/run initiatives to improve attendance.
• Collaborate: partner with safeguarding, pastoral and leadership teams.
• Keep it accurate: maintain precise records using SIMS/Arbor and ensure compliance with local guidelines.

Skills

Relationship building

Problem solving

Communication

Empathy

Organisation

Tools

SIMS

Arbor

Job description

At Co-op Academy Oakwood, we don't just teach; we inspire. We are a vibrant, welcoming primary school where community is at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our Ways of Being Co-op (Do what matters most, Be yourself always, Show you care, Succeed together), we work hard to give our children the best possible start in life.

But before our pupils can learn, thrive, and succeed... they need to be here. That’s where you come in.

The Mission

We aren’t just looking for someone to crunch numbers and look at spreadsheets (though a bit of data‑savviness is definitely required!). We are looking for a relationship builder, a problem solver, and a community champion.

As our Attendance Officer, you will be the bridge between home and school. You’ll be the friendly face at the gates, the supportive voice on the phone, and the detective who figures out why a child might be missing school—working with families to break down those barriers.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Being a Champion for Attendance: Monitoring daily attendance and identifying patterns or pupils who need a little extra support to get through the gates.
• Building Bridges: Working closely with parents and carers with empathy, warmth, and resilience to improve attendance.
• Celebrating Success: Designing and running fun initiatives and rewards that make children excited to achieve 100% or vastly improved attendance.
• Collaborating: Partnering with our fantastic safeguarding, pastoral, and leadership teams to ensure no child slips through the cracks.
• Keeping it Accurate: Maintaining precise records (we use SIMS/Arbor) and ensuring compliance with local authority guidelines.

Who You Are:

• A People Person: You can chat with anyone, from a nervous four‑year‑old to a stressed parent, quickly building trust and rapport.
• Empathetic yet Firm: You understand that life can be complicated, but you never lose sight of what's best for the child.
• A Problem Solver: You don’t just see an attendance issue; you look for the root cause and work creatively to fix it.
• Organised & Driven: You can manage a busy workload, keep immaculate records, and stay calm under pressure.
• School Experience? Brilliant. A background in community work, youth work, or family support? Also fantastic!

Why Choose Co-op Academy Oakwood?

• A supportive, laugh‑out‑loud, and genuinely caring staff team.
• Fantastic professional development opportunities across the wider Co-op Academies Trust.
• Access to Co-op staff benefits and discounts.
• The unbeatable feeling of knowing you are making a tangible difference to children's lives every single day.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you have the energy, the empathy, and the drive to help our pupils show up and shine, we want to hear from you!

Co-op Academies Trust as an aware employer is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as its number one priority. This commitment to robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures extends to organisations and services linked to the Trust on its behalf.

Co-op Academies Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all its employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced check by the DBS and satisfactory references. All our colleagues are expected to demonstrate a commitment to co‑operative values and principles.