Family Engagement Officer - The Forest School

West Sussex County Council; Horsham; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government education body in Horsham is seeking an individual passionate about promoting inclusion in education. The role involved supporting school attendance across age groups and requires a background in Education Welfare or related fields. Ideal candidates will have excellent people skills and a creative mindset, working alongside a supportive team to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.

Qualifications

• Strong background in Education Welfare, Social Care, or education.
• Ability to support attendance across secondary and primary age.
• Drive, resilience, and enthusiasm for the role.

Responsibilities

• Support attendance for children and young people in schools.
• Collaborate with the pastoral team and senior leaders.
• Develop the role and promote inclusive practices.

Skills

Passionate about inclusion

Excellent people skills

Creative thinking

Organizational skills

Job description

Overview

Working Pattern: Full time term time only plus 1 week

Location: Horsham, West Sussex

Interviews: Thursday 16th October 2025

What You Need to Succeed

To be successful in this role you will need to: We are looking for someone who is passionate about the inclusion of children and young people in education and society to embed this developing role. You will need to enjoy a varied workload, be organised, creative, and have excellent people skills. The successful candidate will provide a flexible approach supporting attendance across secondary and primary age. You will be expected to have the drive, resilience, and enthusiasm necessary for this important role, with a strong background in Education Welfare, Social Care or from within the education arena.

Whilst we continue to work in line with legislation and best practice, we are ambitious about developing our attendance agenda and are looking for individuals who are able to think creatively and flexibly about delivering statutory duties, while maintaining a focus on inclusive practice and the best outcomes for the children, young people, and families that we support.

You will be joining an ambitious culture with friendly and supportive colleagues. You will have the opportunity to help shape the role of this new post and will have regular support and guidance from the pastoral team and senior leaders overseeing whole school attendance.

Further Information

The Forest School and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.

How to Apply

Please apply via the Joining Us/Staff Vacancies page on our website:

NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the 'Apply online' button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site. Available documents