Inclusion and Attendance Officer

The Co Operative Academies Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The Co-op Academies Trust is seeking an Inclusion and Attendance Officer to help improve attendance, promote inclusion and support pupils who face barriers to education across our West Yorkshire cluster. You will work with pupils, families, school colleagues and external agencies to identify needs and deliver targeted interventions.

Travel between academies is required as part of the role, with home visits and ongoing engagement to build trust, monitor progress and support successful

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, young people and families, especially those facing challenging circumstances.
• Understanding barriers to attendance, inclusion and engagement.
• Experience collaborating with external agencies to support pupils and families.
• Experience maintaining accurate records, documenting interventions and monitoring outcomes.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage families sensitively.
• Understanding safeguarding responsibilities and importance of early intervention.
• Ability to manage own workload, work independently and as part of a wider team.
• Good organisational and ICT skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify patterns of absence and barriers to inclusion using attendance data to inform targeted support.
• Build positive relationships with pupils and families through engagement, home visits and early intervention.
• Plan, deliver and review individualised attendance and inclusion interventions.
• Collaborate with school staff and external agencies to coordinate support for pupils and families.
• Support pupils with emotionally based barriers to attendance and engagement.
• Assist reintegration and transition for pupils returning from extended absence.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records of interventions and progress.
• Support school attendance procedures and statutory processes where appropriate.

Skills

Children & families experience

Partnership working

Record keeping

Communication skills

Safeguarding awareness

Workload management

ICT skills

Job description

Make a difference to attendance, inclusion and belonging

Are you passionate about helping children and young people overcome barriers to education? Do you believe that every pupil deserves the opportunity to attend, engage and thrive in school?

Co-op Academies Trust is looking for a committed and enthusiastic Inclusion and Attendance Officer to join our West Yorkshire team.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of pupils and families by promoting positive attendance, strengthening inclusion and supporting those who face challenges in accessing education.

Working across a cluster of our academies, you will build positive relationships with pupils, families, school colleagues and external agencies to identify barriers to attendance and engagement, provide early intervention and help pupils feel supported, included and connected to school.

About the role

As an Inclusion and Attendance Officer, you will play a key role in improving attendance and supporting pupils who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged or at risk of disengaging from education.

Working closely with attendance, safeguarding, pastoral and SEND teams, you will provide targeted support to pupils and families, helping to develop practical solutions that improve attendance, engagement and educational outcomes.

Your responsibilities will include:

1. Identifying patterns of absence and barriers to inclusion, using attendance information to inform targeted support.
2. Building positive and trusting relationships with pupils and families through regular engagement, home visits and early intervention.
3. Planning, delivering and reviewing individualised attendance and inclusion interventions.
4. Working collaboratively with school colleagues and external agencies to coordinate effective support for pupils and families.
5. Supporting pupils experiencing emotionally based barriers to school attendance and other challenges affecting engagement.
6. Contributing to reintegration and transition arrangements for pupils returning from extended absence.
7. Maintaining accurate and confidential records of interventions, progress and outcomes.
8. Supporting school attendance procedures and statutory processes where appropriate.

About you

We are looking for someone who is approachable, resilient, organised and passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people.

You will have:

1. Experience of working with children, young people and families, particularly those experiencing challenging circumstances.
2. An understanding of the barriers that can affect school attendance, inclusion and engagement.
3. Experience of effective partnership working with external agencies to support pupils and families.
4. Experience of maintaining accurate records, documenting interventions and monitoring outcomes.
5. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships and engage families sensitively.
6. An understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and the importance of early intervention.
7. The ability to manage your own workload, work independently and contribute effectively as part of a wider team.
8. Good organisational and ICT skills.

Experience of supporting pupils with SEND or social, emotional and mental health needs would be advantageous.

As the role involves travelling between academies and undertaking home visits, a full driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use are required.

Why join the Co-op Academies Trust?

At Co-op Academies Trust, we are committed to creating inclusive school communities where every child feels valued, supported and able to succeed.

You will be joining a collaborative team that recognises the importance of strong relationships, early intervention and working together to remove barriers to education.

This is an opportunity to contribute to a Trust-wide approach to improving attendance and inclusion, while making a tangible difference to the experiences and outcomes of pupils and their families.