Pastoral Leader (Attendance)

Lift Schools; Witham; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Lift Maltings is an 11–16 school based in Witham, Essex, seeking a pastoral leader to support attendance, wellbeing and belonging. You will work with students, families and external agencies to promote positive attendance and coordinate support that helps every pupil feel valued and ready to learn.

The role involves collaborating with safeguarding, SENDCo and mental health leads, maintaining registers, and representing the school at multi-agency meetings to inform actions and improve outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience motivating young people and promoting high expectations.
• Ability to use data to spot patterns and guide decisions.
• Strong collaborative approach with families and external agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide pastoral support to students, including those in at-risk groups.
• Create and review attendance plans with the attendance officer.
• Meet with families and external agencies to address barriers to attendance.
• Manage school attendance systems, registers, and coding.
• Collaborate with safeguarding team, SENDCo and mental health lead.
• Represent the school at inter-agency meetings and inform senior leaders of outcomes.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Data analysis

Relationship building

Calm under pressure

Patience and empathy

Education

GCSE Maths and English (Grade 4 or equivalent)

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

We're looking for a pastoral leader to join our school and help every student feel supported, safe and ready to thrive. This is a chance to make a real difference to young people's lives – removing barriers to attendance, building trusted relationships with families, and creating a culture where every child feels they belong.

In this role, you'll work closely with students, staff, families and external agencies to promote positive attendance, support wellbeing, and help shape the caring, ambitious ethos we want for our school community.

Key responsibilities

You will:

• provide pastoral support to students, including those in at-risk groups, and act as a key contact when needed;
• work alongside the attendance officer to create and review attendance plans, follow up absences, and guide interventions that help improve punctuality and attendance;
• meet with families and external agencies to understand and address barriers to attendance, and support reintegration after any suspension;
• manage school attendance systems accurately, ensuring registers are completed on time and coding is clear and correct;
• collaborate with the safeguarding team, SENDCo and mental health lead to identify vulnerable students and coordinate support; and
• represent the school at inter-agency meetings and keep senior leaders informed of outcomes and actions.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who:

• holds GCSE maths and English (grade 4 or equivalent);
• brings experience of motivating young people and promoting high expectations;
• can use data thoughtfully to spot patterns, track progress and guide decisions;
• has strong interpersonal skills and can build relationships with students, families, staff and external agencies;
• stays calm under pressure, thinks creatively, and uses their own initiative within agreed ways of working; and
• shows patience, empathy and a non-judgemental approach, with a genuine passion for supporting every young person to succeed.

Experience in an educational setting, knowledge of attendance legislation, and familiarity with Google Workspace would all be valuable. Could you be the person who helps our students feel valued, supported and ready to learn every day?

About our school

Lift Maltings is an 11–16 school based in Witham, Essex. Situated between the cities of Chelmsford and Colchester, the school has 900 students on roll and benefits from a modern, purpose-built site opened in 2011. With excellent transport links to London, our staff and students can take full advantage of the wealth of opportunities the capital provides.

• Free car parking facilities are available on site.

Who is Lift Schools?

Lift Schools is made up of 62 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 35,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.

How we support you

We want you to feel supported, valued and able to grow throughout your career with Lift Schools. From high-quality professional development and career progression to wellbeing support and opportunities to connect and collaborate across our network, we invest in you so you can do your best work. Discover how we'll support you to thrive, develop and grow your career in the way that's right for you: How we support you.

• Safer Recruitment Statement - September 2026.pdf
• Pastoral Leader (Attendance) MTA JD_PS 26.pdf