Strategic Attendance Officer

Teaching Vacancies; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive education trust in Greater London is seeking a Strategic Attendance Partner to drive improvements in school attendance across multiple schools. The role involves providing strategic guidance, monitoring attendance data, and supporting families and schools to overcome barriers to attendance. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in education, excellent communication skills, and the ability to manage various cases. This high-impact role combines operational and strategic responsibilities in a supportive team environment.

Benefits

A dedicated team of colleagues

Strong Christian foundations

Opportunity to make a difference

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of the legal and pastoral dimensions of attendance.
• Experience in managing sensitive situations compassionately.
• Confidence in working independently across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyse attendance data to identify pupils needing support.
• Advise on effective interventions in line with DfE guidance.
• Collaborate at safeguarding meetings and support legal processes.

Skills

Education advisory experience

Data analysis skills

Effective communication

Empathy and authority

Ability to build relationships

Education

Background in education or attendance advisory work

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

These is an exciting new opportunity as our Strategic Attendance Partner across our Trust.

Are you passionate about supporting children and families to overcome barriers to school attendance, while also influencing strategic improvements across multiple schools? Do you have the confidence, professionalism, and expertise to work both compassionately with families and robustly with systems to drive meaningful change? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

SDBE Multi-Academy Trust is seeking a Strategic Attendance Partner. This is a unique cross‑school role combining the relational work of a school‑based officer with the objective, advisory, and case management functions often associated with independent attendance services.

In this role, you will provide strategic guidance and professional challenge to schools on attendance policy and practice, while supporting teams with complex cases such as persistent absence and emotionally based school avoidance. You will build strong relationships with families, staff, and external agencies to address barriers to attendance, lead on data analysis to inform inclusive strategies, and advise on legal processes in partnership with local authorities. Across all schools, you will model high standards of safeguarding awareness, professional curiosity, and inclusive engagement.

This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in education or attendance advisory work who is ready to operate with a level of autonomy and strategic responsibility. You will be a key part of our Trust‑wide approach to inclusion, wellbeing, and safeguarding.

About the Role

As Strategic Attendance Partner, you will play a key role in promoting a culture of excellent attendance across our schools, particularly focusing on schools within the Trust that require additional support and challenge. Working in partnership with leadership, safeguarding and inclusion teams, you will identify trends, advise on effective interventions, and ensure schools are responding to attendance concerns in a timely, consistent, and inclusive way.

This is a varied and high‑impact role that combines operational support with strategic oversight. Your responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring and analysing attendance data to identify pupils and groups requiring support.
• Contributing to school attendance improvement plans and advising on best practice in line with DfE guidance and Ofsted expectations.
• Leading on targeted interventions, including formal correspondence, case meetings, and early help referrals.
• Collaborating in multi‑agency forums, attending safeguarding meetings, and supporting legal processes such as penalty notices and court proceedings where appropriate.
• Acting as a professional voice within the Trust, helping schools evaluate and strengthen their attendance systems and policies.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work both within schools and as an adviser, ensuring attendance is championed as part of every child’s right to a full, high‑quality education.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking a committed and confident professional who brings both practical experience and strategic insight to the challenge of improving attendance across multiple school settings.

You will be someone who:

• Has a strong background in education, or attendance advisory work, with a clear understanding of the legal and pastoral dimensions of attendance.
• Demonstrates professional curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to manage sensitive situations with empathy and authority.
• Is an effective communicator who is able to engage with families, staff, and external agencies in a solution‑focused and inclusive manner.
• Is confident in working independently across multiple sites, managing a varied caseload and building positive relationships in each school community.
• Is skilled in interpreting data, producing high‑quality reports, and using evidence to inform practice.
• Holds Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training (or is prepared to do the training), recognising the close link between attendance and safeguarding.

If you're ready to take on a role that combines relational work, strategic leadership, and safeguarding impact, we’d love to hear from you.

What the school offers its staff

What We Offer

• A dedicated and motivated team of colleagues, committed and passionate about driving the schools within our Trust forward and improving outcomes for all pupils.
• A Trust built on strong Christian foundations.
• A great opportunity to make a difference to our children by improving attendance across the Trust.

Further details about the role

Find Out More and Apply

For more information or to arrange an informal chat, please contact Luigi Leccacorvi, Deputy CEO at [e-mail]

Closing Date: 12 noon Monday 12th January 2025

We encourage early applications and reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time should the right candidate be found.

Eligibility and Safeguarding

The SDBE Multi‑Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Our recruitment processes follow the guidance in the Department for Children, Schools and Families document Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. All staff will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and you will need to provide two employer references.

Any job offer will be conditional on you having a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Criminal Records Check and Barred List Check, having the legal right to work in the UK e.g. National Insurance Number, Work Permits or Indefinite Leave to Remain.

If the applicant has lived/worked overseas for 12 months or more since the age of 18, they will also be required to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country (ies) they lived/work in at their own expense and provide these for our records.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children. You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.