Strategic Partnership Programme Manager

Dudley Academies Trust; Dudley; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Link Academy in Dudley is seeking an Attendance and Student Welfare Manager to lead improvements in pupil attendance and wellbeing. You will provide a link between home and school, developing effective working relationships to support every learner in reaching their potential.

In this pivotal role you will monitor attendance data, coordinate welfare support, and collaborate with teachers, families and external agencies to remove barriers to learning.

Responsibilities

• Monitor attendance data and welfare needs, coordinating support for students.
• Build strong pastoral relationships with families and staff to remove barriers to learning.
• Collaborate with external agencies and internal teams to promote a safe, inclusive environment.

Job description

The Link Academy is looking to appoint an Attendance and Student Welfare Manager to lead within the school to improve student attendance. The role of the attendance and student welfare manager is to ensure that all students receive appropriate support to maximise attendance at school and to achieve their full potential. They will provide a link between home and school developing good working relationships.

The Link Academy was praised by Ofsted in May 2026 as an \"ambitious and inclusive school\" where \"pupils flourish.\" Inspectors highlighted the academy's calm, respectful and supportive environment, noting that pupils feel safe, demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning and benefit from strong pastoral care. The school achieved Strong judgements in attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing, with achievement, curriculum and teaching meeting the Expected standard. Achieving four Strong judgements under Ofsted's new inspection framework is a significant accomplishment and places the academy among a small number of schools in the region to achieve such recognition. \"2025 also saw our best % of Grade 4's in Maths, leading to 57% of Year 11 learners leaving our Academy with a pass grade in BOTH Maths and English! The Class of 2026 are now on track to get our best English and Maths results at Grade 5+, really highlighting the continued drive to change lives of our local young people\" -Mrs Edwards-Morgan. The Trust recognises that our staff are our most value asset and investing in our people is a key strategic priority. An extensive program of staff development is operated within school and across the Trust, and this is extended to senior and middle leaders, aspiring leaders, and teaching and associate staff. You will be joining The Link Academy at an exciting time as we continue our journey to provide first class education for the young people of Dudley Closing date is Sunday 18th October 2026 - we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the date advertised. All successful applicants will need to undertake an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and children and adults barred list checks, where the applicant will be employed in a regulated activity. Dudley Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including disabled, and black and ethnic minority applicants., Dudley Academies Trust was formed in September 2017, uniting four secondary schools under the sponsorship of Dudley College of Technology, which is one of the UK's leading FE colleges and rated 'Excellent' by Ofsted. The schools are: Beacon Hill Academy, Pegasus Academy, St James Academy and The Link Academy. The Trust, when combined with the sponsor, annually supports 8,500 young people aged 11 to 19 years old and employs almost 1,300 staff. The Trust has a strong emphasis on providing the very best educational experience for pupils so they can experience both academic and personal success. It has a strong central team that works across the schools to ensure that our aspirations for them are put into practice. We believe that our investment in people, technology and our estate makes the Trust an attractive employer for anyone who wishes to work in a progressive, environment where achievement is valued. Our Chief Executive, Jo Higgins, joined us after a career in school leadership in South Yorkshire, where she led Penistone Grammar School for ten years. She also contributed to the borough wide school improvement system in Barnsley and she led the application process for a cross phase MAT of eleven schools. As a school leader, Jo is motivated by the conviction that all young people should be able to access outstanding provision, irrespective of their starting point in life. As part of her previous work she has driven rapid school improvement, and brings this experience to help strengthen each school's performance. The vision for Dudley Academies Trust is that our family of schools will be the first choice for young people and parents in north and central Dudley. We will achieve this through:

• innovative teaching and learning supported by a team of expert practitioners who work across our schools
• access to the latest available learning technologies
• a relentless focus on aspiration
• a rich, broad and varied curriculum, meeting the needs of learners of all abilities
• providing clear pathways to educational advancement and employment
• instilling positive values in our learners through a system of Values Driven Expectations that rewards achievement and good behaviour
• developing a culture in which our staff can contribute, develop and thrive.