Attendance Officer – Welcoming & Community-Focused Secondary School

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent (Term Time Only)

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: NJC Scale / Grade (Dependent on experience)

Role Overview

A welcoming and community-focused secondary school in Brighton is seeking a proactive and empathetic Attendance Officer to join its pupil support and pastoral team. This is a full-time, term-time-only position dedicated to monitoring, promoting, and improving student attendance and punctuality across the school.

Working closely with Heads of Year, Safeguarding Leads, and the Senior Leadership Team, you will serve as a key point of contact for families, addressing attendance concerns early and supporting strategies to remove barriers to education.

Key Responsibilities & Requirements

Attendance Tracking: Monitor daily attendance and absence data using school management systems (e.g., SIMS / Arbor), identifying patterns, persistent absenteeism, and punctuality issues.

Family Engagement: Conduct first-day absence calls, hold meetings with parents/carers, and carry out supportive home visits where necessary to foster strong home-school partnerships.

Intervention & Support: Develop and implement attendance action plans alongside pastoral staff, working collaboratively with external agencies and the local authority inclusion team.

Reporting & Compliance: Maintain accurate records, prepare weekly and termly attendance reports, and ensure compliance with statutory safeguarding and attendance regulations.

Qualifications & Skills: Previous experience in a school pastoral, attendance, or administrative role; strong ICT skills; excellent communication and de-escalation skills; and a clear Enhanced DBS check.

School & Department Highlights

Supportive Pastoral Team: Join an approachable, student-centred team committed to child welfare, mental health, and inclusive education.

Positive School Culture: A coastal school community known for its inclusive ethos, supportive leadership, and strong relationships with local families.

Benefits & Growth: Term-time-only structure, access to Local Government Pension Scheme, and tailored professional development opportunities in safeguarding and pupil support.