Fair Access Officer

The Opportunity

FTE Salary: NJC Grade 8 £ 32,597 to £35,412 per annum

Estimated Pro-Rata Salary:

TTO - £28,208 to £30,645 per annum

AYR - £28,632 to £31,105 per annum

Contract Type:
Permanent

Working Pattern:
Either;

37 hours per week Term Time Only (39 weeks), or

32.5 hours per week All Year Round

Location:

Bridge House, Worthing

Please note:

• There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.
• You will be able to travel independently throughout the county to areas that may not be accessible by public transport.
• You will be able to attend meetings that may fall outside of core working hours from time‑to‑time.

Closing date:
Sunday 25 January 2026

Interview date:
Wednesday 04 February 2026

Do you enjoy researching and interpreting information?

Do you have experience or knowledge of schools and the education system?

Are you passionate about supporting your community?

As a Fair Access Officer, you will be working in the Fair Access Team who is responsible for the implementation of the Fair Access Protocol in West Sussex. The protocol addresses the admission of specific students to schools and alternative provision.

Your responsibilities include giving advice and guidance on the exclusion process, representing the local authority at Governor's Disciplinary Committees, ensuring a fair distribution to schools of pupils meeting the Fair Access Protocol, assessing, and managing referrals for alternative provision and monitoring the pupils attending our commissioned alternative provisions.

• Preparing statistical data on trends and patterns in school exclusions.
• Responding sensitively to complex child‑centred casework.
• Establishing and maintaining relationships.
• Influencing and challenging across the organisation, within a political environment.
• Ensuring senior schools' staff and governing bodies comply with the statutory guidance on exclusion from school and the Fair Access Protocol under the School Admissions Code.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to good outcomes for vulnerable pupils and wishing to further their career.

You will have experience of working with schools, exclusion processes, and in partnership with other agencies.

Our team is passionate and dedicated to positive outcomes for young people. As a team member you will demonstrate strong communication skills, commitment, ability to prioritise, make decisions, problem solve, all with due regard to statutory guidance.

We are looking for someone who has personal resilience and professionalism, and who can organise their own workload, respond to unexpected situations appropriately, and make decisions using recognised guidelines.

• Working in mainstream schools
• Experience and understanding of fair access, alternative provision, and/or school exclusion.
• Applying specialist knowledge and providing advice in a fair access, alternative provision, school exclusion, or similar Local Authority process.
• Evidence of a high level of understanding of the school / education system.

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

The West Sussex County Council Education and Skills department delivers the County Council's statutory and strategic duties in relation to education through working in partnership with other council services, school leaders,…