Shire Oak Academy,
Attendance Officer
Salary: Grade 4 (NJC 6-11)
Hours: Full time
Contract type: Fixed term (two years)
Reporting to: Assistant Headteacher/Attendance Manager
Responsible for: Work collaboratively with the Attendance and pastoral teams to monitor and manage student attendance and absence, ensuring timely follow-up, accurate record-keeping, and appropriate support for students.
We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Attendance Officer to join our team. The successful candidate will oversee the day-to-day absence management of students, support the Attendance Manager, and contribute to improving overall academy attendance.
Job Overview
If you've got the talent, passion, and determination – we've got all the support you need to become our next Attendance Officer.
At Shire Oak Academy, we are on an ambitious journey of improvement and growth. We are seeking a committed professional who recognises the vital link between attendance, safeguarding, and student achievement, and who is ready to play a key role in ensuring every student is present, engaged, and able to succeed. This is your opportunity to take a central role in improving attendance, reducing persistent absence, and removing barriers to learning – making a lasting impact and helping our students to truly #BeIncredible.
From day one, you will work closely with our Student Support Manager, pastoral teams, and Senior Leadership Team to monitor attendance, track absence data, and implement timely, supportive interventions. You will build positive relationships with students, families, and external agencies, using a collaborative and proactive approach to promote excellent attendance and address concerns early.
You will be part of a dedicated whole-school team that shares a strong commitment to improving outcomes for every student, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Whether you are an experienced Attendance Officer or have a background in pastoral, safeguarding, or administrative support, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference by ensuring that every student is in school, ready to learn, every day.
About Shire Oak Academy
Shire Oak Academy is at the heart of the community in Walsall. We are proud to be part of the Mercian Trust, a family of schools united by a commitment to students and to one another. Our Trust focuses on collaboration, integrity, and above all, doing what is right for young people.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a school that is determined to raise aspirations and transform outcomes for our students. You'll be joining a dedicated staff team and working with fantastic students, supported by great leaders who are making a real impact every day.
MAIN PURPOSE
The Attendance Officer will lead on key operational aspects of the Academy's attendance strategy, working in close partnership with the Attendance Manager to secure sustained improvements in student attendance and punctuality.
Key responsibilities will include:
Overseeing the first-day response process to ensure all unexplained absences are identified and followed up swiftly, in line with safeguarding and statutory requirements.
Ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of all Academy registers, maintaining high standards of data management.
Implementing and monitoring attendance communications with families, using a consistent and supportive approach that reflects the Academy's Attendance Policy.
Analysing attendance data to identify trends, vulnerable groups, and patterns of concern, and coordinating timely, targeted interventions.
Playing a proactive role in reducing persistent and severe absence, contributing to whole-school attendance improvement strategies.
Working collaboratively with pastoral leaders, safeguarding teams, and external partners, including the Education Welfare Officer, to remove barriers to attendance and support positive engagement.
Supporting the development and implementation of attendance initiatives, campaigns, and systems that promote a culture of high expectations and regular attendance.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Support for school:
Monitor Academy registration systems are developed and correctly administered and report on the quality of the registers
Share relevant data with the attendance team as requested
Be the first contact for all attendance issues in the Academy
Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security, confidentiality, and data protection. Report all concerns to the appropriate person
Attend and participate in meetings as required
Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the Academy
Participate in training, other learning activities and performance development as required
Support the operation of student 'late gate' and late detentions
Any other duties commensurate with the duties/responsibilities/grade of the post
Monitoring Attendance:
Ensure all registers are completed timely and accurately
Monitor the input of lates and absences
Maintain and update attendance records to ensure accuracy in accordance with information received from parents, pastoral team and tutor teams
Identify poor attenders and advise the Attendance Manager of students needing intervention
Generate weekly attendance reports for tutors and pastoral team
Support for Teaching and Learning:
Be available to staff and parents/carers for home visits to individual students
Provide regular updates for staff, for example Assistant Headteacher, Pastoral Team and Form Tutors, on student attendance with targets and strategies for improvement
Liaise with Education Welfare and other support services to improve attendance rates
Prepare and administer fixed penalty notices.
Prepare and follow up on referral forms to education welfare officers
Support for students:
Chase reasons for absence
Support the Academy internal truancy system, flag issues of truancy as per the school policy
Provide advice and support for students returning to school after an extended period of absence
Work with feeder schools to ensure we have accurate attendance information
Have a good understanding of the additional needs of students (SEND, PP, CIC) and implement strategies to support them to attend
Support Home Visits for students
Support to Parents/Carers
Implement the Academy communication systems for attendance
Be a key point of contact for parents and carers regarding attendance matters
Administer letters as directed by the Attendance Manager/Assistant Headteacher
Provide updates to parents/carers on the attendance of students
Challenge reasons for absence in line with the Academy policy
Support attendance clinics as directed by the Attendance Manager
Send attendance letters in line with the Academy policy
Support to School (this list is not exhaustive)
Implement relevant policies and practices in school
Be proficient in the use ICT and relevant programmes used in the Academy
Complete relevant duties as directed
Share relevant attendance data as directed by Assistant Headteacher
Complete general administration in relation to attendance
Effectively safeguard students in line with Academy policies
Maintain school registers correctly
Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the Attendance Officer will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the Executive or Associate Headteacher.
The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policies can be found on our website. This position is subject to appropriate vetting procedures including a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) which will require you to disclose details of all unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions as part of the recruitment process.