Attendance & Education Welfare Officer - Secondary School...

A well-established 11–16 secondary school in Manchester is seeking a proactive and compassionate Attendance & Education Welfare Officer to strengthen its pastoral and safeguarding team. This is a vital role within a large, diverse and ambitious school that has placed attendance and student engagement at the centre of its improvement strategy.

The school serves over 1,000 pupils and has recently seen significant investment in pastoral staffing, mentoring programmes and family engagement. Leaders are committed to improving attendance through early intervention, consistent systems and strong home–school partnerships — and this role sits at the heart of that work.

The Role

You will lead on day-to-day attendance monitoring while working closely with pastoral leaders, safeguarding staff and senior leadership.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring daily attendance and identifying patterns of concern

• Conducting first-day absence calls and follow-up checks

• Analysing attendance data and producing weekly reports

• Supporting families where attendance falls below expected thresholds

• Working with external agencies, including the local authority and social care

• Coordinating return-to-school meetings and reintegration plans

• Supporting with statutory attendance processes and formal warnings where required

This is a role that requires both empathy and resilience. The school is looking for someone who can balance firmness with understanding and who genuinely believes in removing barriers to education.

The School Context

This is a large, urban secondary school serving a vibrant and diverse community. The school has a strong pastoral structure built around year teams, safeguarding leads and behaviour support officers. Attendance has been a strategic priority and systems are well embedded, including:

• Daily attendance tracking via Arbor

• Clear escalation pathways

• Weekly attendance panels

• Targeted mentoring support for persistent absentees

The school has recently improved overall attendance and is keen to build on this progress through data-led interventions and strengthened parental engagement.

Working with Families

A significant part of the role involves direct contact with parents and carers. You will:

• Conduct home visits when appropriate

• Provide guidance around attendance expectations and legal requirements

• Signpost families to additional support services

• Maintain clear, professional and supportive communication

The school values respectful and consistent communication with families and believes attendance improves when relationships are strong and transparent.

Data & Reporting

You will work confidently with attendance systems and spreadsheets, producing:

• Weekly attendance summaries

• Persistent absence tracking reports

• Year group comparisons

• Case notes for safeguarding records

Experience using Arbor or similar school MIS systems is desirable.

About You

• Experience working in a school, local authority or youth setting

• Strong understanding of attendance legislation and safeguarding

• Confident working with data and reporting systems

• Calm, professional and able to manage challenging conversations

• Organised and capable of prioritising competing demands

Previous experience as an Education Welfare Officer or Attendance Officer would be advantageous.

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary aligned with experience

• A supportive and well-structured pastoral team

• Clear systems and leadership support

• Ongoing safeguarding and professional development training

• A school culture focused on student welfare and improvement

This is an excellent opportunity for a committed professional who wants to play a central role in improving outcomes and ensuring every child has consistent access to education.