ST JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE COLLEGE
Harrington Road,
Workington,
Cumbria, CA14 3EE
Head teacher: Mr T Ryan
POST OF
Attendance Officer
June 2014
June 2014
Dear Colleague
Thank you for expressing an interest in the advertised post and I hope you find the details in our application pack informative. St Joseph’s is a school which is full of excellent people, both staff and students. This has come about through a deliberate policy of ours to ensure that relationships at all levels are positive, challenging and productive. Hence we are a happy school. Attainment in all its forms is central to what we do but we know that ultimately improvement only comes about as a result of the quality of relationships that exist between staff and pupils. Children feel valued here, staff feel a sense of support and parents see us as a trustworthy partner in bringing their sons and daughters to their full potential.
Our school is at a critical juncture. We were inspected in November 2013 and the school was judged to 'require improvement'. We are absolutely determined to reverse that judgement as quickly as possible and you will play a vital role in helping to bring this about.
The Ofsted report challenged the school to improve the performance of the 'most able' pupils, and addressing this is at the heart of our School Improvement Plan. However the Inspection also judged that the ' quality of teaching ' and 'behaviour and safety' were 'good' and as these are critical aspects of any school, I am very confident that we already have in place really strong foundations on which to build our future success.
We have recently received the HMI monitoring visit report and this acknowledged that the school has been quick to identify and implement appropriate strategies.
All of our attainment data points towards improved performance and your appointment will be important and crucial in bringing this about.
The school faces challenges for two other reasons. Locally our two neighbouring schools are likely to merge and become an ‘Academy’ and no doubt they will seek to re-position themselves in the ‘market’. A University Technical College (UTC) will be up and running by September 2014 and this will offer 500+ places to students aged between 14 and 19. All of this will mean that parents and pupils will have greater choice and therefore as a school we must ensure that we deliver high quality provision to all of our learners.
At this point in time there is no likelihood of St Joseph’s becoming an Academy. It is not the policy of our Diocese to do this but more importantly I do not feel it is a necessary path for us to go down.
Our school is very well positioned to respond positively to all of the likely changes around us. We have a central town location, we have an excellent building, we have supportive parents, talented staff and the vast majority of our pupils are polite, well behaved and hard working. In other words we have all the ingredients necessary for success.
Every school faces challenges that go with the job. I hope it is a challenge which appeals to you and if it does, I would very much welcome your application.
Yours sincerely
Mr T Ryan
Head teacher
Attendance Officer
Part time 20 hours per week PCD3A £19,817 to £20,400
(pay award pending) term time only.
There is a possibility of other work in school if the successful applicant wished to work more hours.
This is an exciting opportunity for a person to join our Pupil Support team and make a major contribution to supporting our students to ensure excellent levels of attendance.
You will report to the Assistant Headteacher for inclusion and be responsible for providing reports for the Headteacher, Senior Team members and Governors.
You will work with the Pupil Progress Co-ordinators, Form Tutors, Students, and their families to improve attendance
You will initiate appropriate legal action when necessary and work with the Local Authority Inclusion Team
You will need to have good inter personal skills, be able to relate well to young people and their parents. You will need to be able to work on your own and as part of a team and be able to prioritise work. Ideally the successful applicant will have experience of this type of work or experience of working within the Education or health care sector.
It is essential that you have good IT skills and that you enjoy working with figures and statistics as this will be an important part of your job.
The working hours will be from 8.30 to 12.30 Monday to Friday. In addition to this you will also be required to attend all the parents’ evenings, induction events and meetings outside your normal working day. Your pay will reflect this additional work. There may be other work available outside the contracted hours if the successful applicant wanted more hours.
Attendance
The Attendance figures taken from raise online are as follows:
2011 92.7%
2012 93.6%
2013 93.7%
Current 94.3%
St Joseph’s Catholic High School
Job Description
Job Title: Attendance Officer
Responsible to: Assistant Head Inclusion
Rate of Pay: PCD3A
Purpose:
To support the school in its drive to achieve excellent levels of attendance and punctuality, through the provision of specific support for key staff, students and families to improve attendance and punctuality for all year groups.
Duties:
· Advise the school on strategies to promote the regular and punctual attendance of all students and assist with the implementation of strategies including the school rewards system.
· Be the first contact for all attendance issues in school.
· Process all leave of absence requests in consultation with the Headteacher.
· Conduct daily post-registration attendance checks and initiate periodic truancy checks.
· Meet late students daily and challenge reasons for lateness. Liaise with AHT regarding late detentions.
· Monitor absence rates across the school on a weekly basis. Chase up reasons for absence using agreed systems.
· Organise and conduct meetings with parents/ staff and students to establish the reasons for non -attendance, make assessments, agree a plan for improvement and monitor progress towards targets.
· Produce and interpret statistical data relating to attendance patterns of group/cohorts within the school and provide appropriate intervention for targeted students.
· Provide regular updates for staff, e.g. Senior Leadership Team, PPC’s and Tutors, on student attendance and prepare half –termly reports for Governors, Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team.
· Attend appropriate meetings in school, all parent evenings and induction events.
· Be available to staff and parents for home visits on individual pupils.
· Provide advice and support for students returning to school after a long period of absence.
· Initiate and conduct governor attendance panels for identified students and participate in LA attendance conferences.
· Attend meetings with the LA Inclusion Officer as a representative of the school and liaise with relevant staff and outside agencies that can support students in successfully improving their attendance.
· Initiate appropriate legal action with LA Inclusion team to ensure the school is carrying out its statutory responsibility in respect of students. This will include preparing statements, attending and presenting evidence or request the issuing of penalty notice fines or other legal sanctions.
· Participate in initiatives which raise the awareness of school staff, parents and the community on the importance of school attendance.
· Maintain a working knowledge of the statutory framework relating to school attendance, in order to be able to offer informed advice to parents, school staff, governors and others.
· Participate in training in relation to attendance including SIMS.
· Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school.
· Any other duties commensurate with the duties/responsibilities/grade of the post
Revised June 2014
St Joseph’s Catholic High School Person Specification for Attendance Officer
revised June 2014
CRITERIA / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLEQualifications/Training / Relevant NVQ level 3 or equivalent
5 GCSE’s including English and Maths grade C or above
ECDL or Clait or good skills in Microsoft Office package. / Qualification in work linked with children and young people.
Experience of working with a management information system e.g. SIMS
Relevant Experience / Working within team / office setting / Work within an education/social care setting.
Knowledge / Knowledge of attendance legislation
Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality issues / Demonstrate an awareness of child protection issues.
Knowledge and understanding of key issues that may affect a pupil’s ability to attend school.
Skills/Abilities / Ability to communicate effectively with children and adults at all levels.
Demonstrate an understanding of working as part of a team and on your own.
Demonstrate the ability to prioritise work. / Demonstrate willingness to take responsibility for continued personal development.
Current driving license.
Conditions of Service
The above responsibilities are subject to the general duties and responsibilities contained in the statement of Conditions of Employment.
These duties may be amended as necessary at the discretion of the Headteacher in light of the future development of the school.
The creation of a truly Christian environment in which the Gospel is lived and experienced by all members of its community, is the central aim of St Joseph’s. All applicants are expected to be supportive of this central aim.
The School
Spirituality
Education is about the completing of the whole person, helping a person to be more fitted for life and to have a greater appreciation of what life is. In view of this our endeavour to attain the very best academic and vocational results for each pupil goes hand in hand with passing on lasting values: values for living. We believe that it is in Jesus Christ, the Perfect Man that all human values find their fulfilment and unity.
This vision shapes the daily life of our school as a Christian community in the Catholic tradition. Through the pattern of daily prayer during assembly and tutor time, through the celebration of the liturgy, through works of charity, through a striving for justice in all we do, through our discipline and pastoral policies, through a curriculum permeated by Christian values and teachings presented in a unified way we strive to be a community in which the content of the life of faith is lived, shared and experienced.
In these ways, the meaning of life, as proclaimed in the Catholic faith, is explored and experienced by all those taking part in the life of the school, whether they are baptised Catholics or not, practising their faith in their own parish or not, or members of other faith communities or not.
For those with faith: we seek to strengthen and inform that faith, forming disciples. For those searching: we respectfully offer a vision of life which has sustained and inspired countless millions over two millennia. Just as it would be unjust not to provide skills for work so we see it as unjust not to offer the best we know of a vision to live by.
Staff Development
St Joseph’s, a learning school is a people centred school that fosters individual growth and ownership of change. It creates greater individual responsibility and interdependency. Since learning is the essence of change, the continuous learning of each member of staff lies at the heart of a learning school. Staff development is the generator that powers the school and enables it to flourish in the changing environment.
The development of staff at St Joseph’s is a conscious and continuous process which is:
Directed by the school development plan.
Founded on principles of effective adult learning.
Integrated into the job.
Predominantly internally based.
Incorporates a wide range of learning modes.
Essential to the growth of the school.
Uses Managers as Coaches.
Driven by individual needs of individuals and the school.
Emphasises outcomes.
The development of staff is fostered through the Appraisal system which involves setting objectives, monitoring progress and reviewing achievements, learning opportunities and within a learning climate.
For the last two years we have shortened the school day on a Thursday for CPD. You will be involved in this some of the weeks and you will be paid for any additional time that you are asked to stay in any event you will be at school for the 1st hour as part of your contract.
Closing date for applications is the 18th June 2014, 12.00 noon. Interviews week commencing 23rd June 2014
If you would like an informal chat about the post please ring Sybil Worsley on 01900 873290 extension 204
Applications should be addressed to the Head teacher at the school address which is:
St Joseph’s Catholic High School
Business & Enterprise College
Harrington Road
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 3EE