Attendance Officer

Causeway School

Attendance Officer

SS5

£17,178 to £18,070

Permanent

37hrs - Term time only

Required for September 2017

INFORMATION FOR

APPLICANTS

CONTENTS

1. Letter from Headteacher
2. Job Description
3. Person Specification

Dear Colleague April 2017

Post: Attendance Officer

Thank you for your interest in this post. I hope that you find the enclosed information useful.

Causeway School is an 11-16 comprehensive school of approximately 700 students. The school is 19 years old, built in 1998 and is co-located with Hazel Court Secondary Special School.

There is an overwhelming sense of community that exists at the heart of Causeway School, bringing together students, staff, parents and carers.As Headteacher my mission is simple: to ensure that every single member of the school community is‘putting achievement first’, fostering happy, confident learners who leave school with the right skills and qualifications for the world they are growing into.

Causeway School has an exciting future as we strive to become one of the most improved schools in the country. We aim to personalise students’ experience of school so they flourish and attain the highest possible standards academically, socially and morally.

Our curriculum delivers a wide variety of opportunities to learn beyond the normal school day, through a wealth of extra-curricular and independent learning opportunities. We have extremely high expectations both inside and outside the classroom. Behaviour for Learning is a real strength of the school and students flourish in a safe and calm learning environment.

There are four houses within the school that put the students at the heart of everything we do. Each community is led by an experienced Director of House, Development Mentor and of course Tutors which creates a dedicated team of support for each child. This structure, alongside small tutor groups is a highly effective platform for learning, self-improvement and academic success.

In partnership with Swale Academies Trust we are focused on school improvement and continuous learning for both our students and our staff. Our students are at the centre of everything we do,putting their achievement first, within a caring community rich with opportunity is our moral imperative.

You would be joining the school at an exciting time in its development and we are therefore seeking to appoint a committed and dynamic candidate.

The Post

We require a motivated and enthusiastic Attendance Officer at Causeway School to join our support staff from September 2017. You will have had previous experience working in a school setting using the SIMs database.

You will work with the Headteacher, other school staff, parents, students and outside agencies to ensure the positive attendance of students across the school. There will also be an opportunity to play an active role in reviewing and implementing a system to support the schools progress in this key focus area.

The Person Specification for this post is enclosed.

Your application

Completed application forms should be sent direct to the school for the attention of Mrs E Gardner or by Email to: by the closing date of noon, Friday 02 June 2017.

Please complete the standard application form accompanied by a letter of application. We are unable to consider CVs in place of application forms unless you are a candidate with a disability and a CV is the most convenient method of applying. Please ensure you relate your skills, experience and abilities against each of the requirements listed in the person specification.

Please note, Causeway School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal record check via the DBS.

Interviews will take place in the week commencing Monday 12 June 2017. If you have not heard by that time you should assume that, on this occasion, your application has been unsuccessful. Having read this information we hope that you will decide to apply for the post but wish you good luck in your future whatever you decide.

Yours sincerely

L Leung

Headteacher

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

Job Description

DEPARTMENT / Children’s Services
SCHOOL / Causeway
JOB TITLE / Attendance Officer
GRADE / Single Status Grade 5
RESPONSIBLE TO / Senior Leadership Team
RESPONSIBLE FOR / N/A
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB / To be responsible for supporting, monitoring and improving and maintaining the Student’s details, attendance and assessment data within SIMS throughout the school to agreed annual targets and meet statutory regulations and procedures. To support the School Attendance Policy through the administration of registration processes, following up and investigating absences, and working closely alongside pastoral staff in intervention work with students and parents/carers

Key Tasks

1. To be responsible for the pupil database for the whole school, maintaining and updating it accurately on a day to day basis, including maintaining and updating the electronic registration system. To ensure confidentiality and security of data at all times.

1. To be the first line of contact for parents/carers in relation to attendance, developing positive relationships and encouraging more hard to reach students and parents/carers to engage. To make phone calls home to report on the first day of unaccounted absence of any students.

1. To produce and distribute a variety of letters related to attendance issues on behalf of the head teacher as well as attendance rewards and certificates.

1. To be responsible for the improvement of attendance throughout the school and to meet the school attendance annual targets using data from SIMS Attendance System to identify trends and to intervene appropriately, working alongside the senior leadership team and other support staff.

1. To recommend action to be taken and develop strategies to combat unauthorised and authorised absences, in consultation with the head teacher, form tutors and other professionals

1. To hold meetings with students and parents/carers to discuss student attendance and agree ways forward, including mentoring students with attendance issues and provide support for those students returning to school after a period of absence

1. To monitor and evaluate interventions and suggest or make changes where necessary

1. To produce reports and statistics for the School Leadership Team, Pastoral Staff, County Hall and external bodies as required.

1. To be responsible for LEA statutory reporting.

1. To contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the schools policies and procedures in respect of school attendance

1. To monitor staff use of the electronic registration system and report to the Leadership Team repeated omissions, and to ICT Support Staff any technical problems.

1. To support the training of new staff in using the electronic registration system.

1. To undertake general clerical and reception duties as directed by the appropriate manager.

This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time when it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

Person Specification

Post Title: Attendance Officer

Location: Causeway School

Grade: SS5

Essential Criteria / Desirable Criteria / Method of Assessment/
Source of Information
Key Skills & Abilities / Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with a range of audiences including other employees within the College, Governors, students and parents
Able to converse at ease with customer and provide advice in accurate spoken English
Ability to organise and prioritise work effectively in order to meet deadlines and to maintain high standards at all times
Ability to respond proactively to unexpected problems and situation
Ability to produce accurate and up-to-date records and reports as required
Ability to develop and maintain efficient record keeping systems
Ability to show sensitivity and objectivity in dealing with confidential issues / (e.g. Application form, Interview, Test)
Education &
Qualifications / GCSE Grade ‘C’ or equivalent in English and Mathematics;
Knowledge / A good knowledge of the work in a school
Computer literate and efficient in use of Microsoft Office and databases e.g. SIMS
Knowledge of school policies including Child Protection, Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities
A knowledge and understanding of the needs of young people within an educational environment
Experience / Experience of undertaking a range of clerical and administrative duties, including data input
Experience of producing documents to a high standard / Previous experience of working in a school
Coaching / mentoring experience
Experience of inputting information into a database
Personal Attributes / Displays commitment to the protection and Safeguarding of children and young people
Ability to demonstrate commitment to Equal Opportunities;
Resilience
Passionate about delivering excellent customer service
Other
Date (drawn up): August 2015
Reference of Officer(s) drawing up person specifications : RW