Attendance Officer – Supportive Secondary School in Dudley

Job Title: Attendance Officer

Location: Dudley, West Midlands

School Type: 11–18 Secondary School & Sixth Form

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: £23,000 – £26,500 per annum (Local Government Pay Scale)

Role Overview

A supportive secondary school in Dudley is seeking an organized, proactive, and firm yet compassionate Attendance Officer to oversee pupil attendance and punctuality systems ASAP. In this key non-teaching pastoral role, you will monitor daily attendance records, identify persistent absence trends, conduct first-day absence calls, and work directly with pupils and families across Dudley and the Black Country to remove barriers to regular school attendance. Working closely with Heads of Year, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and local authority educational welfare services, you will help foster a school culture that prioritizes consistent attendance and academic engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain accurate daily attendance registers across the school using management information systems (e.g., SIMS, Arbor).

• Conduct daily first-day absence communications with parents and carers via telephone, text, or email, logging all absence reasons systematically.

• Analyse attendance data to identify persistent absenteeism, lateness patterns, and vulnerable pupil groups, generating regular monitoring reports for pastoral leaders.

• Convene attendance panel meetings with parents and carers to establish supportive attendance contracts, action plans, and home visits where appropriate.

• Collaborate with the local authority Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to escalate persistent absence cases and assist with statutory legal processes or penalty notices.

• Work alongside pastoral teams, SENCO, and safeguarding staff to ensure absence trends linked to medical, SEND, or welfare needs are identified and supported early.

Key Requirements

• Previous administrative or pastoral support experience within a school or educational setting (experience in attendance monitoring is highly desirable).

• High proficiency with school database systems (e.g., SIMS, Arbor, or CPOMS) and Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word).

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build constructive relationships with challenging or disengaged families.

• Clear understanding of statutory school attendance frameworks, safeguarding protocols, and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

• Legal right to work in the UK.

School Highlights & Benefits

• Well-established pastoral support structure with clear attendance escalation procedures and administrative support.

• Supportive senior leadership team committed to pupil welfare, staff wellbeing, and professional development.

• Accessible Dudley location with great transport links across the Black Country and West Midlands, plus free on-site staff parking.

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) enrolment and term-time-only working hours.

Application

To apply for this Attendance Officer role at a supportive secondary school in Dudley, starting ASAP, please submit your updated CV as soon as possible.