Attendance Manager

Attendance Manager - Harris Lowe Academy Willesden

We are looking for an experienced Attendance Manager to join our dedicated academy team at Harris Lowe Academy Willesden. This role would suit an individual with experience in school-based attendance management who is confident in monitoring attendance data, identifying patterns and trends, working with students and families to improve attendance, and supporting the academy in meeting its attendance targets.

The actual salary for this role will be £30,192.51 - £32,035.22 (39 weeks per year, 37.5 hours per week).

About Us

Our core values of determination, integrity, curiosity and empathy inspire and nurture a passion for learning and success with a strong sense of inclusivity, individuality and responsibility. We use our voices purposefully as global citizens.

The foundations of achieving our vision are:

• Outstanding curriculum, with outstanding quality and breadth of education
• Exceptional teachers who support students' passion for learning with the tools for success for every individual
• Relationships, routines and recognition that lead to a sense of belonging, wellbeing, mutual respect and exemplary behaviour both within Harris Lowe Academy Willesden and in our local community
• Post-16 excellence with a broad range of pathways, sporting academies and inspiring student leaders
• Arts and sports specialisms that embed essential skills and enable exceptional performance

Our moral purpose is to ensure our students and staff have access to the best possible futures and contribute positively to society through an outstanding careers/development programme, excellent leadership, and coaching.

From its origins as the first city academy, the exceptional education we provide takes advantage of the opportunities offered by our privileged location and facilities in the most vibrant, multi-cultural city in the world. The enthusiasm, discipline and ambition of our students combined with the high expectations, outstanding teaching and creative dedication of our staff makes our vision a reality.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and delivery of the Academy's attendance and punctuality strategy
• Acting as the Academy's Senior Attendance Champion, driving a culture of high attendance and continuous improvement
• Managing and developing the Attendance Team to ensure effective and compliant practice
• Monitoring attendance data, identifying trends and implementing targeted interventions to improve outcomes
• Ensuring compliance with statutory attendance requirements and maintaining accurate records and reporting
• Overseeing daily attendance processes, including absence monitoring and first-day response procedures
• Working with pupils, families and staff to address barriers to attendance and punctuality
• Leading attendance meetings, action plans, home visits and other intervention strategies
• Building positive relationships with parents and carers to support improved attendance
• Coordinating formal and legal attendance processes in partnership with local authorities and external agencies
• Working closely with safeguarding, pastoral and welfare teams to support vulnerable students
• Maintaining oversight of the academy roll and pupil admissions records
• Producing attendance reports and analysis for senior leaders, governors and pastoral teams
• Contributing to attendance, pastoral and leadership meetings, providing updates on interventions and outcomes
• Promoting and celebrating good attendance through effective communication and recognition initiatives

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• A degree-level qualification (or equivalent)
• Experience working in a school, academy or educational setting, ideally in an attendance-focused role
• Strong knowledge of attendance policies, procedures, attendance codes and statutory requirements
• Experience managing attendance systems, records and reporting, including analysing and presenting attendance data
• Good working knowledge of Management Information Systems and Microsoft Office applications
• Experience building positive relationships with students, parents, carers and external agencies
• An understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable and disadvantaged young people
• Experience leading attendance interventions and supporting improved attendance outcomes
• Strong communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills
• Experience working collaboratively with welfare, safeguarding and pastoral teams
• Basic first aid knowledge or a willingness to undertake training
• A proactive, resilient and solution-focused approach, with the ability to manage sensitive situations professionally and effectively

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, an Annual Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Please remember to check your junk mail folders for our email communications. You will receive a confirmation email once you submit, or save the progress, of your application. Please check your junk/spam folder and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received. This is important to ensure you are kept up to date on the status of your application and to avoid delays in the recruitment process.