Attendance Officer – Primary School – Greenwich

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

A welcoming and well-established Primary School in Greenwich is seeking a committed, organised and confident Attendance Officer to join its support team on a full-time, permanent basis. This is an important role within the school, with responsibility for supporting excellent attendance, monitoring patterns of absence and working closely with pupils, families and staff to remove barriers to regular school attendance.

The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring that attendance information is accurately recorded, monitored and followed up. You will work closely with school leaders, pastoral staff, teachers and families, helping to identify concerns at an early stage and ensuring that appropriate action is taken.

This position would suit an experienced Attendance Officer, school administrator, pastoral administrator or education professional with strong organisational skills and the confidence to communicate sensitively but firmly with parents and carers.

School Information

This is a well-established Primary School in Greenwich with a strong commitment to creating a positive, inclusive and nurturing environment in which children can thrive.

The school understands that regular attendance is closely linked to pupils' academic progress, confidence, social development and overall wellbeing. As a result, attendance is treated as an important part of the school's wider pastoral and safeguarding work.

Pupils are encouraged to develop positive attitudes towards learning and to understand the importance of attending school consistently. Staff work collaboratively with families to support children and ensure that concerns are identified promptly.

The school has a supportive and professional staff team, with strong communication between teaching, pastoral, safeguarding and administrative colleagues. The successful Attendance Officer will therefore work as part of a wider team rather than in isolation.

The school is looking for someone who can build constructive relationships with families while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and following school procedures consistently.

Attendance Team

The Attendance Officer will form an important part of the school's administrative and pastoral structure. You will be responsible for monitoring daily attendance, identifying patterns and following up unexplained or concerning absences.

The role requires a good balance of organisation, communication and judgement. You will need to deal with routine attendance administration while also recognising when a pupil's attendance may indicate a wider pastoral or safeguarding concern.

You will work closely with relevant members of staff to ensure that attendance information is accurate and that appropriate interventions are put in place.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor pupil attendance on a daily basis.

• Ensure attendance registers are completed accurately and promptly.

• Follow up unexplained absences in accordance with school procedures.

• Contact parents and carers regarding attendance concerns.

• Maintain accurate records of attendance-related communication.

• Identify patterns of absence, lateness and persistent absence.

• Produce regular attendance reports for relevant staff and school leaders.

• Support the school in improving overall attendance levels.

• Work with families to understand and address barriers to attendance.

• Maintain professional and constructive communication with parents and carers.

• Escalate attendance concerns appropriately.

• Liaise with teachers, pastoral staff and senior leaders regarding individual pupils.

• Support attendance meetings and maintain accurate notes and records.

• Assist with the preparation of attendance data for internal monitoring.

• Ensure attendance information is recorded accurately on school systems.

• Monitor punctuality and follow up repeated lateness.

• Maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive family information.

• Contribute to discussions around individual pupil support where attendance is a concern.

• Work closely with safeguarding colleagues where attendance issues may be linked to welfare concerns.

• Ensure all attendance procedures are followed consistently.

• Assist with attendance campaigns and initiatives designed to promote good attendance.

• Communicate the importance of regular attendance to pupils and families.

• Support the wider administration team when required.

• Maintain a professional and organised approach throughout the school day.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have previous experience in school administration, attendance, pastoral support or a related education environment.

You will need to be confident using computer systems and databases and comfortable working with numerical information. Accuracy is essential, as attendance data needs to be maintained correctly and consistently.

You should also be confident communicating with parents and carers. The role can involve difficult or sensitive conversations, so the ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused is important.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong organisational and administrative skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Confidence communicating by telephone, email and face-to-face.

• The ability to maintain accurate records.

• Experience using databases and Microsoft Office.

• The ability to analyse attendance information and identify patterns.

• A calm and professional manner.

• Strong interpersonal skills.

• The ability to handle confidential information appropriately.

• Confidence working independently.

• The ability to work effectively within a wider school team.

• Good judgement when dealing with sensitive situations.

• A proactive approach to resolving problems.

• Commitment to safeguarding and pupil wellbeing.

Experience of school attendance systems and knowledge of attendance procedures would be advantageous.

Safeguarding & Pastoral Support

Attendance is an important part of the school's safeguarding framework, and the successful candidate will be expected to understand the importance of accurate records, timely communication and appropriate escalation of concerns.

You will be expected to work within the school's safeguarding procedures and maintain confidentiality when dealing with pupils and families.

The successful candidate will be required to complete the relevant pre-employment and safeguarding checks.

Application

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced administrator or attendance professional to join a supportive Primary School in Greenwich and take on a role with a genuine impact on pupils' education and wellbeing.

If you are organised, confident and passionate about helping children access education consistently, the school would be very interested in hearing from you.

To apply, please send your CV as soon as possible.