Attendance & Family Support Worker – Key Stage 4

We seek to appoint an Attendance & Family Support Worker focusing on KS4 to our school. This role is pivotal to the success of the young people at Whickham School as we believe that if we can maximise attendance, we can also maximise our pupils’ life chances.

Specific details regarding the role and skills and qualities that the successful candidate will need to demonstrate are in the attached job description and person specification. In addition to this we are looking for someone who:

• Understands and believes in the link between attendance at school and achievement, and can ensure that all other stakeholders hold the same belief.
• Ensures that parents/carers understand the importance of education and good parenting by consistently communicating school values and beliefs to families.
• Supports and runs appropriate training for families to develop their parenting skills.
• Is constantly seeking improvement and best practice and who will use technology to ensure that data and monitoring are robust and up to date.
• Will ensure that some of our most challenging pupils and families are managed in a robust and unrelenting manner, and to ensure that all pupils are given every opportunity to succeed by being present in as many lessons as possible.
• Will ensure that internal attendance systems such as registers and first day response are a priority.

Our vision for all our pupils is that they are valued and inspired to be the best that they can be. We seek to develop the following 4 qualities in our pupils:

• Aspiration – Whickham students set aspirational goals that are ambitious and without limitation.
• Respect – Without compromise, Whickham students demonstrate respect for themselves, others and their environment.
• Resilience – Whickham students persevere with challenges especially when faced with setbacks.
• Empathy – Whickham students strive to be kind, caring and and understanding of each other’s feelings and needs.

One of our unique strengths and selling points is our commitment to staff which includes:

• Access to a range of salary sacrifice schemes (e.g. childcare, bicycle, electric vehicles)
• A supportive environment where work/life balance issues are considered carefully
• Access to school fitness facilities out of school hours
• Higher priority for admission of children of staff into the school

The successful applicant will be responsible for maintaining our very high standards. This will involve a range of skills from tackling pockets of persistent absence, to nurturing and supporting pupils who may be going through difficulties which have impacted their attendance at school.

The role is 37 hours per week, 8.30 – 4.30 Monday – Thursday, 8.30 – 4pm on Fridays, all year round with flexible working. For full details please see the job description.

We welcome visits by prospective applicants to the school. Please contact Allison Hall on ahall@whickhamschool.org if you wish to arrange a time to see. Applications should be submitted via the Apply now button on the following link to the TES by 9am on 14th March 2023 https://www.tes.com/jobs/vacancy/attendance-and-family-support-worker-key-stage-4-gateshead-1793500

• Whickham School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• We have a robust Safeguarding Policy and all staff will receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout employment with the school.
• This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records check for work with children.