Key responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the reintegration process for students returning after periods of absence, ensuring they are supported academically, emotionally, and socially.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with students and their families to foster trust, encourage regular attendance, and support reintegration.
• Co-ordinate and liaise with teaching staff to ensure catch-up work is organised and accessible for reintegrating students.
• Support students with the guided completion of core subject work, particularly in Maths and English.
• Deliver one-to-one and small group mentoring sessions to support student wellbeing, engagement, and attendance.
• Identify individual barriers to attendance through direct work with students and families and develop strategies to address them.
• Introduce motivational check-ins and short-term goal setting to build student confidence, focus, and progress.
• Contribute to small-scale school improvement projects, such as the development of a reintegration toolkit or wellbeing strategy.
• Conduct daily home visits for vulnerable students to assess needs, encourage re-engagement, and offer appropriate support.
• Review and manage part-time timetables for students being reintegrated, ensuring they are supportive but time-limited and ensure progression to full attendance.
• Work collaboratively with subject leaders and teaching staff to ensure reintegration provision aligns with curriculum expectations and supports successful transition back into mainstream learning.
• Act as a key adult for a caseload of vulnerable students, including those with SEND, emotional needs, or complex family situations.
• Investigate and follow up on incidents of truancy, locating students and ensuring appropriate safeguarding measures are followed.
• Monitor the attendance of key cohorts, identifying patterns or concerns early and taking prompt action.
• Track the impact of reintegration and wellbeing interventions using simple, meaningful metrics (e.g. attendance, behaviour, student voice).
• Develop and manage Attendance Improvement Plans (AIPs) for key cohorts of students, working closely with parents/carers to build partnership approaches to improvement.
• Record, track, and analyse attendance data for targeted groups of students, providing regular updates and reports to leadership and pastoral teams.
• Contribute to whole-school strategies and interventions aimed at raising attendance and supporting student welfare.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records of student support, interventions, and outcomes.
• Ensure attendance at and engagement with relevant CPD and statutory training.
• Work under the direction of the Assistant Headteacher: Attendance and in collaboration with pastoral teams and external agencies.
• Work flexibly and collaboratively as part of the pastoral and wider academy team.
• Always uphold the values and expectations of Shire Oak Academy and the Mercian Trust.

Pay range:

Scale Grade 5 (SCP 9-17) | Actual (£23442 - £26801) | FTE (£27,254 - £31,002)

Qualifications and Skills:

• A university degree, professional qualification, or equivalent relevant experience (Essential)
• Master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant field (Desirable)
• Experience of working with young people, families, or within an educational/pastoral setting.
• Proven track record of supporting students or families to overcome barriers to engagement or attendance.
• A strong understanding of the factors influencing school attendance and student engagement (e.g., safeguarding, SEND, mental health).
• Awareness of statutory responsibilities around attendance and safeguarding.

For full details of the post please see attached Job Description and Person Specification

Why The Mercian Trust?

As one Trust we share a common purpose. We call it our social mobility and social justice mission to change our communities through the very best equitable education. When we get this right, it enables our children and young people to fulfil their potential, thrive in the world of work, and make a positive contribution to the local, national and international community.

Put simply, our common purpose is to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for our students. We are particularly committed to students who are under-served and under-resourced. We prioritise those who have special educational needs and disabilities, or who are more likely to face discrimination for whatever reason.

It is this common purpose that fuels everything we do. We deliver impactful, sustainable and ethical continuous school improvement in our schools to ensure the children and young people in the communities we serve learn in the very best and most inclusive schools.

We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve (which are the education investment areas of the West Midlands). We adopt a pioneering spirit and look to lead the sector with innovative solutions to the problems our students and families face.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more: The Mercian Trust - Home

Benefits:

• Financial, Health and Lifestyle

  • Discounts on everyday purchases (Eden Red)
  • A comprehensive free of charge health plan (UK Health Care)
  • A cycle to work scheme via Halfords
  • Access to the Blue Light Card

For further benefits including education sector leading CPD: The Mercian Trust - What we can offer you

The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

The Mercian Trust is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please take time to read our policies attached to this advert.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.