Attendance Mentor

Harris Federation, Croydon, CR0 1LH

17 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  5 January 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  19 December 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: Term time + 3 weeks: actual salary £33,012-£35,000 (41 weeks per year, 37.5 hours per week)
• Contract type: Fixed term - Three years
• Full-time equivalent salary: £36,400-£38,600
• Additional allowances:

  Performance and Loyalty Bonus + Pension Scheme (LGPS) + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Additional Harris Benefits

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are looking for an Attendance Mentor to join us as part of an exciting project taking place in our Croydon secondary academies, where we are aiming to improve school attendance by addressing barriers caused by poor mental health.

This is a three-year fixed-term contract, which will be reviewed at the end of the period.

This role is term-time only + three weeks, and the actual salary will be £33,012-£35,000 (41 weeks per year, 37.5 hours per week).

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Degree, or equivalent qualification
• Knowledge of the range of barriers to learning that students face
• Training in child protection and safeguarding procedures
• Qualification in CYP mental health, such as Education Welfare Practitioner, Child Wellbeing Practitioner or counsellor
• Experience of working in an inner-city school or educational establishment in a pastoral capacity
• Experience of working with young people in a one to one and/or group capacity on a range of mental health issues
• Experience of working with families
• Experience of working with challenging students and parents, and finding ways in which we can meet their needs more successfully
• Full working knowledge of relevant policies and codes of practice
• The desire to contribute knowledge and experience to the Harris HALO network
• Understanding of the principles of student development and learning processes
• The ability to advocate for CYP and their families to get support within school and with external agencies
• The ability to plan effective actions for pupils at risk of underachieving due to poor attendance

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

What the school offers its staff

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 55 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

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 to senior leadership.We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Flexible working opportunities

Harris Federation is committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual’s circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.

Our approach to flexibility includes a range of solutions, from tailored working hours to part-time arrangements, where appropriate, ensuring that we maintain our high standards of education while supporting the wellbeing of our staff. Whether you are a classroom teacher, support staffor part of our senior leadership team, we work together to find solutions that align with both the operational needs of the academy and your professional development.

Harris Federation and our academies are dedicated to creating an inclusive and collaborative environment, where every member of staff can thrive and feel valued in their role.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

You will work collaboratively with school attendance teams and external agencies to identify students at risk of persistent absence, using data-driven approaches and evidence-based interventions. By managing a caseload of students, delivering targeted one-to-one and group support, and working with parents, you will implement strategies that enhance attendance and wellbeing.

You will also contribute to the research and evaluation of the project, in partnership with Maudsley Education Consulting Service (MECS). Your effective communication, safeguarding and accurate record-keeping will pay a crucial role in achieving positive outcomes for our students, families and schools.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Upload additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

NEW FORMAT Attendance Mentor Dec 2025.pdf - 314 KB (opens in new tab)

About Harris Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Harris Federation website
• Email address: careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
• Phone number: 0208 253 7777
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-federation

Making an impact
Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we have a track record of achieving success through rapid school improvement, and a reputation for running outstanding academies. Our focus is on the most challenging schools in London and turning them into places where every young person has access to a high-quality education.

Commitment to young people in London
Unlike other large multi-academy trusts, we are committed to transforming schools in London and the surrounding areas. This focus on localisation means we intimately know the communities we work in and have the expertise to help our young people from these backgrounds to succeed. It also allows us to build a much stronger whole Federation network, collaborating more closely to share best working practices across our academies.

Centralised support
To ensure our academies can deliver exceptional education to our young people, we provide them with a strong support provision. Our dedicated central team supports all 55 of our academies, acting as a central hub with expertise in Finance, HR, Compliance, Estates, Audit, Recruitment, and IT, and many more. This centralised structure takes away much of the educational administration from our academy colleagues, allowing them to focus on what they do best – developing bright futures for our young people.

Experts in education
We are focused solely on education and have a team of experienced senior leaders who drive our ambition to deliver outstanding learning opportunities to as many young people as possible. Our organisation is led by people who have extensive experience working in education and know exactly what it is like to be at the forefront of teaching.

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