Family Engagement Officer / Designated Safeguarding Lead

Avenue Junior School, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3HP

14 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  26 February 2026 at 12am (midnight)

• Date listed

  12 February 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Scale G 18-22

Family Engagement Officer / Designated Safeguarding Lead job summary

Part of Heigham Community Federation

Tel: 01603 441034

Email: office@avenuejunior.org

Web: https://www.avenuejuniorschool.org/

Head of School: Mike Hooper

Executive Headteacher: Michael Bunting

• Salary: G 18-22 £31,537 - £33,699 per annum
• Permanent
• Part time
• 20-25 hours over 4 or 5 days

 The Heigham Community Federation is a partnership of Recreation Road Infant and Avenue Junior Schools. Our Federation is committed to providing an outstanding holistic education, underpinned by excellent support for and relationships with families. 

We are looking for a Family Engagement Officer / Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, someone who can provide families with expert (and empathetic) support and advice, as well as address patterns of under-attendance, to join our team as soon as possible.  The successful candidate will be based at Avenue Junior School. 

The successful candidate will: 

• have outstanding personal qualities and behaviours; 
• be able to build effective working relationships with staff and other stakeholders; 
• be solution-focused and believe that every child and family can succeed, given the right support and opportunities; 
• have successfully developed and implemented strategies to benefit children and their families; 
• have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, underpinned by a good standard of written English; 
• have experience of safeguarding in a professional setting, including building relationships with children, their families and relevant agencies. 
• have helped encourage good safeguarding practices across a team of people; 
• have experience successfully managing and protecting sensitive data. 

The Heigham Community Federation offers: 

• a welcoming environment for all: both settings are Schools of Sanctuary; 
• a large and supportive team: more than 130 staff, including multiple DSLs in each setting; driven by the vision of success for every child, regardless of background or circumstances; 
• a vibrant, engaged and diverse stakeholder community – more than 40 languages are spoken by our families; 
• a programme of regular external supervision for all DSLs; 
• A flexible working arrangement: for the right candidate, we will consider a working week of 20-25 hours, worked over either four or five days. 

Candidates are welcome by prior appointment to view the school and talk to the Head of School, at 4:00pm on Tuesday 24th February. Please email to indicate that you will be attending.

How to Apply:

The job description and person specification for this post can be found under attachments.

Click ‘Apply for job’ to download an application form. Completed application forms should be returned to: office@avenuejunior.org

Closing date: 26 February 2026

Interview date: TBC

Heigham Community Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. To this end, you may be required to undergo pre-employment checks.

This post is likely to come under the requirements of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations and the successful applicant will be required to complete a declaration form to establish whether they are disqualified under these regulations.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced DBS check with barred list. If you have information to declare it may be protected under the Exceptions Orders and you may not be required to declare it. You will be asked to make a criminal conviction declaration if you are shortlisted for the post. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

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.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Avenue Junior School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 7 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 477 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 7 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Avenue Junior School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/avenue-junior-school

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