Home Academy Liaison Officer
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, London, SE19 2JH10 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
22 January 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
12 January 2026
Job details
Job role
- Pastoral, health and welfare
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: Actual salary £27,901.52-£28,310.58 (Monday to Friday, 7.45am-4:00pm, term time only)
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £32,535-£34,488
Pay scale
- Grade 5 (Outer London)
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 currently looking to appoint a Home Academy Liaison Officer (HALO) to oversee educational welfare across the academy.
At Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, you will join a dedicated team of staff supporting our excellent students. If you are looking for an opportunity to grow, inspire and develop, this may be the role for you.
The actual salary for this role will be £27,901.52-£28,310.58 (Monday to Friday, 7.45am-4:00pm, term time only).
We would like to hear from you have:
- Qualifications to degree level or equivalent
- Knowledge of behaviour for learning policies
- Knowledge of the range of barriers to learning that students face
- Training in child protection and safeguarding procedures
- Basic knowledge of first aid (e.g. emergency first aid course)
- At least three years' experience of working in an inner city school or educational establishment in a pastoral capacity
- Experience of dealing successfully with a range of issues influencing poor attendance
- Experience of working with staff to ensure excellent standards of attendance and punctuality
- 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
For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.
What the school offers its staff
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is a mixed Academy for 1,300 students aged 11-18, with a large sixth form of nearly 400 students. The Academy has three consecutive Outstanding judgments by Ofsted, with the most recent inspection in 2014 finding the Academy to be Outstanding in every aspect. We are a consistently high performing school. Our motto, ‘All Can Achieve' encapsulates our vision that all members of the Academy community are supported and encouraged to achieve their absolute potential. We believe that a well-supported and valued staff body is the key to our success.
We are the ‘Teaching School Hub' for Croydon and Sutton and we are able to offer all teachers an extensive programme of first class professional development. Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is part of the Harris Federation and this enables us to offer you a comprehensive induction programme and training and development opportunities to support your career development including Masters and other qualifications.
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.
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includesour Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS,a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more aboutour benefitson our website.
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
Your responsibilities will include
- Overseeing Educational Welfare across the academy.
- Managing a caseload of ‘at risk' students, where attendance falls below 85% and implement strategies to improve attendance
- Monitoring and improving the attendance of most vulnerable students
- Ensuring compliance with statutory duties, including reporting persistent and severe absenteeism
- Conducting home visits to engage families and address barriers to school attendance
- Maintaining accurate attendance records and preparing reports
- Representing the academy at external meetings e.g. Social Services Case Conferences, Child in Need Meetings, LAC Reviews
- Communicating effectively with all external agencies including possible alternative providers
- Ensuring effective communication/consultation as appropriate with the parents of students
- Leading on legal interventions for non-attendance where necessary
- Co-ordinating appropriate and tailored alternative provision for students unable to thrive in mainstream education
- Supporting the school's inclusion strategy
- Maintaining the alternative provision tracker and monitoring student progress
- Building and maintaining partnerships with external providers, agencies, and support networks
- Ensuring safeguarding and health and safety standards in alternative provision settings
- Acting as a liaison between the academy, external providers, students, and families to ensure seamless support and transition to alternative placemen
- Ensuring compliance with local and national policies related to alternative provision. as well as safeguarding protocols
- Regularly reviewing alternative provision placements and providing feedback to stakeholders.
- Maintaining confidential records of support
- Preparing of reports and maintaining records relating to student referrals and subsequent counselling or support
- Providing support to the attendance team
- Providing administrative support to coordinate internal seclusion
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 young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Harris City Academy Crystal Palace
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 1162 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Harris City Academy Crystal Palace website
- Email address
- careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
- Phone number
- 0208 771 2261
Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is a pioneering academy for 1,300 students aged 11-18, and celebrated its 25th anniversary last academic year. The founding academy of the Harris Federation, it has three consecutive outstanding judgments by Ofsted, most recently finding the academy to be outstanding in every aspect in 2014. It is one of the most oversubscribed comprehensive schools in the country and in the top 5% for performance. Come and see us in action: visits to Harris City Academy Crystal Palace are strongly encouraged and very welcome. Please call 0208 771 2261 or info@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk to arrange a time to come in or an informal conversation with the Principal.
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