Parental Engagement Officer

Wixams Academy, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 6BA

18 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  14 April 2026 at 12:59am

• Date listed

  27 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £26,620.00 Annually (Actual) FTE

Parental Engagement Officer job summary

Parental Engagement Officer - Role Summary

Wixams Academy is a thriving comprehensive Academy serving around 950 pupils (including 120 Sixth Form students) as of September 2023. Since opening in 2017 with just 80 pupils, we continue to grow each year, with a vision to reach 1,750 students and 200 staff by 2030 📈

We are currently working with Bedford Borough Council and the Department for Education to expand our capacity to meet this growth. The Academy remains consistently popular, oversubscribed, and proud of its low staff turnover. Located just one mile south of Bedford town centre, we serve a mixed community with a broadly national demographic.

🌟 About the Role

As a Parental Engagement Officer, you will play a key part in ensuring pupils are safe, supported, and able to thrive. You will:

🤝 Build strong, trusted relationships with parents/carers, including those who may be anxious or disengaged.
🏠 Conduct home visits to identify barriers and provide tailored family support.
📉 Improve attendance & engagement through personalised plans and proactive communication.
👥 Work closely with school staff and external agencies to coordinate family‑centred interventions.
🛟 Support families through school transitions, reintegration, and periods of challenge.
🗂️ Maintain accurate, confidential records aligned with safeguarding and GDPR requirements.
🛡️ Champion safeguarding, using professional curiosity and timely reporting to the DSL.

This is a visible, outreach‑focused role requiring empathy, resilience, excellent communication skills, and a solutions‑focused mindset.

Who We’re Looking For

Someone who is:
💛 Warm, empathetic and able to build trust
🗣️ A strong communicator with families, staff and agencies
🔍 Proactive and able to problem‑solve
📚 Passionate about improving children’s life chances
⏱️ Organised, reliable and able to multitask under pressure

✅ Our Commitment to Safeguarding & Inclusion

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks including:
🔒 Enhanced DBS clearance
📚 Prohibition from Teaching Checks
📘 Section 128 Direction Check (where applicable)

KST is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer and warmly welcome all applications

For full details, see attached JD.

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 Wixams Academy

• School type: Free School, ages 11 to 19
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 933 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Wixams Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/wixams-academy

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