Attendance and Wellbeing Practitioner

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are looking for an Attendance and Wellbeing Practitioner to join the Harris Federation on a fixed-term basis from September 2026 to August 2029.

This role is part of an exciting project taking place in our Croydon secondary academies to improve school attendance by addressing barriers caused by poor mental health. The role involves working collaboratively with school attendance teams and external agencies to identify students at risk of persistent absence, using data-driven approaches and evidence-based interventions.

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

Interviews will take place on 8th June 2026.

We would like to hear from you if you have

• A qualification in CYP mental health e.g. Child Wellbeing Practitioner, Education Welfare Practitioner, counsellor
• A degree, or equivalent qualification
• Knowledge of the range of barriers to learning that students face
• Training in child protection and safeguarding procedures
• 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/codes of practice
• Willing to contribute knowledge and experience to the Harris Home Academy Liaison Officers
• Understanding of principles of student development and learning processes
• Ability to advocate for CYP and their families to get support within school and with external agencies
• 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.

Further details about the role

By managing a caseload of students, delivering targeted one-to-one and group support, and working with parents, you will implement strategies that support attendance and wellbeing. You will also contribute to the research and evaluation of the project, in partnership with Maudsley Education Consulting Service (MECS), our partners in this work. Effective communication, safeguarding, and accurate record-keeping are integral to supporting students, families and schools in achieving positive outcomes.

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.