Home Academy Liaison Officer

At Harris Academy St John's Wood, pupils don't just attend-they flourish. Following a March 2025 Ofsted Inspection, inspectors found that the school's work has continued to "improve significantly" across all areas, driven by a culture of dedication, determination, and destiny. Students demonstrate "exemplary attitudes to learning," benefiting from a curriculum where "teachers are subject experts" who ensure every child, including those with SEND, achieves "extremely well." Beyond the classroom, we offer "remarkable opportunities for personal development," from high-quality theatre productions to the student-led 'Do More' Ambassadors programme. As a proud member of the Harris Federation, we provide a "caring and supportive community" where pupils feel happy, safe, and empowered to reach their full potential.

We are currently looking to appoint a Home Academy Liaison Officer (HALO) to oversee educational welfare across the academy.

At Harris Academy St John's Wood, 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.

This role is offered as a three-year fixed term contract.

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

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.

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 abouton our website.

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.

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.