Senior County Attendance Lead

Overview

We are seeking an influential and dedicated Senior County Attendance Lead to play a central role in improving school attendance across Buckinghamshire. This role offers the opportunity to shape countywide strategy, lead a talented team, and strengthen the systems that ensure every child can access education consistently and safely. Based at the Walton Street Offices, you’ll act as a key professional voice for attendance, working closely with schools and partners to drive early intervention, embed best practice and fulfil our statutory responsibilities.

About us

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

In this pivotal role, you will lead the Local Authority’s attendance team, ensuring high‑quality delivery of statutory duties across all schools. You will oversee the work of the County Attendance Team with clear professional direction and oversight.

Your work will involve building strong, constructive relationships with headteachers, senior leaders and multi‑agency partners. You will provide authoritative advice on legislation, policy and practice, helping schools navigate complex attendance challenges. A core part of the role is translating emerging legislation and best practice into clear policies, operational standards and training that support consistent, defensible decision‑making.

You will also have strategic oversight of attendance data—identifying trends, risks and opportunities—and using these insights to shape service improvements and long‑term planning. Alongside this, you will provide professional oversight of the Local Authority’s legal intervention pathways, ensuring the enforcement offer is applied consistently, proportionately and lawfully, and that decisions are made in the best interests of children.

About you

You will be someone with extensive experience operating in a complex environment and a deep understanding of school attendance legislation, statutory guidance and best practice. Your professional credibility will allow you to influence, negotiate and challenge confidently, even in sensitive or contentious situations.

You’ll bring strong analytical skills, using data and case intelligence to shape decisions and drive improvements. You are comfortable leading teams, developing procedures and managing a varied, demanding workload with professionalism and clarity.

You will be educated to degree level (or equivalent), and ideally hold a relevant professional or vocational qualification. A full driving licence is essential for the role, as is the ability to communicate clearly and confidently with members of the public. An enhanced DBS with barred list check is required.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference and lead a service that supports children’s right to education, we would love to hear from you.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact James Fowler at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 29th March

Interview date: Monday 13th April

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/