Statutory School Exclusion Officer

Job Title: Statutory School Exclusion Officer
Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Stevenage (for training and team meetings) - with travel across Hertfordshire as required
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Children's Services

About the team

Can you work in a highly challenging, demanding, fast paced yet dynamic service? Do you have a tenacity and passion for education and supporting vulnerable children and families to ensure positive outcomes?

We are looking for a Statutory School Exclusion Officer to join the Statutory School Exclusion Team.

You will be the bridge between schools and families, navigating the complexities of school exclusion and the Hertfordshire Fair Access Protocol. You will challenge, support, and influence Head Teachers to help ensure that every young person has a path to success.

We’re looking for someone who thrives under pressure, navigates complexity with ease, and possesses the relentless drive needed to secure the best results for Hertfordshire’s most vulnerable families. If you’re a resilient problem-solver with a passion for supporting vulnerable children, join our dynamic team and help us turn challenging situations into positive outcomes.

About the role

The Statutory School Exclusion Officer will ensure the Local Authority meets its statutory responsibility for securing mainstream school places for those pupils who meet the threshold for the Hertfordshire Fair Access Protocol (FAP) and provide advice on all matters relating to school suspension and permanent exclusion.

Key tasks include:

• Ensuring robust scrutiny whilst also supporting and influencing Head Teachers and senior school staff in seeking alternatives to permanent exclusion and in securing school places, in line with the Team’s Key Performance Indicators.
• Negotiating and liaising with schools, Education Support Centres and other specialist services to secure support packages for pupils.
• Providing advice and guidance and to Head Teachers, parents, carers and school governors often in challenging circumstances.
• Chairing and minuting complex multi-agency Inclusion Panel meetings and seeking successful resolutions for vulnerable pupils.
• Leading on strategic conversations with Head Teachers and senior school staff in driving forward strategies to reduce permanent exclusion.
• Ensuring the LA’s safeguarding duties.

About you

• A-level educated or substantial experience in a relevant field
• Resilient, able to work effectively under pressure with sound professional judgement
• Confident in constructively challenging and influencing senior leaders to achieve positive outcomes
• Knowledge of (or ability to quickly learn) exclusion processes, statutory guidance, and Fair Access Protocols
• Excellent communicator, skilled in managing sensitive and complex discussions with professionalism and empathy
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, including managing complex casework
• Collaborative, building effective relationships with schools, families, and agencies
• Skilled negotiator, resolving challenging situations through calm, persuasive approaches
• Highly competent administrator with strong Microsoft Office skills and accurate record-keeping ability
• Proven success in improving outcomes for vulnerable children
• Solutions-focused, creative, and impact-driven
• Experienced in chairing and minuting multi-agency meetings
• Proactive team player with commitment to continuous development
• Able to work independently, managing and prioritising a complex caseload
• Holds a full driving licence with access to a vehicle

The above skills and experience are essential for this role. Please demonstrate these in your application statement in order to proceed to interview:

The successful candidate will be provided with an extensive induction programme which includes work shadowing and observation. There is a wide catalogue of training available.

If you have the tenacity, drive and resilience to seek solutions and improve outcomes for Hertfordshire's young people, we will welcome an application from you.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Community Services, level 10 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Community services

For more information and an informal discussion about the role, please contact anjana.walia@hertfordshire.gov.uk or loraine.clancy@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Interview Date: 17th and 18th June 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.