Cluster HR Assistant

At Nova Hreod Academy, we pride ourselves on a team of staff who are supportive, friendly, and dedicated to providing the very best teaching and learning for our students. Staff across the academy set a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement for students which, in turn, is reflected in the emphasis we place on continuing professional development (CPD) for our staff. We have made significant, sustained progress at GCSE and are proud to have been the most improved school in Swindon. Nova Hreod Academy has approximately 900 pupils in Years 7-11. The school is situated in purpose-built £25 million premises, benefiting from excellent, state-of-the-art facilities, and situated within the beautiful county of Wiltshire, within commuting distance for Bristol, Bath and Oxford. After a visit from Ofsted in November 2022, the academy received a second ‘Good’ judgement in a row.Nova Hreod is part of United Learning, a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life-changing education to children and young people across England. United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online check.We always appoint on merit, and we are open to discussing flexible working options.

Job details

Job description

Join Our Mission to Inspire Futures – Become Our Cluster HR Assistant!

Location: Nova Hreod Academy/Swindon Academy, part of United Learning Trust

Position: Cluster HR Assistant

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 32.5 hours per week over 5 days, 52 weeks {all year round}

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: £26,164 – £27,732 per annum, pro rata to the full time equivalent of £30,190 – £32,000 pa.

We are looking for an experienced HR Assistant to play a key role behind the scenes in shaping the future of our students. If you’re ready to bring your HR expertise to a place where your work truly matters, this is your chance to make a lasting impact. In this cluster role, you will work across our three sites, located within two miles of each other, to support the HR Manager in delivering a high-quality HR advisory and support service.

Swindon Academy is a thriving, all-through school of Character and Excellence where every child is empowered to achieve their very best through Hard Work, Kindness and Responsibility. We’re proud of our values-led culture, our relentless pursuit of excellence, and our commitment to nurturing both academic success and personal growth.

Nova Hreod Academy is a vibrant and ambitious secondary school in Swindon, committed to providing every student with the best possible chance of success. Guided by the core values of Excellence, Hard Work, and Kindness, the school fosters a supportive and high-achieving environment where both staff and students thrive.

Both schools are part of United Learning Trust, which is the largest multi-academy trust in the UK by pupil headcount and number of schools, and aims to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. We seek to improve the life chances of all the children and young people we serve and make it our mission to bring out ‘the best in everyone’ – pupils, staff, parents and the wider community.

As part of the United Learning Trust, we offer great benefits for our staff, including:
• Free onsite parking.
• Health Cash Plan.
• Cycle to Work scheme (salary sacrifice).
• Gym memberships (salary sacrifice).
• Access to extensive range of discounts and cashback opportunities across a wide variety of well-known retailers and service providers, including gym memberships.
• Will Writing (launching Dec 2025).
• RAC discount.
• Life insurance.
• CARE pension – a defined benefit pension plan where your retirement benefits are based on your earnings throughout your career, rather than your final salary.

Why Join Us?
• Be part of a dynamic, forward-thinking team that values collaboration and innovation.
• Enjoy a supportive environment where your skills and ideas are valued.
• With access to outstanding professional development, a supportive leadership network, and a shared culture of collaboration, you’ll play a key role in shaping the future for our students and communities. This is more than a job – it’s a chance to make a lasting impact across two vibrant school environments.

What We’re Looking For:
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a similar level HR role, ideally within the education sector.
• Minimum qualification of CIPD Level 3 in Human Resource Practice (or equivalent).
• Ideally qualified to CIPD Level 5 in Human Resources Management (or equivalent, or willing to work towards).
• Strong working knowledge and experience of employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience managing recruitment processes, including senior leadership roles.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to handle sensitive matters with professionalism.
• Strong organisational skills with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Proficiency with HR systems, we use iTrent by MHR and O365.
• Ability to work independently, creating own “To-Do” lists and as part of a team with a proactive, solution-oriented approach.
• A genuine commitment to compliance and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.

Key Responsibilities:

Please refer to the attached job description.
• Employee Lifecycle Management: Oversee the full lifecycle for all staff members, from recruitment to exit.
• HR Administration: Employment contracts, manage staff records, and ensure all HR processes are handled efficiently.
• Compliance and Recruitment: Ensure compliance with safer recruitment standards and lead recruitment for all staffing levels, including agency liaison.
• Employee Relations & Advice: Handle sensitive employee relations matters, provide practical advice on employment law, assist with grievances, and support difficult conversations.
• Confidential HR Data Management: Manage confidential HR data, including sickness records, payroll details, and staff files. Ensure sensitive information is shared appropriately.
• Absence management: Support employee wellbeing and operational continuity through effective management of sickness absence, timely OH referrals, and support of workplace adjustments and self-referred Access to Work recommendations.
• Staff wellbeing: Foster a positive, inclusive, and supportive work environment that prioritises the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of all employees, promoting external support services.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you’re a proactive, detail-oriented HR professional who wants to be part of schools that truly value their staff and students, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us continue to build schools where every child is known, valued, and supported.

Applications with missing information and unexplained gaps in employment history will not meet our shortlisting criteria.

For further information or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Nicola Chapman, Cluster HR Manager, on .

Safeguarding Statement

Swindon Academy and Nova Hreod Academy are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to understand and share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, at least two satisfactory references must be provided, and any other safeguarding checks that are required at the time of appointment will be applied to the pre-employment process. All offers of employment are conditional and subject to safeguarding checks being met successfully. Swindon Academy reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment should it deem pre-employment checks as unsatisfactory.

Following the shortlisting stage, and prior to making a final decision, the Schools will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. We do this to ensure that the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in the latest version of KCSiE.

By signing the application form, I understand that I am giving my consent for the Schools to carry out an online search if I am shortlisted for this post. The search would be part of the Schools’ due diligence in line with the latest KCSIE guidance and would be limited to identifying any incidents or issues that have happened and are publicly available online. I understand that the Schools might want to explore any such incidents or issues with me at interview.
Cluster HR Assistant