Salary
£26,164 - £27,732 per annum
Contractual hours
32.5
Basis
Part Time
Region
Swindon
Job category/type
Support Staff
Date posted
10/09/2025
Job reference
REQ003837
Join Our Mission to Inspire Futures – Become Our Cluster HR Officer
Location: Nova Hreod Academy/Swindon Academy, part of United Learning Trust
Position: Cluster HR Officer
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 a dedicated and proactive Cluster HR Officer 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 a cluster role, you will work across our three sites, located within two miles of each other, to deliver a consistent and 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, a group of schools that 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,
* access to extensive range of discounts and cashback opportunities across a wide variety of well-known retailers and service providers,
* will writing,
* RAC discount,
* life insurance,
* discounted gym membership.
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:
* Proven experience in an HR role, ideally within the education sector.
* Desirable CIPD Level 5 in Human Resources Management (or willingness to work towards).
* Essential CIPD Level 3 in Human Resource Practice.
* Strong knowledge 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 and O365.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team with a proactive, solution-oriented approach.
* A genuine commitment to 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 Chaplam, Cluster HR Manager, on nicola.-
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.