HR Officer | Secondary School in Hackney | January Start

School HR Officer & People Operations Specialist (January 2027 Start)

Location: Hackney, East/Inner London

School Type: Secondary School & Sixth Form (Co-educational)

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent (36 hours per week, 52 weeks or Term-Time + 3 weeks option)

Start Date: January 2027 (Winter Term Start)

A vibrant, progressive secondary school and Sixth Form in the London Borough of Hackney is seeking a detail-driven, proactive, and dynamic School HR Officer & People Operations Specialist to join their central operational team this January . Set in one of London’s most creative and culturally rich inner boroughs, this key mid-year appointment offers an outstanding opportunity for an experienced HR generalist, school personnel administrator, or people operations professional to oversee end-to-end employee lifecycles, drive robust Single Central Record (SCR) compliance, and support a high-performing workforce dedicated to educational excellence.

About the Role

Stepping into the People Operations department for the January term, you will act as the operational backbone for staff recruitment, onboarding, statutory compliance, payroll liaison, and general HR support across the school. Working closely with the Director of Operations, Headteacher, and Senior Leadership Team, you will ensure seamless employee relations administration, maintain rigorous safeguarding records ( KCSIE alignment), manage staff absence tracking, and cultivate a positive, well-supported workplace environment for over 150 teaching and support staff.

• Environment: A modern, fast-paced Inner London secondary campus featuring streamlined digital HR tools (e.g., SIMS/Arbor personnel, Every HR, Access HR), paperless onboarding portals, and supportive administrative leadership

• Culture: A collaborative, inclusive, and values-led working environment that prioritizes staff wellbeing, clear communication, professional integrity, and meticulous compliance

Key Responsibilities

• Single Central Record & Safeguarding Compliance: Manage, audit, and maintain the school’s Single Central Record (SCR) with absolute accuracy, ensuring all pre-employment checks—including Enhanced DBS, Prohibition, Barred List, Right to Work, Overseas Clearance, and references—strictly comply with statutory KCSIE and Ofsted standards.

• Talent Acquisition & Onboarding: Oversee end-to-end recruitment logistics, including drafting job adverts, coordinating candidate shortlisting, arranging interview schedules, preparing offer packages, issuing employment contracts, and conducting comprehensive staff induction sessions.

• Employee Lifecycle & Personnel Administration: Process staff variations, maternity/paternity/paternity leave requests, flexible working applications, and probation reviews while maintaining accurate, confidential digital personnel files.

• Payroll & Attendance Management: Track staff absence and sickness metrics, arrange occupational health referrals, coordinate return-to-work interviews, and compile monthly payroll data variations (overtime, unpaid leave, scale increments) for external payroll processing.

• HR Advisory & Policy Guidance: Act as the first point of contact for staff HR queries, providing accurate, line-manager advice on school HR policies, local authority/trust procedures, and standard employment terms (STPCD / NJC green book guidelines).

Requirements

• Demonstrable experience working as an HR Officer, HR Administrator, People Operations Coordinator, or Personnel Assistant (prior experience within a secondary school, college, academy trust, or local authority setting is strongly preferred).

• CIPD Qualification (Level 3 or Level 5) or equivalent professional HR accreditation / equivalent workplace experience.

• Expert working knowledge of statutory safeguarding regulations ( Keeping Children Safe in Education ), pre-employment clearance protocols, and Single Central Record management.

• High level of proficiency with school HR software (e.g., SIMS, Arbor, Access HR, Every) and standard Microsoft Office / Google Workspace packages.

• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and telephone communication skills with a proven ability to handle confidential personnel matters with total discretion, tact, and diplomatic authority.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Inner London Support Staff Scale (commensurate with HR experience and CIPD qualifications).

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), generous annual leave entitlement, structured CIPD continuous professional development (CPD) support, and access to staff health and employee assistance schemes.

How to Apply

If you are an articulate, organized HR professional ready to lead high-standard people operations at a dynamic secondary school in Hackney this January, we encourage you to apply promptly. Please submit your CV and completed application form as soon as possible for consideration.