School HR Officer

Location: Waltham Forest

School Type: Secondary School

An ambitious, culturally vibrant, and welcoming secondary school in the London Borough of Waltham Forest is seeking a proactive, detail-oriented, and personable School HR Officer to join their central operational and administrative team. This is a vital role for an experienced HR practitioner, personnel administrator, or people operations coordinator looking to drive HR excellence and deliver high-quality staff support within a thriving educational environment.

About the Role

As the HR Officer, you will oversee the full employee lifecycle across teaching and support staff, serving as the first point of contact for personnel queries, recruitment, onboarding, and employment compliance. Working closely with the Headteacher, Business Manager, and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will ensure seamless HR operations, uphold rigorous safer recruitment standards, and champion employee wellbeing across the school community.

• Start Date: Immediate or upcoming term

• Environment: A progressive co-educational secondary school committed to staff development, inclusive culture, and operational integrity

• Culture: A collaborative, professional, and supportive working environment backed by an approachable leadership team and a dedicated administrative network

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end recruitment processes, including drafting job descriptions, placing adverts, shortlisting support, coordinating interview schedules, and managing candidate correspondence.

• Maintain the Single Central Record (SCR) with absolute accuracy, conducting all necessary pre-employment checks (DBS, references, right-to-work, medical clearance, and prohibition checks) in compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

• Oversee staff onboarding and induction, ensuring contracts, offer letters, and probationary reviews are issued and processed efficiently.

• Administer sickness absence tracking, leave requests, maternity/paternity processes, and occupational health referrals in line with school policies.

• Liaise with central payroll and local authority/trust HR partners to ensure accurate monthly payroll variations and record-keeping.

• Maintain confidential HR information systems (e.g., SIMS, Arbor, or specialized HR software), producing personnel reports and statistics for leadership and governors.

Requirements

• Proven experience in an HR Officer, HR Administrator, or People Operations role, ideally within a secondary school, academy trust, or local authority setting.

• CIPD qualification (Level 3 or Level 5) or equivalent relevant professional experience in HR/Personnel Management.

• In-depth understanding of safer recruitment guidelines, KCSIE statutory regulations, and school HR compliance frameworks.

• Excellent organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail, precision, and confidentiality.

• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations with empathy, discretion, and professionalism.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Outer London support staff pay scale (commensurate with qualifications and experience).

• CIPD development support, access to local government pension schemes, and a highly supportive staff wellbeing policy.

How to Apply

If you are an organized, knowledgeable, and people-focused HR professional ready to make a significant impact in a brilliant Waltham Forest school, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application as soon as possible for consideration.