OVERVIEW

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a comprehensive HR strategy aligned with Canford’s educational aims and strategic plans.
• High-Performance Culture: Champion a collaborative, engaging, and innovative environment that reflects the school’s values.
• Expert Advice: Provide professional guidance on HR and employment law matters to the Bursar, Head, senior leadership teams and Governors.
• Organisational Design: Advise senior managers on structure, workforce planning, and the application of HR policies, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements.
• Policy & Contract Review: Regularly review and update HR policies and employment contracts to keep them accurate, relevant, and fully compliant.
• Systems & Processes: Oversee the development and maintenance of HR, payroll, benefits, and pensions systems, ensuring data integrity and security.
• Safer Recruitment: Ensure compliance with safer recruitment regulations and statutory guidance, maintaining up-to-date processes and reporting.
• Data Protection: Guarantee that HR data is stored, managed, and analysed in accordance with data protection laws.
• Workforce reporting, maintain regular reporting to the Senior Management team and Governing body on people related matters, including workforce planning, talent development and overall organization health and wellbeing.

KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE

Requirements Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent professional qualification).
• CIPD qualified to Level 7 (or equivalent).

Experience

• Substantial senior HR leadership in a comparably sized or larger organisation, ideally as part of a leadership team.
• Demonstrated success in driving organisational change and building a high-performance culture.
• Proven track record of aligning people strategies with broader organisational goals.
• Hands-on experience in managing and developing HR teams.
• Experience in process improvement and/or HR systems implementation.

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability to shape, deliver, and evolve a strategic people plan, with agility to adapt as priorities shift.
• Strong relationship-building skills at all levels, with the ability to influence and advise senior leaders and Governors.
• Strategic vision combined with a proactive, hands-on approach to HR operations.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and integrity while championing best practice in HR compliance.
• Excellent negotiation skills and the capacity to influence decision-making.
• Clear understanding of safeguarding and child welfare responsibilities in an educational context.

Behavioural Competencies and Qualities

• Personal and professional integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Driven, ambitious, and collaborative, with a commitment to high standards.
• Empathetic leadership style; supportive yet clear on performance expectations.
• Strategic thinker who communicates ideas confidently and constructively.
• Flexibility to handle changing priorities.
• Genuine passion for education and the development of young people.
• Detail-oriented, resilient, and motivated to learn and improve.
• Confident operating at both strategic and operational levels.

Desirable
Whilst previous school experience is not required, a strong empathy for, and understanding of the independent school’s sector and in particular the importance of “Keeping Children Safe in Education” is essential.
Canford is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of our community and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful job applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening.

OVERALL PURPOSE

Canford employs in the region of 480 staff and the role of the HR team is to provide a professional and effective HR function for the whole School ensuring that all HR practices are compliant with the latest Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education requirements and also compliant with employment legislation.
The Director of HR reports to the Bursar and works closely with the Head and respective leadership teams providing expert support and guidance in all aspects of people management and staff development. The ability to contribute with professional HR expertise at a strategic level and be effective in the implementation of change management, pro-actively supporting new initiatives is essential.

DUTIES

The HR Team

• Lead and manage the HR team in a positive, energetic and professional manner, embedding a culture of ongoing professional development.
• Ensure that the team are compliant and up to date with the latest ISI requirements and employment legislation providing training and support where necessary
• Ensure that the HR team operates within the ISI regulatory requirements and policies & procedures are updated and communicated as required.
• Develop and support team members with personal development and training to ensure that professional expertise and advice is provided by the department
• Support the team to manage difficult employee relations matters, offering guidance and support where necessary.
• Appraisal, review, setting objectives and ensuring that operational requirements are managed within the team effectively, delegating work where necessary.
• Hold regular team meetings and 1-1s.

Recruitment

• Ensure that equity, diversity and inclusivity are at the heart of the recruitment processes and procedures.
• Ensure that the School operates a fully compliant recruitment process including DBS checks, references, List 99s, risk assessments and maintains the appropriate staff records including an up to date Single Central Register (SCR) in line with the Independent Schools Inspectorate guidelines.
• Responsible for ensuring the SCR is compliant and regularly checked by the Bursar and the Governor responsible for Safeguarding.
• Review and update employment contracts as and when required.
• Provide advice and support to the HR team and Heads of Department on recruitment matters to ensure that the School attracts high-calibre support and teaching staff.
• Support the Headmaster and the Bursar in the appointment of senior members of staff
• Manage staff budgets, working closely with the Director of Finance on maintaining appropriate staffing levels whilst maintaining a close eye on costs.
• Maintain recruitment advertising budgets, identifying new opportunities for alternative recruitment methods.
• Reporting on recruitment activity, trends, gender pay gap, turnover to the GB on a termly basis.

Employment Legislation

• Ensure that all employee relation matters are managed in accordance with employment legislation, liaising with the School’s legal advisors where necessary for complex matters.
• Provide support and advice to the HR team dealing with potentially litigious matters to prevent issues from escalating.
• Provide support at a senior level for complex employee relations issues, eg. Disciplinary, Capability, Grievance, managing exits etc., including liaison with professional bodies as required.
• Keep up to date with latest legislation, through law updates, ACAS information and training and communicate with team.
• Notify senior staff where there is a legislative change that may have an impact on school staff or may require the school to make a significant change to employment practices.
• Ensure any changes to employment legislation are effectively implemented across the school, includes contractual changes, impact of new initiatives eg. Overtime and holiday pay etc.
• Liaise and support Governors where required with employment matters

Remuneration and Benefits

• Review, from time to time, Canford pay structures and staff benefits for Teachers and Support Staff
• Liaise with the Teaching Staff body as necessary (the School recognises the NEU for pay and holidays and works with the internal JCC teaching staff group on matters involving teachers pay).
• Benchmark against market research to ensure that staff salaries remain competitive
• Keep up to date with the latest changes to pension requirements, supporting the implementation of new pension initiatives, liaising with pension providers and financial advisors as necessary.
• Annually review the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and impact on staff pay.
• Understand the impact of Salary Exchange schemes and facilitate implementation within the team.
• Review and report Gender Pay Gap – Gov.co.uk

Staff Development and Appraisal

• Manage a central training budget, ensuring efficient and effective use of resources
• Support SLT and BLT in the provision of suitable management development training resources
• Undertake some skills training for managers eg. Employee relations, managing absence, appraisals, disciplinary and capability procedures, equity & diversity etc. and develop this with the HR Team.
• Ensure HR team have access to continuing professional training & development.
• Ensure HR team manage recording and tracking of compliance training eg. First Aid, Child Protection/Safeguarding and ensure records are up to date.
• Support Induction training for new staff at the start of the academic year and throughout the year, ensuring up-to-date with latest legislative and compliance requirements.
• Ensure all Volunteers and Governors receive relevant training and support in line with the ISI requirements, which include safeguarding.

HR Policy Development

• Review annually All Staff Handbook, ensuring content is maintained and kept up to date.
• Ensure that all employment policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated where necessary and comply with any legislative changes or updates.
• Ensure that staff are made aware of any significant policy changes that may affect them, provide training where necessary.
• Update new staff induction policies/procedures and training.
• Liaise with the relevant staff bodies, and unions where necessary, regarding any contractual employment changes.

Other Responsibilities

• Support the School’s Staff Wellbeing group to drive forward wellbeing initiatives and ideas to enhance staff wellbeing at Canford.
• UKVI “Authorising Officer” for the School. Manage CoS/CAS requests and annual Basic Compliance Assessment and ensure that annual subscriptions are paid. Work closely with the Director of Admissions to ensure that the School comply with the requirements of the UKVI.
• Ensure all staff have a voice for information and consultations.