HR Business Partner

Ashton-on-Mersey School, Sale, Cheshire, M33 5BP

12 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  30 September 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  18 September 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: 40,777.00 - 42,839.00

HR Business Partner job summary

About The Dean Trust:

The Dean Trust is a high-performing Multi-Academy Trust committed to providing transforming educational opportunities for all pupils and students across our schools. We operate with a strong value system built on traditional standards of discipline, respect, continuous improvement, and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding and child welfare.

We are an educational charity established in April 2012, that currently comprises of 11 academies, 6 secondary, 4 primaries and 1 through school, operating in 3 hubs covering Trafford, Manchester, Knowsley and Wigan local authorities.

The Role:

We are seeking two proactive and dynamic Human Resources Business Partners—one on a permanent contract and one to cover a period of maternity leave.

Reporting to the Senior HR Business Partner, you will provide professional, hands-on HR business partnering support to Headteachers and senior leaders across all Trust academies. In this pivotal role, you will act as a trusted advisor, supporting complex employee relations, driving organisational change, and contributing directly to the successful delivery of the Trust’s People Strategy.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced, values-driven environment and is passionate about promoting a positive and consistent experience for all employees across the Trust.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Partnering: Partner with Headteachers and senior leaders to identify HR challenges and co-create forward-looking solutions aligned with the Trust's People Strategy.

Employee Relations & Casework: Provide expert advice and guidance on a range of complex casework, ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance with employment law across all Trust schools.

Organisational Change: Support restructures, redeployments, TUPE processes, and the onboarding of new schools into the Trust.

Policy & Best Practice: Contribute to the review and development of HR policies, ensuring alignment with Keep Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and DfE guidelines.

Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong, collaborative working relationships with school leaders, trade unions, external partners, and central support teams.

About You:

We are looking for an ambitious HR professional who embodies our Trust values and possesses:

CIPD Level 5 (or equivalent HR qualification)

Proven experience advising on complex casework and contributing to HR projects. (Experience within an educational setting or working with trade unions is desirable).

Up-to-date knowledge of employment law and HR best practice. (Knowledge of safeguarding standards (KCSIE) is desirable).

Strong stakeholder management, high-level IT literacy, analytical ability, and excellent verbal and written communication skills.

A full driving licence with access to a car for travel across Trust sites. Regular travel between all current and future Trust sites is a key fragment of the role.

We are an Equal Opportunities employer committed to ensuring inclusion, diversity and equality of opportunity. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates including those from underrepresented groups, and/or with protected characteristics.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Dean Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to pre-employment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Ashton-on-Mersey School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 19
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 1609 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Ashton-on-Mersey School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/ashton-on-mersey-school-sale

Founded in 1981, following the amalgamation of separate Boys’ and Girls’ schools, Ashton on Mersey School is the founding school of The Dean Trust which is a multi-academy trust comprising seven secondary schools and four primary schools across four local authorities.

Ashton on Mersey School is one of the most popular and oversubscribed schools in the region with a reputation for aspiration, endeavour and excellence. As Headteacher, I am proud to lead a team of teachers and support staff who truly believe that every pupil should achieve or exceed their potential.

The school has an established ethos of setting high academic standards by carefully crafting a pupil-centered approach where individual needs are matched with a broad, ambitious and exciting curriculum. In addition, the school is passionate about providing rich and diverse opportunities in an environment designed to nurture lifelong learners and citizens who can thrive regionally, nationally and globally.

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