People Business Partner

Maiden Erlegh Trust, Reading, RG6 7HS

24 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  14 September 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  31 July 2025

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: £40,778.00 - £45,091.00 Annually (Actual) Grade 8, 37 hours per week, all year round

People Business Partner job summary

We are looking to appoint a committed and hard working individual that will be required to:

Implement the people strategy at school level

Coach, challenge and advise school Leadership Teams on people issues

Create sustainable talent and succession plans, working closely with other People BPs and MEI

Establish a performance management culture and support line managers to have honest conversations with team members

Work with senior leaders to build an inclusive, ‘one Trust’ culture

Carry out organisational design activity to ensure that schools have the right sized teams, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time and manage any resultant re-structuring activity

Support with cyclical processes, e.g. performance appraisals, pay awards

Support the engagement agenda, including workload and wellbeing initiatives

Manage FTE and vacancies against budgeted headcount, working closely with the Finance Business Partner

Develop workforce plans at school level

Advise and support line managers on employee relations cases, drawing on central HR expertise as appropriate

Feed back on schools’ needs/issues to the central People team

Support and implement central initiatives

Lead on ad hoc HR projects

Deliver training on an ad hoc basis

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people in schools and the Trust

The ideal candidate will be:

Able to work with ambiguity and at pace

An excellent collaborator and relationship builder, with the ability to constructively challenge and influence stakeholders at all levels of an organisation

Able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal

Able to drive change and bring people on the journey

Resilient and able to remain calm under pressure

Of sound judgement, able to read situations, apply discretion and clear thought to resolve issues

Knowledgeable of employment law, HR principles, Codes of Practice, EDI, policies and procedures. Ability to translate these into pragmatic HR advice

A motivated self-starter with a flexible mind set for continuous improvement and innovation

Understanding of the educational environment, including terms and conditions of employment

Able to balance conflicting demands and prioritise according to the needs of the organisation

Competent in the use of IT packages, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and HRIS systems

Committed to own personal development

The role is hybrid, working at our Shared Services site on a regular basis, with some travel to schools within the Trust.

About the Trust:

Maiden Erlegh Trust is committed to developing a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community of highly effective schools that deliver excellent education opportunities for the children and young people of the communities we serve.  Through our work we will ensure that our children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to deal with the demands of an ever-changing world.  The Trust currently comprises 9 schools in the local area, with a variety of settings including primary, secondary, special and a PRU.  As a Trust, we encourage professional development at all levels through the use of cross Trust networks to share best practice and ideas.  We also actively encourage the promotion of staff to different roles within the Trust and to different settings in line with their career aspirations. Click Work @ Maiden Erlegh Trust to find out more information about why you should work for Maiden Erlegh Trust and to read testimonials from existing staff.

Benefits:

Further information about some of the staff benefits that Maiden Erlegh Trust offers its employees, can be found on our website HERE. Staff Wellbeing is very important to us.  As a member of Maiden Erlegh Trust staff these are just some of the examples of how we show our appreciation to staff.

• We operate a system of ‘ME days’ allowing staff to request on additional day off per year.
• CPD is available for all staff at all levels.
• Free flu vaccinations are offered to all staff.
• Free eye tests are provided for eligible staff.

If you believe that this is an environment where you can thrive, develop and substantially contribute to an exciting future for our students, then you are encouraged to explore further by contacting recruitment@maidenerleghtrust.org  for a more detailed discussion, if required.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible as we reserve the right to close the advert and interview at any time. We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and successful references.

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

Maiden Erlegh Trust is committed to safeguarding, equality and promoting the welfare of children and staff. We are also committed to being ambitious for all and supporting everyone to reach their full potential. All employees of the Trust are expected to share these commitments. All posts require satisfactory employment checks and references and a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. All Leadership roles will require a Section 128 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 Maiden Erlegh Trust

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Maiden Erlegh Trust website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/maiden-erlegh-trust

Mixed multi-academy trust serving communities across Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. Primary, Secondary, Special and Alternative Provision.

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