HR Advisor (Schools)

Hoople Group; Hereford; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Aviva pension

Cycle to work scheme

Discounts platform

Job summary

Hoople Group is seeking an experienced HR Advisor to support schools and academies across Herefordshire. You will work directly with school leaders on sensitive people issues, attend site visits, and provide practical, on-ground HR guidance to resolve complex cases.

The role involves regular travel to school sites, on-site and some home working, with the expectation to be locally based and flexible. CIPD qualification or equivalent experience is welcomed to join our supportive team.

Qualifications

• Experience advising on employee relations matters including disciplinary and grievance cases.
• Good knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.
• Ability to travel to Herefordshire schools and sites.
• CIPD qualification or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Advise schools and academies on day-to-day HR issues and employee relations.
• Support disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and redundancy casework.
• Attend meetings in schools with senior support when required.
• Act as an investigating officer on a range of employment matters, including report writing.
• Support the development and implementation of school HR policies and procedures.
• Work with trade union representatives as part of formal processes.
• Contribute to change management and consultation processes.
• Deliver or support HR training sessions for schools and clients.
• Provide advice by phone, Teams, email and in person, depending on what the situation requires.

Skills

Employee relations

Disciplinary & grievances

Employment law

Communication

Stakeholder management

Organisational skills

Flexibility

Education

CIPD qualification or equivalent

Job description

Job Title: HR Advisor – Schools

Salary: Band D - £32,348 – £37,662 based on 37 hrs per week

Working pattern: Full time but applications for part-time hours will be considered (please indicate on your application whether you are applying on a full-time or part-time basis)

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 13th September 2026

• Based in Herefordshire – schools, office and some home working**

If you have applied previously and were not successful, but you have gained new skills and experience since that you can evidence, we welcome your application

As an HR Advisor supporting schools and academies across Herefordshire, you will be working directly with school leaders on real, often sensitive people issues. You will be required to attend school sites as appropriate, trusted for your judgement, and supported to build confidence in handling increasingly complex casework.

This is not a desk-based advisory role. Our schools need HR advisors who are visible and who can attend site.

How The Role Works In Practice

Some weeks, you may be required to spend a significant amount of time in schools and the office, with some flexibility for home working. On average, you can expect to be on site 2–3 days per week, but some weeks may require daily presence in schools or the office to meet customer demand. Other weeks will allow for more remote working.

You will need to be local, flexible, and able to travel at short notice.

The role

Working as part of a supportive HR team, you will provide high-quality advice and practical support across a broad range of HR matters, escalating more complex issues where appropriate and developing your capability through hands‑on experience.

Your Work Will Include

• Advising schools and academies on day-to-day HR issues and employee relations matters
• Supporting disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence and redundancy casework
• Attending meetings in schools, including formal and preparatory meetings, with senior support where required
• Acting as an investigating officer on a range of employment matters, including report writing
• Supporting the development and implementation of school HR policies and procedures
• Working with trade union representatives as part of formal processes
• Contributing to change management and consultation processes
• Delivering or supporting HR training sessions for schools and other clients
• Providing advice by phone, Teams, email and in person, depending on what the situation requires

You will work with a degree of autonomy, while being supported by Senior HR Advisors and HR Managers.

About You

You are an experienced HR professional who enjoys variety, challenge and face‑to‑face advisory work.

You Will Bring

• Experience advising on employee relations matters, including disciplinary and grievance cases
• The ability to handle sensitive situations professionally and calmly
• A good working knowledge of employment law and HR best practice
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to work with senior stakeholders
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities
• A flexible, practical and customer‑focused approach

Experience working with schools or within the education sector is desirable, as is knowledge of education‑specific terms and conditions. However, we are also keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate the ability to apply their HR experience effectively in a school environment.

You will be CIPD qualified, working towards CIPD, or able to demonstrate equivalent practical experience and commitment to professional development.

Travel and flexibility

This role requires regular travel to school sites across Herefordshire, sometimes at short notice. You must be able to travel independently for business purposes.

What We Offer

In return, we offer:

• A varied, role with real impact on schools and communities
• A supportive HR team environment
• Flexible working arrangements that balance business need and home working
• A competitive benefits package including 26 days annual leave rising to 31 after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays (including the option to buy or sell holidays) Aviva pension scheme, cycle to work scheme and access to a rewards platform offering various discounts with retailers and restaurants

We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must apply online for this vacancy.

About You

About Us

Our vision

To provide excellent business support services to the public sector and those who work with them.

Our mission

Creating and building trusted and sustainable relationships in order to deliver business critical services for our key customers.

Our values

• Passion for improvement - Continuous improvement to develop more effective ways of delivering services for our customers
• Customer focus - Satisfying our customers and helping them to support themselves
• Professional integrity - Bringing the best of our shared technical expertise and professional values to our work
• Mutual support - Whether one‑to‑one or in teams, we encourage and support each other to strive for excellent performance in all that we do
• Ambition - Our staff are committed to the success of our company in delivering effective services to organisations, communities and individuals