HR Business Partner

ARDINGLY COLLEGE LIMITED; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension provision

Staff meals

Sports facilities

Fee remission for staff children

Job summary

Ardingly College is seeking an HR Business Partner to join our friendly HR team. Working across teaching and operational staff, you will provide professional HR support, advice and coaching to managers, helping to shape a positive, high-performing and supportive culture.

This is a genuinely broad generalist HR role, offering exposure to employee relations, recruitment, organisational change, learning and development, wellbeing and HR projects.

Qualifications

• HR experience in a generalist role across teaching and operations.
• Experience advising managers on a range of people matters.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Partnering with managers to provide practical and proactive HR advice.
• Supporting employee relations, including absence management, disciplinary, grievance and flexible working cases.
• Driving recruitment and onboarding activity to attract and retain talented colleagues.
• Supporting staff wellbeing and management development initiatives.
• Contributing to HR projects and organisational change programmes.
• Helping ensure compliance with employment legislation and safeguarding requirements.

Skills

HR generalist experience

Employee relations

Recruitment & onboarding

Wellbeing & staff development

Stakeholder management

Coaching managers

Education

CIPD Level 5 qualification

Job description

Location:Haywards Heath

Salary:£36,323-£45,404 (depending on working pattern)

Closing Date:09/10/2026 12:00

Position Type:{Advertised Full Time / Part Time}

Expiry Date:09/10/2026 12:00

The Vacancy

Ardingly College Family of Schools is seeking an HR Business Partner to join our friendly and ambitious HR team. Working across both teaching and operational staff groups, you will provide professional HR support, advice and coaching to managers, helping to shape a positive, high-performing and supportive culture.

This is a genuinely broad generalist HR role, offering exposure to employee relations, recruitment, organisational change, learning and development, wellbeing and HR projects. You will work closely with managers across the organisation, supporting them to navigate complex people matters while helping deliver strategic HR initiatives.

What you'll be doing

• Partnering with managers to provide practical and proactive HR advice.
• Supporting a wide range of employee relations matters, including absence management, disciplinary, grievance and flexible working cases.
• Driving recruitment and onboarding activity to attract and retain talented colleagues.
• Supporting staff wellbeing and management development initiatives.
• Contributing to HR projects, process improvements and organisational change programmes.
• Helping ensure compliance with employment legislation, safeguarding requirements and safer recruitment expectations.

About you

You will be a confident HR practitioner who enjoys building relationships, coaching managers and finding balanced, people-focused solutions. You will have:

• HR experience gained in a generalist HR role.
• Experience advising managers on a range of people matters.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• CIPD Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience.

Why Ardingly?

Set within a stunning 240-acre campus in West Sussex, Ardingly College is an award-winning independent school with a reputation for excellence in academic achievement, pastoral care and staff development. We offer a collaborative and supportive working environment, a range of wellbeing initiatives and excellent benefits, including pension provision, staff meals, sports facilities and fee remission for eligible staff children.

This role is primarily based at Ardingly College with regular presence required at Great Walstead School. During school holiday periods there is greater flexibility around working location.

The Company

Ardingly College is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 2 -18, a member of the HMC and a school of the Woodard Corporation. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All employees are required to undertake child protection screening appropriate to the post including enhanced DBS checks.