School HR Coordinator & People Experience Lead

Highgate Wood Secondary School; Wood Green; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Highgate Wood Secondary School in London seeks an experienced HR Coordinator to own the day-to-day HR function and deliver an outstanding service to staff and leaders. You will work within the school and collaborate with Haringey HR Service to align practice with local authority policies.

This role blends operational HR management with improving systems, processes and the employee experience, contributing to a positive, inclusive workplace culture.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 3 qualification as a minimum.
• Proven HR experience, preferably within a school/educational setting.
• Sound understanding of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Experience supporting recruitment, absence management and employee relations processes.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Confident communicating with colleagues at all levels and building positive professional relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and HR information systems.
• Ability to work independently while liaising with the Haringey HR Service and school leadership.
• Understanding safeguarding and promoting welfare of children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full employee lifecycle from recruitment to leavers.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, attendance, performance and conduct matters.
• Act as first point of contact for day-to-day HR queries from staff and managers.
• Coordinate pre-employment checks and safer recruitment processes.
• Work with Haringey HR Service to ensure policy consistency.
• Maintain confidential personnel records and HR systems.
• Coordinate employment contracts and variations; support probation reviews.
• Assist workforce planning and HR administration for managers.
• Monitor absence data and HR reports as required.
• Support staff wellbeing and professional development initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
• Drive continuous improvement of HR processes and administrative systems.

Skills

CIPD Level 3

HR experience

UK employment law

Recruitment support

Absence management

Employee relations

MS Office

HRIS

Confidentiality

Safeguarding

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRIS platforms

Job description

Highgate Wood Secondary School in London seeks an experienced HR Coordinator to own the day-to-day HR function and deliver an outstanding service to staff and leaders. You will work within the school and collaborate with Haringey HR Service to align practice with local authority policies.

This role blends operational HR management with improving systems, processes and the employee experience, contributing to a positive, inclusive workplace culture.