Thank you for your interest in joining Anthem. We are a dynamic organisation committed to supporting thousands of children and young people to achieve great things through one of our schools.
Anthem is one of the most established school trusts in the country, serving nearly 8,000 students across primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands, London and the Thames Valley. As a multi-academy trust, Anthem is first and foremost a school improvement organisation, committed to creating ambitious and successful schools where everyone thrives, guided by our values of integrity, collaboration and excellence.
Role purpose:
To lead and drive organisational development, leadership capability and workforce performance across Anthem, ensuring the Trust has the culture, capability and systems required to deliver its strategic priorities.
Working in close partnership with the Head of HR, the role will shape and implement a coherent approach to leadership development, performance management, staff engagement and organisational design, embedding consistent, high-quality practice across all schools and central teams. The role will also have a responsibility for leading on People governance, policies and procedures to ensure a high standard of employee experience.
The postholder will provide expert leadership on people strategy and workforce effectiveness, strengthening management capability, supporting organisational change and ensuring a culture of accountability, wellbeing and continuous improvement, underpinned by robust governance and compliance.
Main responsibilities and duties:
Leadership development
- Design and deliver a positive leadership development strategy across Anthem, for all trust leaders.
- Develop coaching and mentoring frameworks to support leadership capability.
- Establish leadership succession pathways and support new and emerging leaders.
Professional development and CPD
- Develop a trust wide professional development framework aligned to organisational priorities, working closely with the education team.
- Ensure consistency and quality of professional development across schools and central teams.
- Develop training programmes to strengthen management capability.
- Align learning frameworks with appraisal and performance expectations.
Performance and capability frameworks
- Lead the implementation and ongoing development of appraisal systems and performance frameworks.
- Ensure clear expectations for performance, accountability and development are embedded.
- Support leaders in managing performance and capability effectively and consistently.
Organisational development and culture
- Develop a culture strategy and lead culture and engagement initiatives across Anthem.
- Embed Trust values into leadership practice, behaviours and systems.
- Provide organisational development support, including organisational design and change readiness.
Staff wellbeing and engagement
- Develop and lead the Trust’s staff wellbeing framework and initiatives.
- Oversee staff engagement approaches, including surveys and action planning.
- Use workforce insight to drive improvements in engagement and culture.
People Governance, Policy and Employee Experience
- Lead the development, review and maintenance of the Trust's HR policy framework, ensuring policies remain compliant, practical and aligned to organisational priorities.
- Maintain oversight of employment frameworks, terms and conditions, and people governance arrangements across the Trust.
- Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures and employment practices across schools and central teams.
- Lead consultation activity relating to policy development and people practice changes where required.
- Maintain oversight of employee lifecycle processes, ensuring joiner, mover and leaver arrangements are compliant, efficient and deliver a positive employee experience.
- Drive continuous improvement of people processes and employee experience through simplification, standardisation and automation where appropriate.
- Work with leaders to ensure people management practices are implemented consistently and in line with Trust expectations.
- Support the development of organisational governance frameworks relating to people management, workforce compliance and employee experience.
Main responsibilities and duties – all HR Managers
HR advisory
- Provide clear, timely and practical HR advice to Headteachers, senior leaders and managers across Anthem as needed, in complement to our outsourced provision
- Direct and guide leaders in managing people matters, ensuring decisions are consistent, well-evidenced and aligned with employment law and Anthem policies.
- Take ownership of complex workforce issues, providing clear recommendations and ensuring matters are progressed to resolution.
- Work directly with schools and central teams to address workforce challenges, applying professional judgement and setting clear direction where required.
- Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with stakeholders, ensuring confidence in the quality and consistency of HR leadership.
Employee relations
- Support with employee relations casework across Anthem, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence management and organisational change, as needed, in complement to our outsourced provision
- Act as employer representative in formal processes, ensuring a fair, consistent and legally compliant approach.
- Work with legal advisors and trade unions where required, ensuring a coordinated and professional approach.
- Drive improvements in management capability by setting clear expectations and reinforcing good practice in handling people matters.
Policy, compliance and governance
- Support the implementation and consistent application of HR policies and procedures across Anthem.
- Contribute to the development and review of policies, ensuring they are clear, practical and aligned to organisational needs.
Professional standards
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law, HR practice and sector developments.
- Operate with integrity, discretion and sound professional judgement at all times.
- Promote and model Anthem’s vision and values in all interactions.
Supporting the People Function
- Work in close partnership with the Head of HR to deliver Anthem’s People Strategy and agreed priorities.
- Lead on designated areas of the People function, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction set by the Head of HR.
- Lead or contribute to Trust-wide HR projects, ensuring consistent implementation across schools.
- Escalate complex, high-risk or precedent-setting matters, providing clear analysis and recommendations to inform decision-making.
- Contribute to the development of strategy, policy and organisational approaches through insight from operational delivery.
- Ensure consistent implementation of agreed approaches across schools, reinforcing standards set at Trust level
Benefits
As part of Anthem Schools Trust, staff benefit from a supportive working environment and access to a range of employee benefits, including health and wellbeing support, professional development opportunities and financial benefits.
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, suitable references and other essential checks. Staff involved in recruitment and selection are trained in safer recruitment, and all staff and volunteers undertake child protection training.
