HR Assistant at Aspire North East Multi-Academy Trust in Sunderland

Post: HR Assistant

Starting date: As soon as possible

Salary: Scale Point 7 - 11 £27,274 - £29,071 FTE. This is the full-time equivalent annual salary and will be pro-rated for the term-time-only working pattern of 39 weeks per year.

• Location: Aspire North East Multi Academy Trust
• Contract type: Full-time, term-time only (39 weeks per year)
• Contract Term: Fixed term for 1 year (maternity cover)

We are a family of academies who share one vision:

To provide the highest quality education for young people in the communities we serve

Our vision goes beyond our own Trust. We want to contribute to the broader regeneration of our region by empowering our students to have high aspirations, achieve excellent outcomes and enjoy learning.

We aim to achieve our vision by being an excellent employer who ensures that all staff within and across our academies work together with high levels of moral integrity. We base every decision around one fundamental question: how will things improve for our young people as a result of this?

Our Academies share one vision and implement the same policies, but we are proud that each has its own unique identity. Staff collaborate within and across academies. We are committed to continually developing all staff so that they have high levels of satisfaction and are motivated to provide the best possible teaching and support to our students. We have the organisational expertise to support our academies and to support the sustainable growth of the Trust.

We are committed to the recruitment, retention and development of excellent staff, who are passionate about building positive relationships and improving the life chances of our young people.

Our academies recognise the huge potential in our students; we have high expectations and insist on high standards for all. Both academies have significant strengths which have been celebrated by Ofsted:

Southmoor (Ofsted September 2022):

Leaders at Southmoor Academy have created a welcoming culture with high ambition for the pupils. Pupils and teachers get along very well. Behaviour in school is positive. There is very little low-level disruption. This means that teachers can teach uninterrupted. Staff enjoy working at the school and they are proud to work here. There is a strong sense of teamwork. Staff recognise the efforts that leaders have made to manage workload.

Southmoor 16-19 study:

Students are mature and sensible. Current students in Years 12 and 13 are making good progress on their chosen courses because teaching is consistently good and members of staff are on hand to support them every step of the way.

Sandhill View (November 2025):

Pupils, including the most vulnerable, speak powerfully and with warmth about the positive impact of the school’s work. Trust and school leaders act in pupils’ best interests.

Leaders are high profile around the school. They are welcoming to pupils and model the positive, consistent approach that they expect of staff. This has helped leaders to build a staff team that fully embraces the trust and school ethos that if ‘you get it right for the most vulnerable you get it right for everyone’. Pupils appreciate the support and care that they receive. As one pupil commented, ‘No matter who you are, you get support at this school.'

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail
• Professional, approachable and confident communicating with staff at all levels
• Able to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines
• Discreet and able to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately
• Confident using IT and Microsoft Office applications
• Able to maintain accurate records and produce professional correspondence
• Proactive, flexible and willing to support a varied HR workload
• Able to work independently as well as part of a busy HR team
• Committed to providing a high-quality and responsive service to our schools
• Keen to develop their knowledge, skills and experience within HR, with a commitment to ongoing professional development
• Able to demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to fulfil the safeguarding responsibilities of the role as set out in the job description and person specification

This is a Trust-wide role and regular travel between our academies and other locations will be required. The successful candidate must therefore be able to travel independently between Trust sites. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use is required, subject to consideration of reasonable adjustments where appropriate.

We can offer:

• 25 days annual leave increasing to 28 days leave with 5 years continuous service
• access to Local Government Pension Scheme and associated benefits with options for Additional Voluntary Contributions
• access to training and development opportunities
• cycle to work scheme

Please visit our website for further details:

• www.southmoorschool.co.uk
• Closing date for receipt of applications is 9.00 am on Monday 2nd November 2026
• Applications should be returned to Sam Ferry, P.A. To Joanne Maw and Head of HR
• sam.ferry@aspirenortheast.co.uk

Aspire North East Multi Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check with children's barred list information where appropriate.

This post carries safeguarding responsibilities as outlined in the job description and person specification and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Certain convictions and cautions are protected and do not need to be disclosed, in accordance with the relevant filtering rules.