Beyond the HR Handbook: Why Independent Schools Need to Rethink Their Workforce

Hayley Mintern recently hosted Anderson Quigley’s third Independent Schools HR Roundtable in partnership with City of London School for Girls, bringing together HR professionals from across the sector to share experiences and discuss the practical steps schools can take to respond to a changing landscape.

With thanks to contributions from Chris Staley of Duncan Murphy Advisors, Gemma Woodhouse of Penningtons Manches Cooper and colleagues from across the independent schools community, the discussion focused on a simple but timely theme: Practical Things We Can Do.

Independent schools are navigating one of the most significant periods of change in recent years. Financial pressures, changing workforce expectations, increasing regulatory demands and the rapid development of artificial intelligence are all challenging schools to think differently about how they structure, manage and develop their people. But are we changing quickly enough?

One message stood out from the roundtable: the role of HR in independent schools is changing, and there is a growing opportunity for HR professionals to influence school strategy.

Are Traditional School Operating Models Still Fit for Purpose?

One of the most interesting conversations focused on how independent schools are responding to growing financial and operational pressures.

Chris Staley explored the emergence of alternative operating models, including schools moving towards leaner executive teams and outsourcing specialist functions such as HR, finance and legal services. For some schools, this represents an opportunity to access expertise more efficiently and achieve economies of scale. For others, it raises important questions about which capabilities need to remain within the organisation.

However, the discussion was about more than simply reducing costs. It challenged us to consider whether schools are making workforce decisions based on what they have always done, rather than what they will need in the future. As schools navigate the impact of VAT on fees, rising employment costs and changing pupil numbers, workforce planning needs to become a much more strategic conversation.

Rather than automatically replacing roles when people leave, should schools be asking whether the structure itself remains the right one?

For HR leaders, this means moving beyond recruitment and employee relations to become more closely involved in financial planning, organisational design and long-term school strategy.

Flexible Working: An Opportunity We Cannot Ignore

The conversation around flexible working generated considerable debate, with concerns about future teacher shortages and changing expectations among employees, schools are increasingly having to consider how they can offer greater flexibility while maintaining educational standards.

We discussed examples from the state sector, including multi-academy trusts exploring nine-day fortnights, job sharing and alternative working patterns. But independent schools undoubtedly face particular challenges. Parents expect continuity, and boarding, co-curricular provision and the demands of school leadership can make flexible arrangements more complicated. But does that mean we should dismiss them?

One of the most valuable points raised was that flexibility does not necessarily mean working less – it can mean working differently. Could leadership responsibilities be shared? Could schools make greater use of specialist or part-time expertise? Could different working patterns help retain experienced teachers who might otherwise leave the profession?

The schools that are prepared to explore these questions may find themselves better positioned to attract and retain talent in an increasingly competitive market.

Developing Our Future Leaders: Are We Doing Enough?

Another important discussion focused on leadership capability and succession planning; at Anderson Quigley, we are seeing an interesting trend through our conversations with senior school leaders: increasingly, highly capable deputy heads are questioning whether they want to take the next step into headship.

The role of a Head has evolved considerably. Alongside educational leadership, there is now a growing expectation of commercial awareness, financial understanding, strategic thinking, governance and organisational leadership. For some, the responsibilities and pressures associated with headship are becoming a deterrent.

This raises a fundamental question: are schools doing enough to prepare their future leaders, and are we identifying leadership potential in the right way?

During the roundtable, Hayley shared some of our work at AQ around leadership competency frameworks and the value of using evidence and assessment to better understand leadership capability. Our approach considers six key areas: strategic focus, collaboration, personal impact and values, quality and standards, analytical decision-making, and commercial thinking.

Through AQ Insights, we are combining these frameworks with established psychometric tools, including Saville and Hogan, to provide a more rounded understanding of leadership strengths, development needs and potential derailers. What particularly resonated with the group was the opportunity to use these insights beyond recruitment; psychometric assessments, leadership frameworks and structured development conversations can help schools identify and support future leaders much earlier in their careers.

There was also valuable discussion about middle leadership development, apprenticeships and creating clearer pathways into senior leadership. We often talk about the challenges of finding exceptional leaders externally, but perhaps we need to spend just as much time considering how we develop the talent already within our schools; if we want a stronger pipeline of future Heads, we need to make leadership development a strategic priority rather than an occasional training exercise.

Employment Law: Preparing for What Comes Next

Gemma Woodhouse of Penningtons Manches Cooper provided a timely overview of the changing employment law landscape and the practical implications for independent schools.

With reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 being introduced in stages, schools will need to review their approaches to recruitment, probation, employee relations and workforce management. The discussion also highlighted the increasing complexity of employment disputes, growing pressure on the employment tribunal system and the importance of maintaining accurate records and addressing concerns early.

Changes to unfair dismissal protections, trade union rights and employers’ responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment will require more than simply updating policies.

For schools considering restructuring or alternative workforce arrangements, early engagement with HR and legal advisers will be particularly important.

Gemma also raised an emerging challenge: the growing use of AI in employee grievances and employment disputes. Lengthy AI-generated complaints, alongside the risks of employees entering confidential information into public AI platforms, are creating new considerations for HR teams.

The overarching message was clear: good employment practice depends on strong management, sound judgement and a positive organisational culture, not simply a comprehensive set of policies.

The Changing Role of HR: From Operational Support to Strategic Partner

Perhaps the strongest theme running throughout the morning was the changing role of HR itself. Historically, HR in many schools has been primarily focused on recruitment, contracts, policies and employee relations – these responsibilities remain essential, but the challenges facing the sector now require a much broader contribution.

HR professionals increasingly need to understand school finances, organisational strategy, leadership capability, workforce data and the changing expectations of employees – they also need the confidence to challenge established thinking, whether that means questioning the need to replace a role, proposing an alternative workforce structure or identifying weaknesses in a school’s leadership pipeline, HR has an important part to play in shaping decisions.

HR needs to be involved when strategic decisions are being shaped, not simply when they are ready to be implemented, which requires a different relationship between HR, Heads, Bursars, Governors and senior leadership teams. That shift will be critical as independent schools continue to navigate an increasingly complex operating environment.

Looking Ahead: Practical Change Starts with Better Conversations

What was particularly encouraging about the roundtable was the openness of the discussions. There was a real willingness to share experiences, challenge assumptions and explore approaches that might have seemed unrealistic only a few years ago.

Independent schools face significant challenges, but they also have an opportunity to rethink how they attract, develop and support their people.

For Hayely, three priorities stand out:

1. We need to be more creative about workforce structures. The traditional model will not necessarily be the right model for every school in the future.
2. We need to invest more deliberately in leadership development. Identifying potential, building capability and supporting succession should be embedded in school strategy.
3. HR needs a stronger voice at the leadership table. The people agenda is now inseparable from the financial sustainability, culture and long-term success of a school.

We believe these conversations are increasingly important; binging together HR professionals from different schools creates an opportunity not only to share challenges but to learn from what others are doing differently. We look forward to continuing the conversation at our next Independent Schools HR Roundtable.

If you’re a HR professional in the independent schools sector, and you’d like to be considered to contribute in future discussions, please drop Hayley Mintern a line at hayley.mintern@andersonquigley.com.