Dear candidate
Thank you for your interest in joining the Harris Federation as Director of People.
The Harris Federation is an education charity led and run by teachers. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. There are now 50 Harris primary and secondary academies in London and Essex, as well as a teaching school alliance that trains thousands of teachers every year.
We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.
We have created the brand new position of Director of People, and we are interested to hear from experienced and accomplished HR professionals who understand the importance of education and developing talent. The position requires an individual who can both work strategically and take a hands-on, practical and action-oriented approach. Based in our East Croydon head office, you will work closely with fellow Directors and the wider management team to develop our people strategy, promote our values, and help shape our culture.
Our people are at the heart of our success, so the new Director of People position is central to the ongoing success of the Federation and, in turn, the success of thousands of children and young people.
You can find out more about the Harris Federation and the Director of People role on this website. Our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley would be delighted to discuss the role with you – their details can also be found on this site.
The Harris Federation changes lives – I do hope that you will consider joining us in this important leadership role.
Yours sincerely
About us
The Harris Federation is the leading large multi-academy trust in England for primary and secondary education. Working in areas of high deprivation, our Academies are making a huge difference to the life chances of many thousands of young people in London.
Closing the gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission of Harris. Holding a reputation for bringing transformative approaches to education, we hold an unrivalled track record in achieving success through rapid school improvement.
With 50 Academies in and around London, almost 5,000 staff and 38,000 students, we are a successful and thriving organisation. We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.
Our role
The Harris Federation is responsible for the education of one in 40 of school children in London.
With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.
We are a Federation rather than a chain and the autonomy of our Principals and governing bodies is at the heart of our success. But our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils.
From our HQ in East Croydon, we have expert, hands-on teams in finance, estates, IT, HR and recruitment, legal, marketing and, most importantly, educational improvement services. Our central team includes around 60 highly skilled teachers, available to our academies as a resource to use as they need.
Harris academies are funded on the same basis as other state schools in England, but by negotiating shared contracts and services and delivering other economies of scale our academies currently save £5 million per year, all of which goes back into the education of pupils.
You can read more about the Harris Federation here and more about our academies here.
About our culture
Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level from Beginner Teachers to Executive Leaders.
We now have 50 academies in London educating some 38,000 young people. All our academy locations are within a commutable distance of each other, giving our staff access to a close supportive and collaborative network of senior leaders, mentors and specialists.
Structure chart
Core Purpose of the Director of People
Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director of People will be accountable for the design, development and effective implementation of all workforce, education, training and organisational development strategies.
Main areas of responsibility
As our new Director of People, you will keep our people focused, productive and engaged so that the Federation can continue to grow, to upskill staff, attract top talent, and further develop its inclusive culture. The post holder will be responsible for the design, development and effective implementation of all workforce, education, training and organisational development strategies. As our Director of People you will be expected to:
Key accountabilities and responsibilities
Continuous professional development, learning and innovation
People Leadership/ development
Employee engagement
Skills and Attributes
Leadership skills – the ability to lead and manage people to work towards common goals.
The Director of People should be able to use appropriate leadership styles in different situations to:
The Director of People should have the professional competence and expertise to:
Decision making skills: the ability to investigate, solve problems and make decisions. The Director of People should:
Communication skills: the ability to make points clearly and understand the views of others. The Director of People should:
Self-management skills: the ability to plan time effectively. The Director or People should:
Attributes:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications
Experience
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Quality issues
Other requirements
Salary will be up to £115,000 based on experience and expertise.
Benefits include a performance bonus, private medical insurance and a broad benefits package including relocation allowance where necessary
Anderson Quigley is acting as an employment advisor to the Harris Federation. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
Should you wish to discuss either of these roles in strict confidence, please contact our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley: Elliott Rae on +44 (0)7584 078 534 or Elyse Turner-Pearce on +44(0)7808 648 559.
The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 8th February 2021.
Applications should consist of:
Completed applications should be uploaded at www.andersonquigley.com/candidates using the reference AQ1051.
Timetable
Closing date: | noon on Monday 8th February |
Longlisting: | Wednesday 24th February |
Preliminary Interviews with AQ: | w/c 1st March |
Shortlisting: | Friday 12th March |
Final Panel Interviews: | Afternoon of Tuesday 23rd March |