Enfield Schools Human Resources

Schools HR: On Your Side, Every Step of the Way

At Enfield Schools HR we’re proud to be a not-for-profit HR service dedicated exclusively to supporting schools. Our ethos is simple: we’re here to help you make confident, informed decisions that work for your school, and your staff.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. Instead, we offer pragmatic, risk-based advice that’s tailored to your context.  Whether you're navigating a complex staffing issue or just need a second opinion, we’re on your side and we’re committed to giving you options, not instructions, to help you achieve your goals.

Our subscription services include a HR Advisory Service, access to our HR Portal and Resources, and an Employment Document Service. We also offer a range of Pay-As-You-Use services to support your needs.

We know that every school’s needs are different, so we are happy to build a bespoke packages around what’s right for you. You won’t pay for services you don’t need, but if a bundle makes sense for your school or trust, we’ll work with you to shape it. It’s flexible, transparent, and always focused on delivering value where it matters most.

Whether you're a single school or part of a trust, we’re here to help you lead with confidence. Let’s work together to build great teams, manage risk, and keep your focus on delivering excellent education.

 

HR Advisory Service

Our HR Advisory Service is built around trusted relationships and practical expertise. Every school we work with is assigned a named HR Partner who will get to know your team, your culture, and your challenges.

This isn’t a call centre model; it’s a genuine partnership. Your HR Partner is your first point of contact for everything from day-to-day queries to complex casework, offering continuity, context, and confidence.

We go beyond remote advice. Our service includes on-site visits for key meetings, investigations, and strategic planning, ensuring you have the right support in the room when it matters most. Whether you're managing a grievance, navigating a restructure, leading a disciplinary process, we’re there to help you handle it with clarity and care.

The advisory service includes advice and support with TUPE processes and school academy conversions, including consultation and provision of information.

Our advice is always risk-based and pragmatic. We don’t just quote policy, and you won’t hear “no you can’t do that”.  Our focus is on helping you get things done.  We help you weigh up your options, understand the implications, and make informed decisions that work for your school. We’re here to support your leadership, not override it. You stay in control, and we provide the insight, tools, and reassurance to help you lead with confidence.

We have also established relationships with national, regional and local employer associations, Trade Unions, professional bodies, education networks enhance our ability to offer well rounded support

 

HR Portal & Resources

Our HR Portal is designed to make school leadership easier. It provides instant access to a comprehensive suite of model policies, manager guides, proforma templates, and other practical resources, all created with schools in mind and consulted on with recognised unions. Whether you're preparing for a meeting, managing a process, or just need a clear starting point, the portal gives you the tools to act quickly and confidently.

We’ve taken care to ensure our policies are accessible, jargon-free, and genuinely usable. They strike a careful balance between clear process and flexible leadership, allowing you to make decisions that reflect your school’s context while staying within a safe and supportive framework. You won’t find excessive procedures or legalese, which means staff can understand what to expect, and leaders can apply policies with confidence and discretion.

Every resource is legally compliant, supportive of employees, and designed to work in practice. From managing absence to handling performance, our materials help you protect your school, support your staff, and avoid unnecessary complexity. It’s HR that respects your time, your judgement, and your values.

Our HR briefings are designed to support school leaders with clear, practical guidance on the issues that matter most. They offer timely updates on employment law, policy changes, and best practice, helping schools stay compliant and confident in their decision-making. Customers consistently tell us they value the briefings for their clarity, relevance, and the opportunity to ask questions in a supportive environment.

 

Employment Document Service

Our Employment Document Service provides schools with a comprehensive and reliable back-office HR function, ensuring that every stage of the employment lifecycle is handled correctly and efficiently. From verifying essential pre-employment checks to issuing contract documentation and updating payroll systems, we take care of the details that underpin safe, compliant, and confident staffing.

The service operates across three key areas. First, we check that all statutory employment requirements (i.e. DBS, medical clearance, immigration status, and work permits) are properly completed and recorded. Second, we advise on the correct application of national and local pay and conditions of service, helping schools stay aligned with frameworks like the Burgundy Book and STPCD. Finally, we maintain a secure HR database and prepare and issue employment documentation, including contracts, changes, maternity arrangements, and leaver paperwork.

This isn’t just admin, it’s about protecting your school and supporting your staff. Our team ensures that every appointment, change, and departure is processed accurately, with clear documentation and timely communication. We liaise with payroll, respond to queries, and help schools navigate complex entitlements with confidence. It’s a service that gives leaders peace of mind and ensures staff feel respected, informed, and properly looked after from day one.

 

Additional HR Services: Flexible Support When You Need It

HR Investigations Service

We provide independent, professional support for school complaints including grievance, disciplinary, and parental complaint investigations. Our experienced team ensures that processes are fair, thorough, and legally sound helping you manage sensitive issues with confidence and care.

HR Training

We offer practical training designed to build confidence and capability in school leadership. Sessions can be tailored to your school or chosen from our ready-made modules. Popular topics include handling difficult conversations, managing absence and capability, grievance and disciplinary procedures, sexual harassment awareness, and banter and workplace conduct. Whether you're a new leader or an experienced head, our training helps you stay sharp, compliant, and confident.

Safer Recruitment training

We deliver accredited training in safer recruitment practices to enable you to your your obligations under Keeping Children Safe in Education This training ensures your recruitment processes prioritise the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of children at all times.

HR Audit

Our HR Audit service gives schools a clear, structured view of how their HR practices measure up. We review your policies, procedures, management approaches, and HR documentation to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement. Whether it’s checking your single central record, assessing policy compliance, or evaluating how HR processes are applied in practice, we provide a tailored report with pragmatic recommendations. It’s a great way to ensure your school is not only compliant, but also running HR in a way that’s efficient, fair, and fit for purpose.

Job Evaluations

We offer impartial job evaluation services to help you assess roles fairly and consistently. Whether you're creating a new post or reviewing existing ones, we support you in aligning responsibilities with appropriate pay and grading frameworks.

Settlement Agreement Creation

When employment relationships come to an end, we provide expert support in drafting and managing settlement agreements. Our approach is sensitive, legally compliant, and focused on minimising risk while supporting a smooth transition.

Change Programme Management

While our HR Partner service offers comprehensive advice, support, and presence throughout change processes, our Change Programme Management Service takes things a step further. This is a delivery-focused service designed to act for you, not just with you. Under your instruction, we take an active role in implementing change, whether that’s a staffing restructure, role redesign, or cultural shift. It’s a hands-on solution for schools that need capacity, clarity, and confidence in delivering complex change.

Leadership Recruitment

We support schools in recruiting senior leaders and other key roles. This is a hands-on service, designed to reduce the burden on governors and school leaders while ensuring a robust, professional process. We work under your instruction to draft adverts, manage candidate communications, support shortlisting, develop interview tasks and coordinate selection days. Our team brings sector-specific expertise and a calm, organised presence to help you attract and appoint the right leader for your school’s future. Whether you need full support or help with specific stages, we tailor the service to your needs.

Mediation

If you are experiencing a conflict in your School/Trust, you may wish to consider mediation. It is a non-adversarial way of resolving difficult situations. We have trained impartial accredited Mediators to facilitate conflict resolution between disputing parties.

 

Recruitment & Applicant Tracking Service

Our recruitment and Applicant Tracking System (ATS) service is designed to make hiring in schools simpler, smarter, and more efficient. From advertising vacancies to shortlisting candidates, we provide a streamlined process that saves time and ensures compliance with safer recruitment standards. Our team understands the unique challenges of school recruitment and offers hands-on support to help you attract the right talent, whether for leadership roles, teaching posts, or support staff.

The ATS itself is intuitive and tailored for the education sector, allowing schools to manage applications, communicate with candidates, and track progress all in one place. It reduces admin, improves transparency, and gives hiring managers the tools they need to make informed decisions quickly. With built-in safeguarding checks and automated workflows, it helps schools stay on top of every stage of the recruitment journey.

What sets our service apart is the personal support that comes with it.  We don’t just provide the system, we work alongside you to get the most out of it. Whether it’s supporting you with job adverts, advising on interview processes, or troubleshooting technical issues, our team is here to help.