HR Assistant Apprenticeship - St Catherine’s School

INSPIRE ATA LIMITED

Guildford (GU5 0DF)

Closes in 17 days (Monday 5 October 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 18 September 2026

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Summary

The HR Assistant plays a key role in delivering efficient, accurate and confidential support across the HR function. This is a varied role supporting recruitment, onboarding, payroll administration, data management and day‑to‑day HR queries — ideal for someone organised, proactive and committed to high-quality people operations.

• Wage:

  £12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: HR support (level 3)
• Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 3.30pm (1-hour lunch break).

  30 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 9 November 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 6 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

What you will do

• Recruitment support — Assist with advertising roles, managing applications, scheduling interviews and candidate communication
• Safer recruitment checks — Support safer recruitment and pre-employment vetting including references, DBS and Right to Work
• Onboarding coordination — Prepare induction materials, manage new starter documentation and ensure compliance steps are completed
• Performance administration - support probation process administration for new joiners, and review process administration for established employees
• HR system - support the HR Manager with the implementation and upkeep of the HR system, inputting and maintaining HR data, supporting holiday administration, and ensuring the HR system is accurate and up to date
• Compliance & record keeping — Help maintain the Single Central Record, ensure personnel files meet regulatory standards and support inspection preparation. Ensure HR processes reflect safeguarding best practice
• Contract changes — draft letters for changes including FTE, fixed-term contract extensions, and pay changes, recording payroll changes correctly
• Payroll and Benefits administration — work with the Finance team to support the administration of payroll, pensions and staff benefits
• Leavers - support leaver administration and offboarding processes

Employee relations admin —

• Support HR processes such as absence management and formal meetings through note-taking and document preparation
• General HR queries — Act as a first point of contact for routine staff queries, ensuring a professional and helpful service
• HR projects — Contribute to HR initiatives including well-being, engagement, policy updates and support with systems implementation

Where you'll work

Station Road
Bramley
Guildford
GU5 0DF

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

LET ME PLAY LIMITED

Training course

HR support (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Service Delivery: Delivers excellent customer service on a range of HR queries and requirements, providing solutions, advice and support primarily to managers. Builds managers’ expertise in HR matters, improving their ability to handle repeated situations themselves where appropriate. Uses agreed systems and processes to deliver service to customers. Takes the initiative to meet agreed individual and team KPIs in line with company policy, values, standards. Plans and organises their work, often without direct supervision, to meet commitments and KPIs.
• Problem Solving: Uses sound questioning and active listening skills to understand requirements and establish root causes before developing HR solutions. Takes ownership through to resolution, escalating complex situations as appropriate.
• Communication & Interpersonal: Deals effectively with customers/colleagues, using sound interpersonal skills and communicating well through a range of media eg phone, face to face, email, internet. Adapts their style to their audience. Builds trust and sound relationships with customers. Handles conflict and sensitive HR situations professionally and confidentially.
• Teamwork: Consistently supports colleagues /collaborates within the team and HR to achieve results. Builds/maintains strong working relationships with others in the team and across HR where necessary.
• Process Improvement: Identifies opportunities to improve HR performance and service; acts on them within the authority of their role. Supports implementation of HR changes/projects with the business.
• Managing HR Information: Maintains required HR records as part of services delivered. Prepares reports and management information from HR data, with interpretation as required.
• Personal Development: Keeps up to date with business changes and HR legal/policy/process changes relevant to their role. Seeks feedback and acts on it to improve their performance and overall capability.

Training schedule

Training and Development

As an apprentice, you will receive support through both on-the-job learning and formal training as part of your apprenticeship programme. This will typically include:

• Study towards a Level 3 HR Apprenticeship Standard
• On-the-job training and mentoring from experienced school professionals
• Regular review meetings to support progress and development
• Training in school administration, finance systems, and education-sector processes

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4–9 (A*–C))
• Maths (grade 4–9 (A*–C))

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Presentation skills
• Administrative skills
• Team working
• Initiative

Other requirements

Pre-employment checks: Please be aware that successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS checks with child and adult barred list checks, right-to-work checks, and safeguarding procedures in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

About this employer

Inspire ATA is an official Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency, licenced by the Department for Education. Currently ranked 1st in the Rate My Apprenticeship Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK Award 2024-2025. Inspire ATA specialises in creating apprenticeship opportunities, where we recruit and employ the apprentice on behalf of our host clients, enabling us to offer additional support and a better experience for both the apprentice and the client as the experts in the industry. We arrange the most suitable and appropriate apprenticeship training from one of our partnered training providers. If you are successful in securing an apprenticeship with Inspire ATA, it is important to understand that Inspire ATA will be your employer and the apprenticeship placement will be a separate organisation that simply hosts you as an apprentice. As a Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency, Inspire ATA performs an important role in developing the UK labour market and it is our responsibility to ensure that talent is recognised, developed, and matched with business needs, whatever the background of the individual, irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, religion or belief, relationship orientation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity and gender reassignment. We are proud of the diverse nature of our business and work with clients to ensure that all candidates are treated with courtesy and respect.

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

 Potential full-time employment opportunities within school administration or finance for the right candidate upon successful completion of the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

LET ME PLAY LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000054329.

Apply now

Closes in 17 days (Monday 5 October 2026 at 11:59pm)