Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship

DISCOVERY EDUCATIONAL TRUST

Essex (CM13 2HG)

Closes in 31 days (Saturday 31 October 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 30 September 2026

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Summary

The Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship with Discovery Educational Trust offers the chance to join the central HR team while gaining practical experience and working towards a recognised qualification. The role supports the HR, Operations and Governance team and suits a motivated, organised person interested in a career in HR.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Essex Scale 8 (pt 25-28):  £37,092 - £39,881* inc. Fringe Allowance *based on Essex Schools Pay Scales 2025/26

Training course
People professional (level 5)
Hours
Monday to Friday Shifts to be confirmed

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 16 November 2026

Duration

1 year 9 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

  • Support the Director of HR with day-to-day HR activities across the Trust’s secondary schools
  • Advise and support managers and employees with HR queries and employee relations issues, such as absence, probation, capability, disciplinary and grievance matters
  • Help with recruitment and onboarding, including interview panels, induction and ensuring required training and checks are completed
  • Maintain accurate and confidential employee records, including personnel files and HR systems
  • Support safer recruitment and safeguarding processes, including checking DBS, training, Single Central Records (SCR) and compliance requirements
  • Assist with payroll administration by gathering information such as contract changes, overtime and leaver details
  • Monitor probation periods, arrange check-ins and follow up with managers where concerns arise
  • Support absence management, including monitoring sickness, conducting welfare calls, arranging return-to-work processes and identifying when Occupational Health support may be needed
  • Prepare HR reports and analyse data, such as absence, turnover, probation and employee engagement, identifying trends or gaps
  • Assist with employee relations cases, including investigations, meetings and hearings by organising documentation, taking notes and arranging meetings
  • Support Ofsted inspections by ensuring HR and safeguarding records are accurate and up to date
  • Help managers understand and follow HR policies, employment law and statutory guidance
  • Contribute to employee wellbeing initiatives and help promote good absence-management practices
  • Work closely with the central HR and Recruitment teams to ensure consistent processes across the Trust
  • Share good practice and knowledge between schools and contribute to Trust-wide HR projects and initiatives
  • Use technology to improve HR processes, reporting and workflows
  • Provide support to other HR colleagues, including acting as a first point of contact when the Director of HR is unavailable
  • Continue developing your own HR knowledge, particularly around employment law, policies and best practice

Where you'll work

St Martin's School Brentwood Hanging Hill Lane
Hutton
Brentwood
Essex
CM13 2HG

Training

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

Training provider

EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

Training course

People professional (level 5)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Communicate information through appropriate channels to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required.
  • Build and manage multiple and diverse stakeholder's relationships.
  • Advise on application of policy, regulation, and law for HR issues.
  • Use data and metrics to mitigate areas of risk and highlight opportunities.
  • Negotiate with and influence stakeholders to support achievement of business and organisation objectives.
  • Present insight and conclusions on workforce issues or people process failures.
  • Enable stakeholders to deliver people solutions. e.g., through negotiation, providing guidance.
  • Lead and improve people capability within the business.
  • Manage and deliver people related business and change projects.
  • Handle and process people data according to legislative requirements.
  • Embed organisational people policy to promote a diverse and inclusive culture with stakeholders.
  • Analyse financial implications of people solutions ensuring value for money.
  • Support the delivery of people strategies using technology and innovation in accordance with regulations and policies.
  • Make decisions on people policy and issues raised, escalating concerns outside own area of responsibility.
  • Use prioritisation tools e.g., priority matrix to manage workload, and deliver against business objectives.
  • Challenge matters which conflict with ethical values or legislation.
  • Contribute to the development of people policies and procedures or people initiatives.
  • Interpret people and management data, from both internal and external sources to identify trends.
  • Educate and support stakeholders to deal with wellbeing issues.
  • Benchmark to improve people policies and procedures, or people initiatives.
  • Communicate information through appropriate channels to enable key stakeholders to understand what is required.
  • Build and manage multiple and diverse stakeholder's relationships.
  • Advise on application of policy, regulation, and law for HR issues.
  • Use data and metrics to mitigate areas of risk and highlight opportunities.
  • Negotiate with and influence stakeholders to support achievement of business and organisation objectives.
  • Present insight and conclusions on workforce issues or people process failures.
  • Enable stakeholders to deliver people solutions. e.g., through negotiation, providing guidance.
  • Lead and improve people capability within the business.
  • Manage and deliver people related business and change projects.
  • Handle and process people data according to legislative requirements.
  • Embed organisational people policy to promote a diverse and inclusive culture with stakeholders.
  • Analyse financial implications of people solutions ensuring value for money.
  • Support the delivery of people strategies using technology and innovation in accordance with regulations and policies.
  • Make decisions on people policy and issues raised, escalating concerns outside own area of responsibility.
  • Use prioritisation tools e.g., priority matrix to manage workload, and deliver against business objectives.
  • Challenge matters which conflict with ethical values or legislation.
  • Contribute to the development of people policies and procedures or people initiatives.
  • Interpret people and management data, from both internal and external sources to identify trends.
  • Educate and support stakeholders to deal with wellbeing issues.
  • Benchmark to improve people policies and procedures, or people initiatives.

Training schedule

  • You will complete the Level 5 People Professional Apprenticeship with Education and Skills Training and Development
  • You will be provided with protected time each week to complete assessments and assignments

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade C)
  • Maths (grade 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
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience

About this employer

Discovery Educational Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) based in South Essex, currently responsible for five schools: three primary schools and two secondary schools. These are Chase High School, Hogarth Primary School, Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School, Larchwood Primary School and St Martin’s School. The Trust currently supports around 3,861 pupils and 513 staff.

https://www.discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk/ourtrust/about-us/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Pension scheme - also automatically includes Life Assurance
Generous Referral Bonus for employees who refer quality candidates 
Employee savings and discounts
Employee Assistance Programme – free confidential wellbeing support for employees and dependants
Bike2Work scheme
Health Cash plan to support with every day healthcare costs – e.g. dental, optical, physiotherapy. Includes Virtual GP service

After this apprenticeship

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

  • Upon completion on the Apprenticeship you could be offered a permanent position within the Trust 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

Stacey Turk

sturk@discoveryeducationaltrust.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000055636.

Apply now

Closes in 31 days (Saturday 31 October 2026 at 11:59pm)