Executive Assistant (with Responsibility for HR)

Thank you for your interest in working at Hollingworth Academy; we are a vibrant and caring school in Milnrow, Rochdale.

Why Choose Hollingworth Academy?

• Voted ‘Most Inspirational School in Rochdale’ in 2024, and the only school in Greater Manchester and Lancashire with ‘World Class Schools’ status.
• Conveniently located just off the M62, we offer an easy commute from Stockport, Central Manchester, Leeds, Blackburn, Warrington, and Burnley all within 40 minutes or less.
• We value our staff and provide time off for important family events, such as school nativity plays and first days at school etc.
• Our department prides itself on its staff retention and staff development. External positions in this department are rare this is your chance to join a truly outstanding team.
• Free access to our onsite gym.
• Free Simply Health membership that includes money off prescriptions, dental check-ups, physiotherapy, opticians, and GP appointments.
• 20 additional PPA hours per year beyond government guidelines.
• Opportunity for free lunches available.
• Work in an environment where Ofsted say that our pupils are ‘proud to attend this school’ and ‘can learn in lessons without disruption’. With a ‘behaviour system which allows [leaders] to respond to any uncommon instances of pupils’ poor behaviour rapidly’.

The Role:

To provide efficient, confidential, and high-quality HR support to Hollingworth Academy, ensuring the smooth operation of HR processes across the academy. In addition, this postholder will provide high quality executive assistant support to the academy’s Executive Leadership Team (the Headteacher and Associate Headteacher) and be part of the Senior Leadership Team.

We are looking for:

• An exceptional organiser with proven experience providing high level administrative HR and/or Executive Assistant support, including diary management, meeting coordination, accurate minute taking and HR administration.
• A highly skilled communicator with strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to draft professional correspondence, reports and presentations with precision.
• A confident employee with strong IT, design and problem solving skills, with the ability to create high quality documents and presentations.
• A calm, adaptable and emotionally intelligent team member, demonstrating confidentiality, discretion, professionalism and the ability to work under pressure with competing priorities.

Salary: NJC Scale Points 23-28, for which the full-time salary is £34,434 - £39,152.

Contract: Permanent

36.25 hours per week, all year round*

Monday / Tuesday / Thursday / Friday 7.45am to 3.45pm (30-minute unpaid lunch).

Wednesday 7.45am to 5.30pm (30 min unpaid lunch).

(this equates to 39.25 hours per week, the FTE weekly hours are 36.25 therefore, the additional 3 hours per week will be taken back as time off during school closure periods).

*A term time (plus week) contract would be considered (to be explored at interview)

About Hollingworth Academy

Hollingworth Academy is part of the Hollingworth Learning Trust. The Trust’s core purpose is to make a positive difference to the lives of its children. Its role, as a sponsor of the academy, is to provide the support, challenge, expertise, and resources necessary to significantly improve the provision for education.

In 2023, Hollingworth Academy was awarded the World Class Schools Quality Mark; the only school in Greater Manchester and Lancashire out of 463 to achieve this world class status.

Here at Hollingworth Academy, we believe that everyone excels every day. This ethos is built on our core values of RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and RESILIENCE and these values are at the heart of everything we do. We want considerate and confident young adults who are respected within their community, capable of successfully entering further education, employment, and training. We will always have the highest expectations for all of our pupils, as their success is our success. We are extremely proud of our pupil and their achievements. Indeed, visitors frequently comment that they are confident, respectful, thoughtful, and articulate young people.

We strongly encourage prospective candidates to visit us during the school day to experience our ‘high expectations’ first-hand. To arrange a visit please contact us at applications@hollingworthacademy.co.uk

Start date: As soon as possible

Closing date: 9am, Wednesday 25^th March 2026

Interviews: Tuesday 31^st March 2026

To apply for this position please download the application form and supporting documentation. Completed applications should be sent to applications@hollingworthacademy.co.uk by the closing date.

Hollingworth Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and will be required to apply for an enhanced DBS disclosure and all other pre-employment checks outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education. All appointments are subject to Safer Recruitment practices.

Hollingworth Academy operates a Smoke Free Policy for all its employees and applies to any building and associated grounds within the immediate vicinity of the building which is wholly owned, leased, or operated and occupied by the academy.

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups including those based on ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

Applicants are informed that if appointed to this post their contract of employment will be with the Trust / Academy who is the employer, and not Rochdale Council.