Our people are fundamental to the success of MAST.

Great schools depend upon great people, and our central HR function supports schools to recruit, develop, retain and support colleagues throughout their employment with the Trust.

We work alongside Headteachers and senior leaders to provide responsive, practical and professional HR support while also helping schools think strategically about workforce capacity, organisational development and the long-term needs of their teams.

Our aim is to create workplaces in which colleagues are well supported, expectations are clear and people are able to do their best work.

Strategic HR leadership

People and HR across MAST is led by our Director of HR, who works closely with school leaders and the wider central team.

The Director of HR provides strategic advice and operational support across the Trust, helping leaders navigate employment matters confidently and consistently.

This includes supporting leaders with workforce planning, organisational change, recruitment, employee relations, policy, absence, performance, wellbeing and the development of effective people practices.

By providing Trust-level expertise, we reduce the burden on individual schools while ensuring that employment decisions are fair, compliant and aligned with our values.

Recruitment and appointment

Recruiting the right people is one of the most important decisions a school makes.

Our central HR team supports schools throughout the recruitment process, helping leaders attract strong candidates and manage appointments effectively.

Support includes:

• workforce planning and vacancy review;
• drafting and advertising roles;
• recruitment documentation;
• interview and selection processes;
• safer recruitment requirements;
• pre-employment checks;
• contracts and appointment documentation; and
• onboarding new colleagues.

We also work with schools to think more strategically about recruitment, succession and how MAST can develop its reputation as an employer of choice.

Supporting leaders with people management

Managing people well is a critical part of effective leadership.

Our HR team works alongside Headteachers and senior leaders to provide advice on a wide range of employment matters, including:

• performance and capability;
• conduct and disciplinary matters;
• grievances;
• attendance and absence;
• flexible working;
• family-related leave;
• probation;
• reasonable adjustments;
• workplace concerns;
• organisational change; and
• restructuring and consultation.

Our approach is to help leaders address issues early, fairly and proportionately while maintaining positive professional relationships wherever possible.

We aim to provide advice that is both legally sound and practical within the reality of a busy school environment.

Workforce planning

Strong schools need the right people in the right roles.

We support leaders to think beyond individual vacancies and consider the shape, capacity and sustainability of their workforce over time.

This includes reviewing:

• staffing structures;
• leadership capacity;
• succession planning;
• recruitment risks;
• workforce costs;
• areas of specialist expertise; and
• opportunities for collaboration across the Trust.

Working at Trust level allows us to identify patterns and opportunities across schools and to deploy expertise more flexibly where this is beneficial.

Developing and retaining talent

Recruitment matters, but retention matters just as much.

We want colleagues to see MAST as a place where they can grow, develop and build their careers.

Our HR function works alongside the education team and school leaders to support professional development, leadership pathways and opportunities for colleagues to gain experience beyond their own setting.

Where we identify talented colleagues, we want to support their development and create opportunities for them to contribute more widely across the Trust.

This strengthens individual careers while also building greater leadership and professional capacity across MAST.

Policies, consistency and compliance

The central HR team develops and maintains employment policies, procedures and guidance across the Trust.

This helps ensure that colleagues are treated consistently and that leaders have clear frameworks to support decision-making.

We also support schools with:

• employment documentation;
• statutory and contractual requirements;
• HR record keeping;
• policy implementation;
• employment law updates; and
• ensuring that people practices remain compliant and current.

Consistency does not mean treating every situation identically. It means applying clear principles fairly while recognising the individual circumstances of each case.

Wellbeing and workplace culture

We want MAST schools to be places where people feel valued, respected and supported.

Our approach to HR therefore extends beyond policies and procedures.

We work with leaders to develop healthy workplace cultures in which communication is clear, concerns are addressed constructively and colleagues are supported to maintain sustainable working practices.

Where staff experience difficulties, our role is to help leaders respond appropriately while balancing the needs of the individual, the team and the organisation.

Supporting organisational change

Schools and Trusts continue to evolve, and there will be times when structures or ways of working need to change.

Our HR team supports leaders through organisational change carefully and professionally.

This may include:

• restructures;
• changes to roles or responsibilities;
• consultation processes;
• changes to working arrangements;
• TUPE and organisational growth; and
• wider Trust development.

We aim to ensure that change is managed transparently, respectfully and with clear communication throughout.

A Trust-wide people approach

One of the strengths of MAST is that schools do not manage workforce challenges in isolation.

Through central HR support, shared expertise and Trust-wide workforce planning, we can respond more effectively to recruitment pressures, develop talent and support leaders with complex people matters.

We also create greater consistency in employment practice while preserving the individual character and context of each school.

Helping people flourish

Ultimately, our people strategy is about creating the conditions in which colleagues can succeed.

By providing expert HR advice, strong employment practice, strategic workforce planning and opportunities for professional growth, we help schools build stable, capable and motivated teams.

When our staff are well supported, they are better able to provide the consistency, care and high expectations our children deserve.

Our ambition is therefore the same for our people as it is for our pupils: that everyone within MAST has the opportunity to Belong, Be Safe and Flourish.