School Business Professional

On a school business professional apprenticeship course, you’ll help administer and manage schools’ financial, site and support services. 

A school business specialist controls and maintains a school’s financial, site, and support services (primary and secondary).

As an apprentice, you will be prepared to help school leadership teams carry out their financial and commercial decisions while working in various school structures, such as academy trusts and local authority maintained schools.

Setting and colleague numbers may vary, but you will be responsible for a range of day-to-day operations such as budgeting and financial reporting, payroll, site management, identifying money-generating opportunities, and office administration.

This apprenticeship is designed to train apprentices to become school business managers, human resources managers, finance managers, and office managers.

What you’ll learn

On a school business professional apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Manage the plans of senior staff and develops finances to fit them.
• Accept change in school and has a positive impact on others.
• Achieve excellent outcomes interact effectively and appropriately with a wide range of stakeholders, including students, parents, governors/trustees, staff, government and local government agencies such as the DfE/ESFA. 
• Manage all aspects of a school’s support services while advising colleagues on the most efficient use of school finances.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.
• Pass enhanced background checks

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment consists of two distinct assessment methods: 

• Simulated task
• Project report & presentation with questions and answers (Q&A)

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 4 School Business Professional Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.