School Senior Leader
Level 7 Apprenticeship
A fully funded 14-month leadership programme for senior school leaders, with flexible study that fits around your role and the option to fast-track to a Master’s degree. A great option for non-teaching leaders ineligible for NPQs.
The only intake of this specialised Level 7 apprenticeship in senior school leadership with Master's Pathway!
Apply by 26 October for a late November start
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At a glance
Course duration
14 Months
Master's Credits
120 (+ option to complete a full MA)
Expert support from your personal Apprenticeship Tutor
Access to cross-sector leadership resources & expertise
Monthly Coaching
Sessions
Programme cost
£14,000 £0 with Apprenticeship Levy funding
What is the School Senior Leader Programme?
The School Senior Leader Programme is a leadership development pathway tailored for senior leaders within primary, secondary or multi-academy trust settings. It is built on the nationally recognised Level 7 Senior Leader apprenticeship standard, adapting its principles and expectations to the unique demands of school leadership.
To be eligible for the programme, participants must:
- have at least two years’ experience as a senior leader within a school or MAT setting
- have a Level 4 or 5 qualification
- have the opportunity to demonstrate setting direction, budgets and data, vision, governance and providing a clear sense of purpose for their area of responsibility
- be currently employed in a school or setting
- have the right to work and study in the UK
Example job roles include:
- School Business Manager
- Deputy Headteacher
- Headteacher
- Financial Officer
- HR Manager
- Regional Manager
- Associate Director
- Area Manager
- Assistant headteacher
- Head of Department
Participants in the programme will develop the abilities to:
- Set strategic direction and governance for their school(s), ensuring alignment with vision, values and stakeholder expectations
- Lead organisational change, innovation and improvement across curriculum, staff, operations and partnerships
- Use evidence, data and insight to diagnose challenges, identify opportunities and manage risk
- Build inclusive, ethical, high-performing cultures where staff are empowered, supported and trusted
- Steward resources (budget, facilities, staffing) effectively and transparently
- Navigate external accountability, compliance, inspection frameworks and stakeholder relations
- Communicate vision externally with trustees, boards, regulators, parents and community partners
Alongside the apprenticeship, participants also have the option to fast-track to a Master’s degree, building on their work in the programme to gain an advanced academic qualification as well as professional recognition.
Who should apply for the School Senior Leader Apprenticeship Apprenticeship?
You should be employed in a school or college in England for the duration of your study and hold a leadership or management role, such as:
- Executive headteacher or MAT leader
- Headteacher or Principal
- Deputy Head or Assistant Head
- SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)
- School Business Manager
- Head of Department, Head of Year, or Head of House
Why should School Business Managers apply?
This apprenticeship develops SBMs into strategic leaders who influence not just operations, but the overall direction of their school or trust.
- Elevate your role from operations to strategy: learn to lead resource planning, procurement, compliance, and governance at a senior level
- Speak the language of educational leadership: with this qualification, you’ll be better equipped to partner in strategic conversations and align business decisions to educational goals
- Grow your influence: the skills you acquire open doors to roles like finance lead, COO in MATs, or central trust operations leadership
- Add formal credibility: the apprenticeship gives you recognised credentials that back up your experience and enhance your profile
- Fast-track to a Master’s qualification, gaining both professional and academic recognition.
Why should Executive Headteachers and MAT leaders apply?
This programme helps experienced leaders refine their strategic edge and strengthen their impact across schools or trusts.
- Strengthen your ability to lead at scale: use advanced strategic thinking, governance, and change-management skills to guide multiple schools or trusts
- Demonstrate your commitment to professional leadership - gaining formal recognition (e.g. via Chartered Manager or leadership bodies) that aligns with your responsibilities
- Gain fresh insight and best practice from peers and tutors, pulling you out of isolation and giving you new ideas to take back to your executive role
- Build evidence for succession planning: your learning becomes part of your legacy, and you’ll be better placed to mentor, shape, and promote future leaders
- Fast-track to a Master’s qualification, turning your apprenticeship into an advanced academic achievement
Why should Heads of Department and Year apply?
For ambitious middle leaders, this is the stepping stone into senior leadership, giving you the skills and confidence to take on whole-school responsibility.
- Accelerate your readiness for senior leadership by developing strategic, financial, and organisational skills beyond your current remit
- Gain visibility: completing a Level 7 apprenticeship helps you stand out when senior leadership roles open up
- Learn in context: you can apply new leadership, change, and data-driven techniques directly to your day-to-day work, seeing impact immediately
- Expand your network: engage with leaders across schools and disciplines, gaining fresh perspectives and support
- Fast-track to a Master’s qualification, building on your apprenticeship to gain a recognised academic degree.
Why should SENCOs apply?
For SENCOs, this is a pathway to broaden influence beyond SEND and secure a seat at the senior leadership table.
- Broaden your influence: move from specialist SEND leadership into whole-school leadership by gaining insight into strategy, culture, and organisational change
- Advocate more effectively: with stronger leadership and negotiation skills, you’ll be better placed to represent SEND needs at senior leadership tables
- Bridge strategy and inclusion: apply inclusive leadership practices so equity, diversity, and inclusion are built into your school’s strategic vision
- Future-proof your career: the apprenticeship helps you grow into roles such as Assistant Head / Inclusion Lead or broader senior leadership in MATs
- Fast-track to a Master’s qualification, expanding your expertise and formalising your leadership credentials.
OPTIONAL: Master's Fast-Track
The School Senior Leader Apprenticeship is taught at master’s level and is formally recognised by the University of Chester. That means your hard work on the apprenticeship doesn’t just stand alone — it also counts directly towards a full Master’s degree.
By completing the apprenticeship you will earn 120 master’s-level credits. You can then choose to finish a final 60-credit dissertation module online, supported every step of the way by University of Chester tutors. The cost is just £3,210 - a fraction of the usual £10,000+ Master’s fee.
No degree? No problem.
- You do not need a bachelor’s degree to take this route
- If you are eligible to start a Level 7 apprenticeship, you are automatically eligible for the Master’s fast track
- Your professional experience in school leadership is recognised and valued by the university and by Best Practice Network
Worried about completing a Master’s? You won’t be on your own.
The University of Chester has supported hundreds of education professionals — including School Business Managers, headteachers, deputy heads, senior leadership team members, and trust executives — to complete their Master’s successfully. The support is extensive and personal:
- Dissertation supervisor: 1:1 guidance throughout your project
- Personal tutor: Support with any concerns, worries, or practical issues beyond the dissertation
- Study Skills & Library Services Teams: Webinars and 1:1 support
- Help with structuring assignments, paragraphs, and referencing
- Bookable sessions on referencing and digital resource use
- Pre-set and tailored sessions designed around your needs.
Why it works for school leaders
Because the apprenticeship already covers the majority of the Master’s learning, very little extra study is required. The dissertation simply builds on the leadership work you’ve already done in your school, academy, or trust. This makes it a straightforward, affordable, and realistic route to a full Master’s degree — even if you’ve never studied at this level before.
By completing the fast track, you’ll graduate with a Master’s in Educational Leadership that strengthens your professional credibility and opens the door to senior leadership or executive roles across schools and MATs.
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How is the programme delivered?
The apprenticeship is completed over 14 months and is designed to flex around your existing school commitments. Learning is structured so you can decide when to schedule activities, making it practical alongside a busy leadership role.
You will engage in a blend of:
- School-based leadership practice – applying learning directly in your setting
- Formal learning – structured modules that build advanced leadership knowledge
- Coaching – 1:1 guidance tailored to your goals
- Independent study and assessment – at a pace that works for you End-point
Off-the-job training
Off-the-job training is structured learning that takes place outside of an apprentice’s usual, day-to-day work tasks, but during contracted working hours. It ensures that an apprentice has dedicated time to develop new knowledge, skills, and behaviours relevant to their role. This kind of training must be meaningful, directly linked to the apprenticeship standard, and documented so that progress is evident.
Examples of off-the-job training include coaching or mentoring sessions, formal training events, project work, reflective learning, research, shadowing, interactive online modules, networking, and skill development activities.
How is the programme assessed?
To complete the programme, you’ll undertake an independent assessment that includes:
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A strategic business proposal with presentation and questioning
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A professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
Benefits include:
- Strategic impact in schools: Leaders gain the capability to influence direction, culture and performance at the highest level within a school or trust
- Evidence-based decision making: Through applied learning and project work, leaders build the skills to use data, research and insight to guide resource allocation, risk management and innovation
- Stronger leadership capacity and succession: Schools grow internal leaders able to sustain improvement and continuity, reducing reliance on external recruitment
- Professional recognition and credibility: The programme aligns with national standards and pathways to chartered and leadership body memberships (e.g. Chartered Management Institute)
- Accountability readiness: Participants become adept at reporting to boards, governors, trust leadership and regulators, improving transparency and stakeholder trust
- Cost-effective development: Because the programme builds professional capability in role, schools obtain leadership development with less disruption than traditional external courses
- Holistic leadership growth: With emphasis on behaviours, inclusion, ethics and organizational culture, leaders emerge more rounded and resilient
- Supportive structure :The programme includes coaching, mentor support, structured modules and peer learning, helping leaders reflect and grow through challenges
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