The School Business Professional Apprenticeship (SBPA) is suitable for School Business Managers or those in similar business or support roles (Finance Manager, Office Manager, School Administrator, Business Support Officer, Bursar, HR Manager, etc.) in a school or academy based in England. There is no age limit and the vast majority of apprentices will already have experience of the role or could be relatively new to role. The Level 4 School Business Professional Apprenticeship (SBPA) will support participants in developing their operational and management capabilities as a School Business Manager.
Programme Details and Funding
The School Business Professional Apprenticeship will take around 19 months to complete (including three months for the completion of an end-point assessment) and is open to school business professionals or those working in school-support roles.
The programme allows you to attend five one-day face to face sessions, with progress reviews every 10 weeks and work-based and online learning covering the topics below. Your line manager will be able to show their support of your development through attending these coach visits and being involved in activities undertake for your off-the-job learning in a school.
A key requirement of your apprenticeship is to undertake ‘active learning’ each calendar month. Examples of this can be; workshops, practical training, learning support, time spent writing assignments and revision. Any learning towards your English and Maths Functional Skills will not be counted towards your off the job training.
If the learner is aged 19 or over at enrolment, the learner can be exempted from Functional Skills (valid evidence required) or can opt-out with approval from their employer.
The cost of this course is £6000 which will be taken from your school’s levy account. This value may change as prior learning will be taken into consideration before a final figure is provided to you.
Please Note: It is important that you check with your line/funding manager to confirm that there are sufficient funds within your DAS account before applying. For those that are Non-levy payers looking to apply, you can read here about alternative payment options.
For additional information on these topics, please refer to the overview document within the key documents section below.
How will I benefit from completing the SBP Apprenticeship?
‘Every topic is related to a practical area of the job role of a School Business Manager and is closely aligned with the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL) Standards’ – SBP Apprenticeship Learner
Read about how learners have benefitted from completing the SBP Apprenticeship below.
Kevin Parker read the full story
Carol Stephenson read the full story
Antoniya Abios read the full story
Other considerations
This is an exciting opportunity to gain a Level 4 qualification whilst working but please think carefully about your time commitment and how you will manage the day-job. Your employer must allow you time each month to undertake off-the-job study/learning; this does include the face-to-face sessions and coach visits, etc., though.
Whilst the programme is delivered flexibly there will be deadlines for assignments and attendance at one-day workshops is mandatory. Should you wish to discuss this further please contact Serco email: learnerrecruitment@serco.com
Remember to discuss this opportunity with your line manager who will be required to support you during your studies. You will also need separate permission or approval from your funding / apprenticeship manager (please check this before applying).
Please note that, whilst your learning will be guided, with support from your facilitators (at the workshops and online) and your coach, you will be expected to work through the learning materials via Serco Education’s online web platform.
Each unit that you study will have a start and end date and you may have one or two milestones during each unit, plus assignment submissions at the end of each unit, but aside from these it will be up to you and the amount of additional reading and research you do.
This may be a different style of learning to your previous experience and it relies on your own motivation and commitment to succeed; some of the evidence required for your portfolios will be compiled from your workplace or day-to-day role.
Why choose Serco?
Serco has trained over 16,000 school leaders across a wide range of leadership programmes. We have over ten years’ experience providing first-class tuition to education professionals through collaborating with reputable providers such as the SBM Partnership.
The coaches and facilitators working on the SBP Apprenticeship come from a variety of professional backgrounds and bring a wealth of knowledge in different subject areas such as business management and leadership which serve to enhance learner development throughout the duration of their studies.
SBP Apprenticeship information:
- Nearly 100 apprentices supported to complete the apprenticeship with many of these achieving a distinction and with a majority having also registered for ILM accreditation
- A pool of professional coaches and facilitators providing support and guidance throughout the apprenticeship
- Resources providing guidance for each unit available through Serco’s Leadership Learning Centre
- Opportunities to enhance your learning through face-to-face workshops
Key documents
To apply online, please scroll to section below.
Complaints Policy
We work hard to ensure that apprentices and their employers receive a high quality experience throughout an apprenticeship. We endeavour to respond to any concerns as soon as they arise but occasionally complaints do arise. Our employer complaints process can be found here
Key Dates
Apply by:
- 23.02.2026 for start date 23.03.2026
- 18.05.2026 for start date 15.06.2026
- 31.08.2026 for start date 28.09.2026
