School budgets are tight, workloads are heavy, and the pressure to upskill staff has never been greater. If you’re a School Business Manager (SBM), you’re constantly balancing financial responsibility with the need to develop people and improve outcomes.
One opportunity that is still underused in the education sector is Apprenticeship Levy gifting. When accessed correctly, it can fund high-quality training for your staff at little or no cost to your school.
This blog explains what levy gifting is, who can use it, and crucially, how SBMs can access it.
What is Apprenticeship Levy gifting?
Large UK employers with an annual payroll of over £3 million pay the Apprenticeship Levy. These employers build up levy funds in a digital account, which they must use within 24 months or lose.
To avoid wasted funds, levy paying organisations can gift up to 50% of their unused levy to other employers – including schools – within their supply chain or local community.
For schools that do not pay the levy (most maintained schools and many academies), this opens the door to fully funded apprenticeship training.
Why levy gifting matters for schools
Levy gifting can support training across a wide range of school roles – not just teachers. Common examples include:
- School Business Managers and Finance Officers
- Teaching Assistants and HLTA roles
- IT Support and Digital roles
- Facilities, Estates and Operations staff
- HR, Data and Governance roles
For SBMs, levy gifting offers three big wins:
- Cost efficiency – training costs are covered by gifted levy funds
- Workforce development – staff gain recognised qualifications while working
- Retention and succession planning – investing in people builds loyalty and future capacity
Who Is eligible to receive gifted levy?
Most schools are eligible, including:
- Maintained schools
- Single and multi academy trusts
- Independent schools (subject to eligibility checks)
Your school does not need to pay the levy itself to benefit.
What you do need is:
- An apprenticeship eligible role
- A training provider approved on the DfE register
- A levy donating employer willing to gift funds
How SBMs Can Access Levy Gifting: Step by Step
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Identify Skills Gaps and Priority Roles
Start with your workforce plan. Ask:
- Where are we relying on single points of failure?
- Which roles would benefit from formal training or progression?
- Where could apprenticeships support succession planning?
Many SBMs themselves are eligible for Level 4–6 apprenticeships in business, finance, leadership, or operations.
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Choose the Right Apprenticeship Standard
Apprenticeships are not entry level only. They range from Level 2 through to Level 6 (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree level).
Examples relevant to schools include:
- School Business Professional (Level 4)
- Team Leader (Level 4)
- Operations Manager (Level 5)
- Senior staff, Manager or Director (Level 6)
- Data Technician or Digital Support roles
A good training provider can help map standards to your roles.
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Partner with an approved training provider
Your provider is critical. They will:
- Confirm role and learner eligibility
- Support curriculum planning and off the job training requirements
- Often help source levy donations on your behalf
Many providers already have relationships with levy paying employers specifically to support schools and public sector organisations.
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Secure a levy donor
This is where SBMs often assume things get complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.
Levy donors are typically:
- Large local employers
- National companies with regional footprints
- Public or third sector organisations with surplus levy
In most cases, your training provider facilitates the gifting arrangement, matching your school with a donor and handling the paperwork through the Apprenticeship Service.
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Complete the Apprenticeship Service setup
Your school will need an account on the government’s Apprenticeship Service platform. This allows:
- Acceptance of gifted levy funds
- Approval of apprenticeship agreements
- Monitoring of training payments
Once set up, the funds flow directly to the training provider – no reimbursement, no complex invoicing.
Common Myths SBMs should ignore
“Apprenticeships are only for young or junior staff.”
False. Many apprentices are experienced professionals upskilling while working full‑time.
“The admin will be overwhelming.”
With the right provider, the administrative burden on schools is minimal.
“Levy gifting sounds competitive or uncertain.”
In reality, many levy paying employers are actively looking for recipients to avoid losing funds.
Why SBMs are key to making this work
As an SBM, you sit at the intersection of finance, strategy, and people. That makes you perfectly placed to:
- Champion levy gifting at leadership level
- Align training with school improvement plans
- Ensure funding opportunities are not missed
Levy gifting is not just a funding mechanism – it’s a strategic workforce tool.
How Serco supports schools with Levy Gifting
One of the biggest barriers SBMs face is not wanting to use levy gifting but knowing where to start and how to secure a reliable levy donor. This is where Serco can play a valuable supporting role.
Serco works with large levy paying employers across the UK and has established processes to:
- Match schools with appropriate levy gifters, removing the need for SBMs to approach employers directly
- Support introductions and alignment where appropriate.
For schools, this means less uncertainty, less admin, and a far smoother route to accessing gifted levy funding.
Apprenticeships designed for educational non‑teaching staff
Serco delivers apprenticeship programmes built specifically for education settings, focusing on the real world needs of nonteaching staff.
Our School Business Professional and Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship’s are suitable for the following roles:
- School Business Professionals
- Finance and Operations roles
- HR, Data and Governance staff
- IT and Digital Support roles
- Facilities, Estates and Operational teams.
The courses are designed to fit around the school year, support existing staff (not just new starters), and align with the realities of working in education.
You can explore the current range of education focused apprenticeship courses here, all of which are eligible for levy gifting.
Why work with Serco?
For SBMs, working with Serco means:
- A single point of contact for levy gifting and employer matching
- Confidence that levy funds are sourced ethically and compliantly
- Access to education apprenticeship pathways that have been contextualised for schools and informed and built by serving education professionals
- Support that understands the pressures and constraints of school environments
- Serco delivery staff have extensive experience in education management roles at senior levels.
In short, Serco helps turn levy gifting from a good idea into a practical, deliverable workforce solution.
Final thoughts
At a time when schools are asked to do more with less, Apprenticeship Levy gifting offers a practical, underused solution. With the right support, SBMs can unlock high value training, strengthen teams, and invest in long term sustainability, without adding pressure to already stretched budgets.
With Serco supporting levy matching and access to education specific apprenticeship programmes, schools no longer need to navigate this process alone.
Ready to explore Levy Gifting for your school?
If you’re an SBM looking to develop your non‑teaching staff without increasing training spend, now is the time to act.
👉 Get in touch with Serco to book a discovery call and explore:
- Whether your school is eligible for levy gifting
- Which apprenticeship programmes best fit your workforce
- How quickly levy funding could be secured and deployed.
A short discovery call could unlock fully funded training that delivers long term value for your school.
Important Notice
This content is provided as general guidance based on current Apprenticeship Levy and levy‑gifting rules as set out by the Department for Education at the time of writing. Eligibility, funding availability, and programme requirements may vary and are subject to change.
Schools are advised to seek confirmation from their training provider and relevant authorities before making decisions or commitments.
