If you love business but your heart belongs to a school, surrounded by children and teachers, then this qualification may be perfect for you. A combination of business practices applied in a school environment, the Level 4 School Business Professional may be just what you need to break into your ideal role.
Jobs & Entry Criteria for this apprenticeship
Individual employers may set different entry requirements.
SBPs may work in any school phase (primary, secondary, special) and in different school structures: single academy trusts, multi academy trusts (MATs), local authority maintained schools, etc. Consequently, you can work in very different settings with varying numbers of people that you report to including the headteacher or School Business Director (SBD).
This apprenticeship qualification can lead to a variety of different jobs such as School Business Manager, HR Manager, Finance Manager, Office Manager, School Administrator, Business Support Officer, etc.
Roles such as School Business Manager pay a starting salary of £25k per annum, which can jump to £55k per annum once more experienced.
Key Responsibilities of a School Business Professional
What does a SBP actually do? Well, here are some common tasks you may carry out in your role
- drafting and monitoring the school budget
- management of the school site to ensure that it provides a safe and suitable learning environment
- preparation of marketing materials and lead a range of marketing activities to add value and promote the school externally
- responsibility for managing office and other support staff and for developing and maintaining effective administrative systems
- ensuring compliance with and implementation of safeguarding and Health & Safety policies
Core Competencies for the School Business Professional
There is a list of requirements that will need to be demonstrated in your portfolio. Your role and responsibilities as an SBP will automatically satisfy several competencies.
The competencies are split into 3 sections: knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs). There are 19 KSBs that need to be fulfilled in order to pass.
Some examples of each that you need to satisfy (but not limited to) are
- Finance – working knowledge of accounting practices
- Human resources – understanding employment/ teaching contracts and HR policies
- Ethical standards – understanding and demonstrating high standards of personal and professional conduct
- Project management – planning, organising and managing processes to ensure value for money for the school whilst supporting education delivery
- Communication and relationship building – communicating appropriately and effectively with a range of stakeholders including students, parents, governors/trustees, staff, government and local government departments
- Change management – embracing change in school and influencing others in a positive manner
- Strategic management – managing support services across the school and also providing guidance to colleagues on appropriate use of school funding.
- Decision making – demonstrating a confident approach to decision making and prioritisation
- Negotiating – being open, approachable, building trust, consulting other and seeking opinions of others
- collaborating – being able to work efficiently and respectfully with others, displaying professional competence in all settings and situations
- Resilience – being able to adapt, change and challenge situations.
End Point Assessment for a School Business Professional Apprentice
As a School Business Professional, you will need to equip yourself with the following in order to pass your qualification.
To go through the EPA Gateway you will need
- a portfolio of learning
- completion of a workplace project
- English and Mathematics level 2 as a minimum
Once this is done, the EPA Assessment is then conducted, consisting of
- a simulated task
- a project report & presentation with Q&A (underpinned by workplace project and portfolio of learning)
Conclusion
The Level 4 School Business Professional is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to pursue a career in the educational and business sector.
The core skills covered in this apprenticeship will open up a wide range of job opportunities. In addition, you will earn while you learn and excellent progression opportunities exist to advance your career.
Get hands on.
