School Senior Leader
Level 7 Apprenticeship
For school and MAT leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher with responsibility for leading several schools, academies or LA Virtual Schools and have a minimum of three years as a headteacher or head of school.
Early Bird Deadline: October 10
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At a glance
Course duration
15 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.
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
The programme is delivered over typically 14 months, with a mix of school-based leadership practice, formal learning, coaching and independent assessment. Before entering the end-point assessment phase, participants must satisfy requirements such as proficiency in English and mathematics, and employer confirmation that they are operating at or above the standard of a school senior leader.
At the end of the programme, participants undertake an independent assessment comprising:
- a strategic business proposal plus presentation and questioning, and
- a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence.
This ensures that the leader is able to translate knowledge, skills and behaviours into real, sustainable impact in their school context.
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
Master's Fast-Track
The School Senior Leader Apprenticeship is already delivered at master’s level and now, thanks to our partnership with the University of Chester, that work is formally recognised.
You will gain 120 credits towards a full MA in Educational Leadership, with the option to complete the final 60-credit dissertation module online, supported by University of Chester tutors. The cost? Just £3,210, a fraction of the standard £9,630 master’s fee.
And because most of the learning takes place within the Executive Leader Programme, very little additional study is needed. It’s a straightforward, affordable route to a full Master’s degree—with high-level leadership development at its core.
Start with 120 credits. Add 60 credits. Graduate with a Master’s for just £3,210.
Why should I undertake the dual award?
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Cross-sector learning
Candidates access cutting-edge theory, resources and delivery from thought leaders and leading practitioners from all sectors of the economy.
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Awards 120 Master's credits
Can be used as a springboard onto an MA in Educational Leadership with the University of Chester.
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Practice-based programme
Candidates undertake school-based activities and are assessed on how they apply learning in their day-to-day role, helping develop and refine organisational management and leadership skills.
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A wider view of leadership
Candidates apply cross-sector management and leadership practice to their school context providing greater challenge and a broader perspective to organisational improvement.
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Access to extra 1:1 coaching and content
Throughout the course you will have access to 1:1 coaching and teaching to help you succeed in the qualification.
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A personal experienced tutor to help you
An experienced tutor will help you throughout both the apprenticeship and the National Professional Qualification (NPQ).
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Utilise levy funding
This professional development opportunity makes use of the apprenticeship levy and includes the DfE accredited NPQEL at no additional cost.
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Chartered Management Institute
Eligibility to become a Chartered Fellow and Institute of Leadership and Management Fellow.
This programme focuses on the holistic development of the appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours, designed in partnership with cross-sector industries, to ensure bespoke coverage of all the relevant requirements of leading and managing at an executive level at your setting or across multiple organisations.
The Executive Leader Programme makes use of a blended delivery model consisting of Face-to-Face events, online study, webinars and coaching.
Face-to-Face
NPQEL participants will attend 6 face-to-face events (including 1 x 2 day conference) via the blended delivery model. Our nationwide delivery partnership network allows us to bring face-to-face training to a regional conference centre , facilitated by experienced school leaders and facilitators.
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Online Learning
Participants access online learning and support via our virtual learning environment (VLE) Canvas. Through Canvas, participants are able to engage with their learning communities of peers and access multimedia content. They can also access research and expert-led school practice aligned to the curriculum content for the qualification, receive high-quality feedback from experienced performance coaches and submit work for assessment.
How do I access the funding?
You can access funding for the Executive Leader Programme with NPQEL from your school’s Apprenticeship Levy. Schools will be able to access the funding through their apprenticeship service (AS) account.
If your school needs help setting up your AS account, just let us know and we’ll guide you through it.
The Executive Leader Programme with NPQEL costs £14,000 from Apprenticeship Levy funds or co-investment for non-levy payers where the government pays 95% (the NPQEL standalone cost is £4095).
The level of funding depends on each candidate’s learning needs, with a maximum allocation of £14,000 to cover the cost of the apprenticeship.
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
The levy is paid by large employers with a wage bill of over £3 million. These employers pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill into the levy. Most state-maintained schools and multi-academy trusts pay into the levy.
The levy is designed to create long term sustainable funding for apprenticeships and to give employers more control to provide their staff with a range of training opportunities.
Apprenticeship funded training is designed for both new and existing staff members.
If your school is not a levy payer or has exhausted its levy funds, the government will pay 95% of tuition fees with your school paying the remaining 5%. Please contact us if you would like more information.
Below is the programme structure for the Executive Leader Programme:
Below are the learning hours for the NPQEL and the Level 7 Senior Leader Standard:.png)
Applicants must have full support from their school/organisation. A Chair of Governors, School Improvement Officer (or similar authoritative role) must confirm their support and that all information submitted is true and correct. This is a Department for Education mandatory requirement.
To apply, applicants must have the following:
- Teacher Reference Number - see TRN Support Guide
- Leadership aspiration/experience
- 3 years experience as a headteacher
If you are unsure if you meet the above requirements or have other relevant experience then please contact our team who will be able to support your application.
Our Executive Leader Programme dual award includes the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL). For more information about NPQEL click here.
Best Practice Network is one of the leading providers of NPQEL nationally and the quality of our provision is rated ‘Exceptional’ by the DfE’s external quality assurance agent.
You can view our performance against the national metrics here.
Laura Saunders, Lead Facilitator, delivered a webinar consisting of a 30 minute presentation about the Executive Leader Programme followed by a Q&A session.
The slides used during the presentation can be downloaded here.
How to apply
Applications are now open for Autumn 2025. Apply below and start studying in November.
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