Developing management in schools through the apprenticeship levy

Introducing Alex Hawthorn

Alex leads and teaches on NITE's MA in Educational Leadership and Senior Leader Apprenticeship. Like many of us, she was disappointed to see the end of levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships. But here she explains how schools can continue to use the levy to support and retain great teachers and hence achieve better outcomes for the children and young people in their care.

Level 7 defunding is not the end

We know many schools have made great use of the apprenticeship levy to support colleagues through our highly acclaimed Senior Leader Apprenticeship and we’ve seen the impact it’s had both on individuals and their employing organisations. While this particular route will end with our final cohort this December, we’re excited to share a new opportunity that keeps leadership development firmly on the agenda.

You can now use your levy to support staff through the Level 5 Operations Manager Apprenticeship and we’ve made sure it’s tailored specifically for colleagues working in schools and colleges. It’s also mapped to the Chartered Management Institute’s for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership.

New opportunities through the L5 Operations Manager

We’ve built this programme using the most successful elements of our Senior Leader course, so your team will still benefit from the same high-quality experience. It’s designed to help participants:

• Lead with greater confidence and emotional intelligence
• Make better strategic decisions
• Manage teams and projects more effectively.

And the benefits go beyond the individual. While on course, learners apply their new skills directly to workplace projects, often aligned with your school’s strategic goals and delivering real, measurable improvements. You’ll also see:

• Greater staff retention and internal progression
• A stronger, more inclusive team culture
• Improved collaboration and performance across departments.

Who is this new course suitable for?

This apprenticeship has been designed for all operational leaders across the education sector, in Early Years, Primary, Secondary, Further Education and Higher Education. These are normally individuals in middle management positions with responsibility for staff, assets and budgets, roles such as head of department, subject leader, year team leader, SENCO but also managers in central services teams, admin, site or facilities. The apprenticeship also offers development for aspiring middle managers, staff in which you see as the managers of the future.

Invest in the future

So, whether you're nurturing future leaders or strengthening your middle management, this is a practical, fully levy-funded way to invest in your people.

Let’s make the most of your levy, support your team’s growth and build leadership capacity across your organisation.

And this is not the only step in our adjustment to a world without Level 7 funding. Keep an eye out - our Level 6 management apprenticeships are coming in 2026!

Want to know more about Operations Manager?

If you would like to know about this new apprenticeship and if it would work in your school, please contact us on nite.partnerships@coventry.ac.uk.