School business manager

School business managers oversee the efficient day-to-day running of a school and support the headteacher and leadership team.

Also known as: School business professional

• Starter salary£26,000 a year
• Experienced£52,000 a year
• Typical hours36 to 40 a week

What you'll do

As a school business manager, you could:

• advise the headteacher and governors on financial policy
• manage the school budget
• order goods and services and pay suppliers and contractors
• keep accounts up to date for inspection
• oversee school buildings maintenance contracts
• recruit, train and manage school support staff
• make sure school security and health and safety policies are followed
• develop the school's marketing and communications strategy
• manage the school's administrative systems
• report to the headteacher, governors, and local authority and government departments

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a school or at a college.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• leadership skills
• business management skills
• customer service skills
• the ability to work well with others
• to be flexible and open to change
• maths and financial skills
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• knowledge of human resources and employment law
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a school business manager

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly

University

You could do a foundation degree or degree, or a professional qualification, in a subject like:

• accountancy
• business management
• public administration
• human resources

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship with a school, for example:

• Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• School Business Professional Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

You can also complete a Chartered Manager Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship for managers and senior school leaders, depending on your experience.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work

You may be able to start as a school administrator or secretary. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs, including English and maths. With experience and training, you could apply for promotion to office manager or business manager.

If you're already working as a school administrator you could take a qualification like the:

• ILM Level 4 Diploma in School Business Management
• CIPD Level 5 Diploma in People Management for School Business Professionals

The Institute of School Business Leadership has more details about training and qualifications.

Direct application

You could apply directly to become a school business manager if you have a strong background in finance or management. An accountancy qualification may be needed for some jobs, and you'll need experience of motivating people.

Experience of working in education will be an advantage.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Career path and progression

You could develop your career by moving to a larger school or college. You could also move into financial or educational management in a local authority, or use your skills to work for a public organisation like the NHS.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of School Business Leadership for training and development opportunities and to make contacts within the profession.

Guides for this industry

• Education & Teaching: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleHuman resources officer
• Job rolePublic finance accountant
• Job roleCompany secretary
• Job roleGP practice manager
• Job roleLocal government revenues officer

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0