New for 2026 — School Improvement Programme: a levy-funded Level 6 route for improvement leaders. Find out more

National College of Education

Level 6 School Improvement Apprenticeship

School Improvement Programme

Develop the confidence, expertise and strategic                          mindset to lead meaningful school improvement

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  • Ofsted Good Provider
  • Cyber Essentials Certified
  • CMI Outstanding Training Provider of the Year
  • Training Qualifications UK
Embedded AI Capability Throughout

Next cohort deadline

1 September 2026

Applications close, fixed cohort

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Explore this apprenticeship

Jump to what matters most.

OverviewCurriculumBenefitsCost & fundingEligibilityProgressionFAQs

The essentials

The apprenticeship at a glance

Level

6

Duration

18 months +4 months EPA

Delivery

18 monthly sessions

Assessment

EPA: project with report

Funding

£15,000

Next cohort

1 September 2026

What will I learn?

  • A deep theoretical understanding of service design, systems thinking and user-centred practice
  • The practical capability to research, design, test and improve services, using evidence and AI-enabled approaches where appropriate
  • Leadership and collaboration skills to influence stakeholders, support others’ development and embed sustainable change
  • A strong commitment to ethical, inclusive and environmentally responsible design, including responsible approaches to AI
  • The ability to evaluate solutions, articulate decisions and evidence impact for users, organisations and wider society
  • Practical AI capability to identify opportunities, evaluate AI-enabled solutions and support innovation across education settings

How is it delivered?

  • Flexible Spotlight Sessions and self-paced digital learning, supported by Quarterly 'Ask the Expert' podcasts and personalised coaching
  • Practical, role-focused learning through the PRIME Learning Model, connecting learning to real-world application, inclusion and impact
  • Dedicated support from a named Professional Learning Mentor          and workplace mentor throughout the programme
  • A minimum of six hours per week of protected off-the-job learning, recorded in Aptem
  • Workplace-based service improvement projects that enable you to apply service design, research, testing and improvement methods to real challenges within your education setting
  • Embedded AI learning throughout the programme, developing your ability to identify opportunities, evaluate AI-enabled solutions and apply AI responsibly in education settings

Who is it for?

  • School improvement leads
  • SENCOs and inclusion leaders
  • Behaviour and attendance leads
  • Operations and systems leaders
  • Trust central teams and improvement partners
  • Local authority school improvement professionals

What do I need?

  • A substantive role in a school, MAT, local authority or education setting, with opportunities to contribute to service improvement or transformation
  • A minimum of 30 working hours per week
  • Employer support to provide protected off-the-job learning time and opportunities to gather workplace evidence
  • Level 2 English and Maths (GCSE grade 4/C or equivalent) for learners aged 16–18; Functional Skills are optional for learners aged 19+
  • Right to work in the UK and meet the eligibility requirements for apprenticeship funding

The apprenticeship

What is the School Improvement Programme Programme?

The way schools redesign systems and services matters more than ever. The SEND reforms are one clear example: schools must publish their first annual inclusion strategy by December 2026, with Ofsted judging how inclusive a school genuinely is in practice, not just on paper. This means mapping pathways, redesigning workflows and creating evidence for meaningful improvement — all closely aligned with the service design skills developed through this apprenticeship.

But the same skill set applies well beyond SEND. Any school or trust redesigning admissions, behaviour systems, transition processes, parent communication or back-office workflows needs someone who can research user needs, prototype and test new approaches, and lead change across multi-agency or multi-department teams. That's what this standard develops: the ability to move from managing a process to genuinely redesigning it.

Delivered over 22 months and funded up to £15,000 through the levy, it equips a SENDCo, inclusion lead or any improvement-minded member of staff to lead change with confidence, backed by clear evidence of impact.

Apprenticeship architecture

What will you learn?

01

Introduction to Service Design      (Months 1 - 5)

Introduction to Service Design and Systems Thinking, Multidisciplinary Service Ecosystems, Human-Centred Design & Design Thinking, Service Mapping & Blueprinting and User Research Methods & Data Ethics

02

Research, Design & Testing              (Months 6 - 9)

Applied Research, Mapping & Insight Work,  Ideation & Concept Development, Prototyping Approaches and User Testing & Iterative Improvement

03

Co-Design, Delivery & Innovation (Months 10 - 14)

Co-Design & Facilitation, Agile & Project Management,  Design & Delivery Skills Workshop, Strategic Prioritisation & Decision-Making and Technology, Innovation & Future Design

04

Ethics, Leadership & Professional Practice (Months 15 - 18)

Ethics, GDPR & Responsible Design, Inclusion, Equity & Sustainability, Organisational Strategy, Leadership & Horizon Scanning, Professional Practice, Reflection and Leadership

05

Gateway & EPA Preparation             (Months 19 - 22)

Gateway and EPA preparation: Mock professional discussion, EPA portfolio mapping and gap analysis, work-based project and report support, presentation preparation and final reflective discussion. 

Grow your people. Strengthen your organisation.

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Why invest in the School Improvement Programme? Here's what employers get when they back their team through this programme, no extra budget needed.

Up to 100% Levy-funded. Delivered around the working day. Built for real workplace impact.

Measurable improvement in real services

Every learner delivers a work-based improvement project against a live school service, attendance, behaviour, SEND, safeguarding, evidenced against KPIs you set together.

AI capability, responsibly embedded

Learners return equipped to identify, evaluate and lead responsible adoption of AI-enabled tools across education services.

Cross-functional capacity

Build a shared service-design language across SENCOs, ops leaders, pastoral leads and trust central teams.

Up to 100% Levy-funded

£15,000 drawn from the Apprenticeship Levy, no cost to the school or trust for training or assessment. Non-levy employers contribute only £750 (5%).

Retention of high-potential staff

Investing in a Level 6 progression pathway materially improves retention of your best improvement talent.

A pipeline into senior leadership

Successful completers can progress into Level 7 leadership pathways and Masters progression routes.

£0

cost to employer

=

£15,000

funded via Apprenticeship Levy

Levy transfers depend on partner availability and can't be guaranteed on every enrolment. As your training provider we'll pursue every funding route available, co-investment, transfer partnerships and incentive payments, so your workforce journey is as cost-effective as possible.

Cost & funding

How much does the School Improvement Programme apprenticeship cost?

The apprenticeship costs £15,000, funded in full through the employer's Apprenticeship Levy. Learners contribute nothing towards training, assessment or qualification fees.

Non-levy paying employers access the same apprenticeship through government co-investment: the government funds 95% (£14,250) and the employer contributes 5% (£750). Alternatively, employers can receive a levy transfer of up to 50% of another organisation's unused levy, NCE supports employers through either route end-to-end.

Need help understanding the Levy? Book a call

Am I in?

Am I eligible?

Not sure? Ask our team

Where it fits

How does this compare, and where does it lead?

Side-by-side against other NCE apprenticeships, plus the progression ladder from starting point to next step.

ApprenticeshipLevelDurationWho it's forQualificationFunding
School Improvement ApprenticeshipThis pageLevel 618 months +4 months EPAImprovement leads, SENCOs, ops, trust teamsSchool Improvement (ST0930)£15,000
Youth Worker Degree ApprenticeshipLevel 636m + EPAYouth workers in school & community settingsYouth Worker Integrated Degree (ST0784)£22,000
Learning and Skills TeacherLevel 515m + EPATeachers/trainers in FE and work-based learningLearning and Skills Teacher (ST0851)£7,000
Specialist Teaching AssistantLevel 518m + EPAExperienced TAs specialising in SEND / curriculumSpecialist TA (ST1246)£12,000

Progression ladder

Your journey through the School Improvement Programme

  1. 1

    Step 1

    During the apprenticeship

    Lead a substantive work-based improvement project in your setting, build a portfolio of service design artefacts, and grow the improvement capability of the team around you.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Immediately after

    Step into an expanded improvement, inclusion, operations or trust-level role, bringing service design and AI capability into everyday practice.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Long-term

    Progress into Level 7 leadership pathways or a Masters progression route, and lead improvement across schools, trusts and systems.

Next steps

Learning and Skills Teacher Specialist Teaching Assistant

The impact

The impact this apprenticeship delivers.

Outcomes drawn from NCE cohort data and case studies.

74.1%

of NCE learners achieve Distinctions

NCE learner outcomes

94.7%

of NCE learners complete on time

NCE learner outcomes

£15k

fully funded training value per learner via the Apprenticeship Levy

ESFA funding band ST0930

18

months to a Level 6 qualification with Masters progression pathways

Apprenticeship handbook 2025/26

Last updated August 2026

See what they say about us

Voices from the School Improvement Programme.

Still wondering?

Frequently asked questions about the School Improvement Programme.

Learners

Ready to apply?

Register your interest and we'll be in touch with cohort dates and next steps.

Employers

Want to talk it through?

Speak to a real person, register your interest and our employer team will work through fit, funding and cohort planning with you.

0333 123 4567 hello@nationaleducation.collegeMon–Fri, 9am–5pm