School Business Manager

Typical Salary

£25,000 To £65,000

Typical Hours

35 to 39 a week

evenings attending events or appointments

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

College / University

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

accountancy
business management
public administration
human resources

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can start by doing a business administrator advanced apprenticeship or school business professional higher apprenticeship.

Routes into this Career

You may be able to start as a school administrator or secretary. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs, including English and maths. With experience, 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
ILM Level 5 Diploma in School Business Leadership

Visit the Institute of School Business Leadership for more details about training and qualifications.

You could apply directly to become a school business manager if you have a strong background in finance, management or similar. An accountancy qualification may be needed for this job.

You'll usually need experience of motivating people, and experience of working in education will be an advantage.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

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 competently

Day To Day Tasks

You’ll:

advise the headteacher and governors on financial policy
plan how to spend and control the budget and reduce costs
order goods and services and pay suppliers and contractors
pay salaries
keep accounts for inspection
report to the headteacher, governors, and local authority and government departments

Your other day-to-day duties may include:

recruiting, training and managing school support staff
managing school building maintenance
handling contracts and tenders for services
making sure school security and health and safety policies are followed
developing the school's marketing and communications strategy
managing the school's administrative systems

Working Environment

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

Career Path & Progression

You could develop your career by moving to a larger school or college with a bigger budget. You could also move into financial or educational management with a local authority.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You can find more details about professional standards and support from the Institute of School Business Leadership and GOV.UK.

Further information

You can get more advice about working as a school business manager from the Institute of School Business Leadership and Skills for Schools.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks