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L7Apprenticeship23610 approved providers
The Level 7 Senior leader, and the 10 providers delivering it.
A leader who has senior management responsibility.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead at senior level across an organisation or a significant part of one. This includes setting strategic direction, managing budgets and resources, overseeing procurement and supply chains, and building high-performance teams. The programme covers financial strategy, governance, ethics, risk management, and approaches to organisational change. Apprentices also study workforce planning, diversity and inclusion, and how to respond to disruptive technologies and shifting market conditions, all within a framework of responsible and sustainable business practice.
Day-to-day responsibilities
An apprentice in this role is likely to be in an active senior position already, applying learning directly to their organisation. Week to week, this means setting and reviewing KPIs with their team, presenting performance data to boards or executive teams, managing relationships with external stakeholders such as clients, regulators or supply chain partners, and leading on change initiatives. They will contribute to budget-setting decisions, handle crisis or risk situations as they arise, and act as a visible leader who shapes culture across their area of responsibility.
Career outlook
Completion typically supports progression to, or consolidation of, director, executive and C-suite roles. Common job titles include associate director, divisional head, chief operating officer and head of department. Employers span every major sector: public bodies, NHS trusts, financial services, manufacturing, retail, education, technology and construction all recruit at this level. The apprenticeship suits both those moving into senior leadership for the first time and experienced managers seeking formal recognition and structured development to advance further.
10 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Best Practice Network
Employer: 3.0
Best Practice Network is one of the UK’s leading providers of training, development and support for ...
Anglia Ruskin University ARU
Employer: 3.0
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is an innovative UK university offering a wide portfolio of learning ...
Acorn Training
Employer: 3.0
Acorn Training is a national training provider delivering apprenticeships, training, employability s...
Accipio
Employer: 4.0
Accipio is a UK-based digital learning and leadership development specialist that supports apprentic...
Achieving Excellence UK
Employer: 1.0
Achieving Excellence UK Ltd is an apprenticeship and learning and development provider supporting em...
Alliance Learning
Employer: 4.0
Alliance Learning is an independent training provider based in Horwich, Bolton, delivering apprentic...
Management Training Plus
Employer: 4.0
Management Training Plus is the trading name and delivery arm of Contracting Services (Education and...
AM2PM
AM2PM is a UK-based recruitment and workforce solutions specialist that also delivers apprenticeship...
Adalta Development
Adalta Development is a UK-based management and leadership training provider with over 20 years’ exp...
Career Crafters
Career Crafters is an apprenticeship and recruitment provider that focuses on helping small to mediu...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completion typically aligns with, or accelerates movement into, titles such as Head of Department, Divisional Head, Business Unit Head, or Associate Director. In public sector and education settings, roles such as Head of Faculty, HE Registrar, or a senior operational lead are common destinations. In smaller organisations, some completers move directly into Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer positions, particularly where the apprenticeship was undertaken alongside an existing senior remit.
Progression paths
From those initial senior roles, the typical 3-5 year trajectory moves toward full executive or board-level responsibility. On a generalist leadership track, that means progression to Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, or Chief Executive Officer. Specialists tend to consolidate into functional executive roles: Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, or equivalent. Beyond that, longer-term paths include non-executive directorships, consultancy, or governance roles such as trustee or board adviser, drawing on the strategic and financial oversight skills built during the programme.
Where these roles sit
Employers across virtually every UK industry hire at this level. Public sector bodies, NHS trusts, local authorities, and universities are consistent hirers, as are financial services firms, engineering and manufacturing businesses, retailers, and technology companies. Third sector organisations, including large charities and housing associations, also recruit at this level. The standard suits both large corporate employers developing an internal pipeline and mid-sized organisations placing an individual directly into a senior leadership position.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Learning takes place alongside the apprentice's existing employment, with knowledge, skills and behaviours developed through a combination of on-the-job practice and structured off-the-job study. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer confirm readiness through a gateway review, checking that the required knowledge, skills and behaviours have been met. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can perform at the level expected of a senior leader, covering areas such as strategic direction, financial oversight, stakeholder influence and organisational culture. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Gathering evidence throughout the programme makes final assessment considerably more straightforward than trying to compile it near the end. Apprentices should record examples of real leadership decisions, strategy work, financial oversight and stakeholder engagement as they occur in the role. Regular conversations with the training provider and line manager help ensure the evidence being collected maps to what the assessment requires, and that the apprentice is genuinely ready before the gateway is triggered, rather than discovering gaps late in the programme.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile, and pay particular attention to employer satisfaction scores, since this apprenticeship depends heavily on the employer giving the learner real strategic exposure. Strong providers will have tutors with credible senior leadership backgrounds, not just academic qualifications, and will be able to describe how they structure learning around the learner's actual organisational context. For a Level 7 programme, look for clear integration of applied projects, peer learning cohorts, and some form of board-level or executive mentoring, rather than purely taught modules.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers running very high learner volumes with declining achievement rates, which may signal that pastoral and coaching support is thin. Vague answers about how off-the-job learning connects to the learner's real leadership responsibilities are a warning sign at this level. Providers who cannot explain how they assess strategic skills in a work-applied context, rather than through essays alone, may not be structured for a practising senior leader. Also be wary of providers who do not ask meaningful questions about the seniority of the role before enrolling the learner.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the last two years?
- How do your tutors or coaches draw on their own senior leadership experience when working with learners?
- How does the programme accommodate learners operating at different levels of seniority, from a head of department to a C-suite director?
- Can you describe a piece of strategic work a recent learner completed as part of their apprenticeship, and how it connected to a genuine organisational challenge?
- How do you structure the off-the-job hours so they genuinely develop strategic capability rather than just meeting the compliance threshold?
- What peer learning or cohort activity is built into the programme, and how do you group learners?
- How do you handle it if an employer cannot give the learner sufficient strategic autonomy or board-level visibility during the programme?
Common questions
Who is eligible to do the Senior Leader apprenticeship?
There is no fixed academic entry requirement set within the standard itself, but employers typically look for candidates who already hold a management or leadership role and have relevant experience. The apprentice must be in genuine paid employment for the duration of the programme, working in a role where they can practise and evidence senior leadership responsibilities. Employers set their own internal criteria, so entry requirements vary by organisation and sector.
How much time does the Senior Leader apprenticeship take, and how does learning fit around work?
The typical duration is around 24 months, though the actual length depends on the individual's prior experience and the training provider's delivery model. The apprentice remains employed throughout and applies their learning directly to their day-to-day leadership role. A portion of contracted hours must be spent on off-the-job learning, though the exact percentage is subject to ongoing reform. Check the current specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page on gov.uk for up-to-date requirements.
How is the Senior Leader apprenticeship assessed?
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, at which point their employer and training provider confirm they have met all knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements. Assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed under Skills England reforms, so the precise end-point assessment methods may change. The gov.uk page for this standard holds the current assessment plan. Typically, assessment requires the apprentice to demonstrate strategic thinking, decision-making and leadership competence through a combination of work-based evidence and formal assessment activities.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship, and what does it cost?
The funding band for this standard is £14,000, which is the maximum government contribution toward training costs. Larger employers who pay the apprenticeship levy use their levy account to fund it. SMEs that do not pay the levy typically contribute 5 per cent of the training cost, with the government covering the rest, though very small employers taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 may pay nothing at all. Speak to a training provider or check gov.uk to confirm current co-investment rates.
What does a Senior Leader apprentice actually do during the programme?
Day-to-day responsibilities depend on the organisation, but the apprentice is expected to be operating at a genuinely senior level throughout. That means setting strategic direction for their area, managing budgets and resources, leading teams, overseeing performance against KPIs, and engaging with internal and external stakeholders including boards, clients and regulators. They will also take responsibility for governance, risk management, culture and workforce planning, applying new learning directly to real decisions and challenges within their role.
What can someone do after completing the Senior Leader apprenticeship?
Completion at Level 7 puts apprentices in a strong position for further senior or executive roles such as director, chief operating officer or chief executive, depending on their sector and organisation. Some providers align the programme with a relevant master's degree, giving graduates an academic qualification alongside the apprenticeship certificate. Others use completion as a stepping stone into professional body membership or chartered status in leadership, management or their specific sector. The exact progression routes depend on the training provider chosen and the individual's career context.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 236.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.