Strategic Career Pathway
What is the career pathway for STRATEGIC practitioners?
As a Strategic practitioner, you are likely to:
be an Executive/Senior Leader (FD, CFO, COO, Director) or a specialist Director (e.g. HR Director, Estates Director)
be a strategic leader with high levels of complexity and direct accountability
develop evidence-based thinking that informs the overall medium- and long-term plans and ambitions of your school or trust
be responsible for identifying policy changes and leading change across the school or trust. You will be part of the strategic leadership of the school or trust and work closely with other leaders and the governance team.
be qualified to (or working towards) level 7 or above.
If you are not already a member of ISBL and feel that this is the right fit for you, then you can apply for Full (or Fellow) membership of ISBL, click here for more information.
As a Strategic practitioner, there are many opportunities for you as a member of ISBL - you may want to further develop your knowledge and experience through taking advantage of system leadership opportunities or else undertaking contextualised training or qualifications to gain formal accreditation. A number of benefits and opportunities are set out below:
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The first stage of ISBL membership is to undertake a self-assessment against the ISBL Professional Standards to verify that you are operating at Strategic Practitioner level.
As a member, you have free access to the ISBL self-assessment tool, which allows you to carry out a diagnostic assessment of yourself and reflect on your areas of responsibility, experience and expertise across the various discipline areas of the ISBL Professional Standards.
On completion of the self-assessment, you will be provided with a report that summarises where you are currently in relation to each discipline area, identifies your overall practitioner level, and highlights professional development opportunities that you may want to consider to continue to develop your knowledge, skills and experience even further. Further details of the self-assessment process can be found by clicking here.
This assessment should be carried out as a continual process and as a member of ISBL on at least an annual basis.
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ISBL recognises that there are many forms of development not only achieved through training and qualifications; examples can be viewed in our CPD guidance.
As a strategic practitioner, there are many opportunities that you can take advantage of as a member of ISBL to connect with ISBL, expert practitioners and other school business professionals. Some of these are identified below:
Professional development advice – If you would like personalised advice and guidance on your career development (or your team's), then you can set up a meeting with our Director of Professional Development by emailing training@isbl.org.uk.
Support in developing your teams – Take advantage of the self-assessment and accreditation tools and processes as part of organisational design and development. This can be enhanced through trust (or group) membership. Email membership@isbl.org.uk for more details.
Mentoring opportunities – If you would like to act as a mentor to a less-experienced SBP, then email training@isbl.org.uk.
Annual executive conference – Network with other strategic leaders and hear from subject matter experts and industry leaders about the latest research, innovations and insights into operations best practice. Further details about our launch event focused on Operational Excellence can be found by clicking here.
Access to funded SBP programmes – Priority access to free and subsidised bursary funded programmes developed in consultation with key sector stakeholders including the DfE.
Accredited training and qualifications –Member rates for contextualised accredited training and accredited qualifications at level 7 are available to help you develop further.
Access and contribution to a repository of resources – Access and opportunities to contribute to ISBL's good practice library and member repository library.
Policy influence – ISBL acts as the conduit between policy and practice by testing government thinking with frontline practitioners.
Free attendance at ISBL regional events – Network with other local professionals and benefit from specialist training, advice and the latest guidance relevant to your local area. Click here for more information.
Member rates for the ISBL national conference – Attend our two-day showpiece event with training, expert advice and personalised workshops, presentations from policy experts and inspirational speakers. Take the opportunity to network with forward thinking, innovative peers and celebrate the great work of the profession at our annual gala dinner. Click here for more information.
Professional support and facilitated networks – Become part of a vibrant community of ISBL Fellows sharing solutions and new thinking to address sector challenges. Access to a member-only LinkedIn group where you can share best practice, ask questions and have professional discussions.
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If you are a Full member of ISBL, then you can apply for formal Strategic Practitioner Level Accreditation against the Professional Standards. For membership details and rates, please click here.
To do this, you will need to provide three pieces of evidence:
Your self-assessment report confirming that you operate at strategic practitioner level.
A signed employer statement verifying that you work at a strategic level.
Proof of relevant qualifications at level 7 or above.
On completion of this process, you will be accredited as an ISBL Strategic Practitioner and will be sent a certificate and digital badge to confirm your status. For more information on the accreditation process, click here.
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Even though you may be operating at a Strategic Practitioner level, there are still opportunities that you may want to consider to further develop your own practice and as a system leader. For example:
ISBL Fellowship – Being recognised as an ISBL Fellow demonstrates that you are a system leader within the profession, have achieved a high level of professional expertise, and are committed to developing your knowledge and skills (and those of others) to meet the ever-changing demands of the education sector. Details of the process can be found by clicking here.
School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) accreditation – SRMAs support trusts and maintained schools to ensure they have the best possible approach to resource management (always being sensitive to context). Details of the process can be found by clicking here.
System leadership opportunities – Including participating in policy consultations, contributing to research, supporting colleagues, schools and trusts via mentoring, coaching and consultancy. To explore any of these opportunities further, contact ISBL at info@isbl.org.uk.
Continuing your professional development journey as a strategic practitioner – Guidance can be provided on higher-level academic programmes or research initiatives including master's- and doctorate-level pathways. Contact ISBL at info@isbl.org.uk.
The people we support
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"Achieving ISBL Strategic accreditation has significantly reinforced and enhanced my credibility as a Business Leader. This recognition affirms my commitment to excellence in school business management, boosting confidence among stakeholders and fostering stronger partnerships with educational bodies and industry experts. Achieving this accreditation led in part to my successful fellowship application with ISBL, which in turn resulted in me being offered the opportunity to be the co-chair of the local Business Managers network, further enhancing my reputation as a successful and highly competent Business Manager."
Phil Burton, Trust Business Manager
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"With this accreditation, I have taken on a more influential role in the school's strategic decision-making processes. My ability to contribute to and shape the school's long-term goals and plans has been enhanced, positioning me as a key leader within our school. The accreditation has made me a more competitive candidate for senior roles and career advancement opportunities, such as director of finance or chief operating/finance officer roles. The knowledge and strategies I have gained through the accreditation process have led to improvements in the school's financial health, resource allocation, and overall performance. This has a direct positive impact on the educational environment and outcomes for students."
Alison Cargill
You can read Alison’s full testimonial by clicking here.
Related Qualifications at Level 7
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CIPFA Diploma in School Financial and Operational Leadership
This qualification has been developed for current and aspiring chief finance and operations officers. The qualification equips SBPs to effectively manage trust finances and respond to the complexity of regulatory requirements. It aims to ensure that SBPs meet the highest professional standards when it comes to overseeing (amongst other things) finance, corporate governance, risk management and strategic procurement.
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Certificate in Strategic Educational Leadership
A short, accessible level 7 module delivered by the University of Chester, for school business professionals who want to demonstrate their strategic educational leadership. This module provides a valuable opportunity for participants, either individually or as a group, to reflect critically on an area of personal or professional practice by engaging with appropriate literature and research in the 'negotiated field' to be agreed.
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CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in People Management for SBPs
This qualification is ideally suited to people professionals wanting to refine their strategic capability and thinking. Ideal for those who have worked in HR for a number of years and are wishing to support their experience with a qualification and gain a pathway to CIPD Chartered Membership. This programme will help you to acquire a wide range of relevant, practical skills and strategies that can be applied in your school or trust.