Senior Leader Apprenticeship offers Lucy  pathway to career success 

School leader Lucy Burnett is confident a Senior Leader Apprenticeship from Lancaster University will boost her career ambitions. 

Lucy, a Senior Leader at Flakefleet Primary School, in Fleetwood, started the apprenticeship with the quadruple accredited and world-ranked Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) with experience and previous qualifications built up over 12 years working in the education sector, and LUMS’ Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning allowed her to fast-track her studies. 
 
The flexible work-based course, led by tutors experienced in digital and distance learning delivery, allows Lucy to balance learning with her professional role and quickly employ her new skills. 
 
“The Apprenticeship has helped me to develop my leadership skills, building on my school leaders’ National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership,” says Lucy. “It links directly to my new role in the school, which has come with increased responsibility, and it supports my ambitions to further my career.   
 
“It is very practical, allowing me to examine and reflect upon my experiences. Critical reflection has been extremely valuable, looking at how I have dealt with issues previously and how I would change my practice in the future. It has given me a greater understanding of the theory that underpins the skills I demonstrate as a senior leader, and where I need to develop further.” 
 
Apprenticeship course fees are fully funded through the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, and the learning feeds into Lucy’s workplace appraisals and development targets, supporting her Continuing Professional Development.  
 
Throughout the course, Lucy has been supported by the Lancaster team, including associate Krista Court, who runs a series of optional webinars, and has enjoyed access to other University resources, such as the University Library and learning materials. 
 
“I particularly enjoyed the entrepreneurship module, and completing the optional webinars to support my learning,” Lucy adds. “Thanks to Krista Court, it has often felt like I have received one-to-one tutorials following on from the webinars.”
 
For more information about Lancaster’s Senior Leader Apprenticeship, with routes to MSc Leadership Practice and Executive MBA, visit the Senior Leadership Apprenticeship. course page