At REAch2 Academy Trust, we believe that great schools start with great people and supporting their growth is part of our core purpose. So, this National Apprenticeship Week, we’re shining a light on how apprenticeships are helping people across REAch2 to grow, lead and flourish. 

Far from being just a starting point, apprenticeships at REAch2 have become one of the most powerful ways we invest in our people at every stage of their career. From teaching to leadership, business management to early years, we’re proud to champion this pathway as part of how we build strong schools, confident professionals, and a learning culture that lasts. 

Across our Trust, more than 80 colleagues are currently on apprenticeship programmes and many more have completed them in recent years. These range from teaching, early years and leadership, to finance, HR, and specialist roles. Some have achieved Qualified Teacher Status through the teaching apprenticeship route; others are working towards degree-level and even master’s-level qualifications, funded entirely through the national apprenticeship levy. 

This flexible approach to learning means colleagues don’t need to step away from their role to grow. Apprenticeships are designed to fit around the realities of school life, with training embedded in the work people are already doing. 

Learning That Makes a Difference 

For many of our colleagues, an apprenticeship has been a turning point not only in terms of qualifications, but in confidence, leadership, and impact. 

  • Emma, a Nursery Manager at one of our academies, says her apprenticeship gave her the tools to reflect on her leadership practice and support others more effectively. 
  • Lisa, completing her second apprenticeship, describes how it strengthened her professional mindset while allowing her to balance work and family. 
  • Claire, who moved into a new specialist role after completing a School Business Manager apprenticeship, highlights the immediate, real-world relevance of her training. 

Every story speaks to the same idea: when development is connected to real work, it becomes transformational, not transactional. 

A Culture of Learning, at Every Level 

As a Trust, we’ve supported more than 225 staff through apprenticeships making use of the apprenticeship levy to invest wisely in the people who make our schools thrive. 

From Level 2 to Level 7, we see apprenticeships as part of how we live our values: building capacity from within, unlocking talent, and creating opportunities for growth across every team. 

Our Head of Learning and Development, Andrea Wright, an apprentice herself, puts it simply: 

“Apprenticeships allow us to develop confident, reflective professionals who are constantly learning. And because that learning happens in the context of their role, the impact is immediate for them, and for the children and colleagues around them.”