The Challenge: Data Skills in Education

Multi Academy Trusts across the UK are facing a growing challenge: their staff often lack the data and IT skills needed to thrive in modern education. Evidence from the Department for Education’s School Workforce Census shows that many teachers and support staff in primary and secondary schools do not hold qualifications in computing or data-related subjects, and the National Foundation for Educational Research has highlighted persistent shortages in specialist teaching areas such as computing and data literacy. This gap means that schools struggle to embed digital skills across the curriculum and to use data effectively for performance tracking, safeguarding, and resource allocation. For MATs, which oversee multiple schools, the absence of strong data skills can hinder their ability to benchmark performance, share best practice, and make strategic decisions.

Apprenticeships as a Cost-Effective Solution

Apprenticeships offer a cost-effective solution to this problem. By enrolling staff or new recruits into government-funded apprenticeship programmes, MATs can build in-house expertise without the financial strain of hiring senior IT professionals. Apprenticeships are supported through the Apprenticeship Levy or direct government funding, and when trusts employ apprentices under the age of 25, they benefit from National Insurance contribution exemptions. For example, an apprentice earning £25,000 a year could save a trust around £3,000 annually in NIC costs, making apprenticeships not only a skills-building strategy but also a financial advantage.

Comparing Costs: Senior IT Staff vs Apprentices

The financial comparison is striking:

• Senior IT staff in the UK command average salaries of £40,000+ per year, with leadership roles such as Heads of Data or IT Directors often exceeding £95,000–£130,000 in London.
• Apprenticeships, by contrast, are largely funded through the Apprenticeship Levy or government support, with trusts covering only modest wages.
• Apprentices under 25 also bring additional savings through National Insurance contribution exemptions, reducing overheads further.

This means MATs can develop in-house data expertise at a fraction of the cost, while still accessing structured training and qualifications.

Benefits of Data Skills in a Multi Academy Trust Setting

Strengthening data and IT skills within MATs delivers wide-ranging benefits:

• Performance Tracking: Better use of pupil progress data across schools to identify interventions.
• Safeguarding: Stronger data management ensures compliance and protects vulnerable learners.
• Resource Allocation: Data-driven insights help MATs deploy staff and funding more effectively.
• Strategic Growth: With multiple schools under one umbrella, MATs can benchmark performance and share best practice more easily when staff have strong IT skills.

Case Study: A Multi Academy Trust with 10 Schools

A Multi Academy Trust (MAT) overseeing 10 schools faced a familiar challenge: limited data and IT expertise among staff, coupled with rising costs for senior technical hires. The Trust recognised that effective use of data was critical for pupil progress tracking, safeguarding compliance, and resource allocation across its schools, but hiring senior IT staff was proving financially unsustainable.

• Senior IT staff costs: The Trust estimated that hiring a senior IT manager for each school would cost an average of £40,000 per year per role, equating to £400,000 annually across the 10 schools.
• Apprenticeship alternative: Instead, the Trust chose to recruit apprentices into data and IT roles. With government funding covering training costs, the Trust only needed to pay modest apprentice wages.
• National Insurance savings: By hiring apprentices under 25, the Trust saved approximately £3,000 per apprentice per year in National Insurance contributions. With 10 apprentices across the Trust, this equated to an additional £30,000 annual saving.
• Overall impact: The Trust reduced its projected staffing costs from £400,000 to under £200,000, while simultaneously building a pipeline of skilled staff who could grow into senior roles over time.

Beyond the financial savings, the apprentices brought fresh energy and digital literacy into the schools. They supported teachers with data analysis, improved safeguarding systems, and streamlined reporting processes. Over time, several apprentices progressed into permanent IT roles, ensuring the Trust had a sustainable, home-grown talent pool without the need for repeated external recruitment.

By investing in apprenticeships, Multi Academy Trusts can address the pressing data and IT skills gap in education, empower their staff with practical and accredited training, and unlock significant cost savings. The combination of government funding, reduced National Insurance contributions, and lower salary commitments makes apprenticeships a smart, sustainable strategy for MATs seeking to enhance their digital capabilities and deliver better outcomes across their schools.