A School Manager leads, plans, develops and manages developed systems for effective and efficient delivery of quality education by ensuring the implementation and support of a values‐driven ethos for quality teaching and learning.

This qualification has been designed to develop much‐needed applied competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and practices) which give effect to the Standards for Principalship. It focusses on developing principals and to assess enrolled learners in real contexts is vital to ensuring that they acquire real skills and capabilities to lead and sustain the major changes required in schools. There have been many changes introduced to schools including curriculum and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), all of these have targeted educators and not management. This qualification seeks to increase qualifying learners with employment prospects within the education sector at school, district, provincial and national levels.

This qualification was developed with the full participation of major stakeholders; Department of Basic Education (DBE) (National and Provincial), Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Independent Schools, Unions, South African Council for Educators (SACE), South African Principals Association (SAPA), and Non‐ Governmental Organisations (NGOs).