SA Academy

A structured 40-lesson curriculum for Solution Architects. From foundations to advanced practice — all through a UK government lens.

How this works: The SA Academy is a structured learning path. Each lesson builds on the last, covering the knowledge, skills, and judgement that effective Solution Architects need. Lessons include teaching content, worked examples from real government scenarios, and practical exercises. New lessons are added regularly as the curriculum grows.

Foundation Level

Understanding the role, the landscape, and the fundamentals of architecture practice.

1

What a Solution Architect Actually Does

Foundation Role & Identity • 45 min
2

How Architects Think: Mental Models and Decision Frameworks

Foundation Thinking & Approach • 40 min
3

The UK Government Technology Landscape

Foundation Context & Environment • 50 min
4

Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement

Foundation People & Communication • 45 min
5

Requirements: What You Actually Need to Know

Foundation Discovery & Analysis • 45 min
6

Architecture Decision Records

Foundation Documentation & Governance • 40 min
7

Solution Options and Trade-off Analysis

Foundation Decision Making • 50 min
8

Non-Functional Requirements in Practice

Foundation Quality & Standards • 45 min

Intermediate Level

Deepening your practice with patterns, governance, and cross-cutting concerns.

9

Integration Patterns for Government

Intermediate Coming soon
10

Security Architecture Fundamentals

Intermediate Coming soon
11

Data Architecture for the SA

Intermediate Coming soon
12

Architecture Governance That Works

Intermediate Coming soon

Curriculum in progress: The full 40-lesson curriculum is being developed. Foundation lessons are released first, with intermediate and advanced content following. Each lesson includes teaching content, worked examples, civil service scenarios, and practical exercises.