Senior leadership national professional qualification
A course to help teachers and school leaders develop leadership knowledge and expertise to improve outcomes for teachers and pupils in their school.
Applies to England
Who this course is for
This course is for teachers and leaders who are, or want to be senior leaders with cross-school responsibilities.
Overview
This 18-month course will help you gain confidence and develop skills in:
- leadership knowledge and the specialist expertise needed to tackle school improvement priorities
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supporting the development of a positive, predictable and safe environment for pupils
- contributing to your school’s strategic direction and establishing an environment for pupil success
- helping staff feel supported and valued
You will train alongside peers with similar responsibilities. The course content focuses on the key challenges teachers and leaders face in their role.
Teachers and education experts designed this course to fit around busy teaching timetables. There’s no project work and minimal time out of school required.
This course will:
- take 18 months to complete
- involve an average of 1 to 2 hours of study each week
- be a mix of self-study and group sessions
- involve a written assessment
- start in autumn 2024
Funding
Funding to cover the course fees for this NPQ is available for teachers and school leaders in many state-funded settings in England.
Course content
This course covers themes including:
- school culture
- effective teaching
- supporting curriculum and assessment development
- behaviour
- additional and special educational needs
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professional development
- organisational management
You’ll also learn about:
- the latest evidence-based learning and approaches to teaching and leadership
- implementation strategies
- working in partnership with parents and carers
- governance and accountability
Your training provider will give you models and examples that will help you translate theory into practical skills you can use in your setting.
You can focus on specific areas of leadership where you want to improve your knowledge.
Course structure
The course covers 10 topics, outlined in the course framework. Providers use this framework to design their course.
The course includes:
- independent study
- group coaching
- face-to-face sessions with other participants
You’ll need to spend 1 to 2 hours a week working on this NPQ.
Providers
You can train for this NPQ with one of the following providers:
- Ambition Institute
- Best Practice Network
- Church of England
- Education Development Trust
- LLSE
- National Institute of Teaching
- Teacher Development Trust
- Teach First
- University College London (UCL) Institute of Education
They work with delivery partners, such as teaching school hubs, to provide training.
Assessment
To get your NPQ accreditation you’ll need to complete the course and pass a written assessment (between 1,500 and 2,500 words).
Apply
Learn how to apply for an NPQ.
Last updated 21 March 2024 + show all updates
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Updated with details of the course due to start in autumn 2024.
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Updated NPQ start date to February 2024.
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First published.