Who this course is for

This course is for schooleducational leaders who are, or want to be a:

• headteacher or head of schoolan educational setting

Overview

This 18-month course will help you gain confidence and develop skills in:

• curriculum and assessment
• behaviour
• professional development
• governance and accountability
• implementing school improvements in educational settings

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
• have a written assessment 

Funding 

Teachers and schooleducational leaders in many statestate-funded funded settings in England willare be eligible for funding to cover their NPQ course fees, subject to eligibility criteria.

Eligibility for funding does not guarantee a place on a funded NPQ course.

Course content

This course covers themes including:

• school culture in educational settings
• effective teaching
• supporting curriculum and assessment development
• establishing and sustaining a positive, predictable and safe environment for pupils
• additional and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• professional development
• organisational management

You’ll also learn about:

• implementation strategies
• working in partnership with parents and carers
• governance and accountability

Benefits for you and your schooleducational setting

Deliver meaningful change in your schooleducational setting

You’ll be equipped with school-focusedrelevant leadership knowledge, which you can use to establish the culture and conditions where staff and pupils can thrive.

You’ll be encouraged to apply and translate what you’ve learned to your own schoolsetting. context. Your training provider will give you models and examples that’llto help you translate theory into practical skills you can use in your school’sown setting.

Flexible training

This programme is designed to be flexible to fit with your busy working role. Training is delivered in bite-sized chunks, and you can learn at a time and pace that suits you.

Access the latest research

Benefit from the latest evidence-based learning and approaches to great teaching and leadership.

Individualised training

You’ll be able to focus on specific areas of leadership where you want to improve your knowledge. This will help you make evidence-informed decisions and action positive change.

Learning backed by evidence

You’ll be introduced to evidence-informed practices. This will enable you to develop strategies to improve teaching and pupil performance atin your school.setting.

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 with one of the following providers:

• Ambition Institute
• Best Practice Network
• Church of England
• LLSE
• National Institute of Teaching
• Church of England
• 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.

Early headship coaching offer

If you are taking the NPQ for headship, you may be eligible for the fully-funded early headship coaching offer.

This targeted support package is tailored to the needs of new headteachers. It provides a year of structured, unassessed support and networking based on the best available evidence about what makes an effective headteacher.