National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)
- Programme starts: Autumn 2025 (date TBD)
- Duration: 18 months
- Cost: £3,250
Interested in enrolling in this NPQ programme for Autumn 2025?
Registration for the Autumn 2025 NPQ Headship programmes has started. Please let us know your interest by completing the NPQ Interest Form, and we will take you through the journey step-by-step.
Info Session Replay:
Watch the replay of our latest info session, click here.
This programme is for:
- Registration for the Autumn 2025 NPQ Headship programmes has started. Please let us know your interest by completing the NPQ Interest Form, and we will take you through the journey step-by-step.
What you will learn:
- School Culture – you will establish and sustain an effective school culture by setting the strategic direction, managing human and financial resources, and fulfilling all statutory duties to enable a sustainable and thriving school community.
- Teaching – you will learn how to establish and support effective teaching across your school to develop and embed teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and classroom skills, ensuring the best outcomes for all children and young people, no matter their starting point.
- Curriculum and Assessment – you will learn how to support and sustain high-quality planning, teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring the implementation of effective and coherent policies. The National Professional Qualification for Headship also helps you align professional development for your teachers with these priorities.
- Behaviour and Support – you will learn to establish and sustain high standards of behaviour and learning across the whole school community, including training key stakeholders to ensure a safe, inclusive learning environment for all.
- Implementation – you will learn how to implement change successfully within your context by understanding the stages of implementation and aligning it with wider school improvement priorities as part of your NPQ Headship journey.
Interested in exploring other NPQ Leadership Programmes?
Click on any of the programmes below to learn more.
NPQEYL (NPQ Early Years Leadership)
Teachers and leaders aspired to lead a nursery as a manager of a PVI nursery, a headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery or a childminder with leadership responsibilities.
Cost: £2,250
What’s unique about our programme:
In addition to the DfE-required content, our National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) programme includes an Implementation Project, offering an excellent opportunity to reflect on and apply what you’ve learned in the context of your school. This project aligns with the EEF process model for school improvement (not assessed).
Programme route map:
Interested in the detailed structure, timeline and hours you can expect to invest in the National Professional Qualification for Headship? Click on the route map below to learn more.
Assessment and accreditation:
To receive the DfE accreditation, you will need to (1) ensure 90% engagement in the programme throughout, and (2) pass the open-book summative case study task scheduled for an eight-day period following the programme completion.
Interested in exploring other NPQ Leadership Programmes?
Click on any of the programmes below to learn more.
NPQEYL (NPQ Early Years Leadership)
Teachers and leaders aspired to lead a nursery as a manager of a PVI nursery, a headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery or a childminder with leadership responsibilities.
Cost: £2,250
Benefits to you:
Our participants have outlined many benefits to studying for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). They highlight how the programme has given them professional confidence, time and space to reflect on their leadership approach, and increased knowledge in their chosen area of study.
You will be able to:
- Develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to implement new professional development initiatives successfully through a supported implementation project.
- Challenge preconceived ideas and develop innovative approaches to leadership.
- Understand how to develop a positive school culture and model effective leadership.
- Strengthen and affirm your thinking and understanding of high-quality leadership approaches through the NPQ Headship framework.
- Learn how to provide a framework that encourages a safe, sustainable learning culture for pupil progress.
- Access research, materials, and opportunities to discuss leadership approaches with peers undertaking the National Professional Qualification for Headship.
Benefits for your school:
We know that children and young people need leaders who are committed to their education and confident in their ability to create change.
Our NPQ Headship (NPQH) has been developed with teachers and leaders to:
- Create professionally confident teachers and leaders ready for headship roles.
- Grow the next generation of school leaders equipped with evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes.
- Retain excellent teachers who act as collaborative, inspiring role models for their schools and communities.
- Inspire headteachers who can harness the power of rich learning environments for children and young people, regardless of circumstance.
Watch: Laura Yandell, Deputy Head, AISL Harrow Hong Kong International School, discusses how NPQ programmes help develop a strong leadership pipeline for the school.
Interested in exploring other NPQ Leadership Programmes?
Click on any of the programmes below to learn more.
NPQEYL (NPQ Early Years Leadership)
Teachers and leaders aspired to lead a nursery as a manager of a PVI nursery, a headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery or a childminder with leadership responsibilities.
Cost: £2,250
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