Leadership NPQ Suite

Our leadership NPQ programmes ensure that participants focus their attention on the things that matter the most and have the greatest impact on student outcomes in highly effective school leadership - ensuring there is an excellent teacher in every classroom.

The research on effective school leadership is compelling and our programmes draw upon the best available evidence to ensure leaders develop the essential knowledge and practice to raise outcomes, empower their staff and reduce workload.

All our NPQs begin with an introduction to our approach to capacity development and managing improvement through implementation. This approach is then embedded throughout the duration of the programme. From this starting point our leadership NPQs guide participants through modules examining three layers of influence: school culture; the organisational conditions which bring this culture to life; and how these conditions can promote excellent teaching in every classroom. 

NPQ programmes are underpinned by design principles that fulfil all the recommendations of the EEF Effective Professional Development guidance report. 

DfE Targeted Support Funding:

The DfE has updated the Targeted Support and Delivery Fund offer from the next academic year to encourage and support leaders and teachers working in small state-funded settings to participate in NPQs.

For each teacher or leader a state-funded school or state-funded 16-19 organisation employs, who takes an NPQ in 2023/24 academic year, will receive a grant payment of:

• £200 for state-funded primary schools regardless of size
• £800 for state-funded primary schools with one to 150 pupils (£600 in addition to the £200 grant payment)
• £200 for state-funded secondary schools and state-funded 16-19 educational settings with one to 600 pupils.

Summative Assessment: At the end of the programme, participants are required to complete a 1500-word, open book, non-invigilated response to a school improvement case study. Participants need to have achieved 90% of activity credits to be eligible for assessment. Those that do not achieve this automatically defer to the next assessment window. We provide full support and preparation to participants including pre-assessment tutoring, optional webinars to model a response and suggested writing frames to structure your summative assessment. Participants are given 10 calendar days to formulate and submit their response and are able to liaise with other programme members during this time. Pass or fail judgement sure shared with participants by the lead provider within 3 months following marking, lead provider moderation and external moderation by DfE associates.

For school leaders who are, or aspire to be, an executive headteacher or to have a CEO role within a school trust with responsibility for leading several schools. 

Duration: 18 months (plus 3 months for summative assessment process) 
Hours of study: 87 including 6 hours of 1:1 coaching 
Cost: Free to those who meet the scholarship eligibility criteria. The cost for school or self-funded participants outside of the criteria is £3,995 

Scholarship eligibility criteria: 

• are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools 

• work in a state-funded school or a state-funded organisation that offers 16-19 places in England 

Blended learning overview 

All our NPQs begin with an introduction to our approach to capacity development and managing improvement through implementation. This approach is then embedded throughout the duration of the programme. From this starting point our leadership NPQs guide participants through modules examining three layers of influence: school culture; the organisational conditions which bring this culture to life; and how these conditions can promote excellent teaching in every classroom. 

Delivery of synchronous live training:

Synchronous Training	Frequency	Duration
Residential Face-to-Face national conference	1	2 days
Regional conference	2	1 day
Professional Learning Community Seminars	2	1 hour

 

Pre-Block Diagnostic Self-Assessment – to identify existing knowledge and areas for development, ensuring time-poor teachers can efficiently focus on what they need to know and be able to do  

Introduction Video - to understand ‘why this and why now’ (5 minutes) 

Self-directed study – using the intuitive learning platform, participants engage in study when it suits their schedule for pre-learning prior to live training or to deepen their knowledge following an event 

Recorded webinars – short recorded webinars that can be viewed when you choose 

Optional Micro-implementation tasks - to apply theory to low-stakes, high-impact deliberate leadership practice

Block overview:

 

Block 1 – Leading improvement 

Participants will learn about leading improvement across multiple schools which will include self-study units detailed below: 

Unit	Content overview
A	Knowing and understanding context: school and local communities, pupils and workforce
B	The effective and accurate use of evidence and data to identify priorities and inform strategy
C	The principles of effective planning to lead and sustain improvement at scale
D	Understanding and applying best evidence and well-designed frameworks
E	Building capacity and sustainable improvement through evidence-informed professional learning models
F	Distributed leadership is required to support school improvement at scale

Block 2 – Culture 

Participants will learn how to develop effective culture across multiple schools to create the conditions for success which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Creating a culture of high expectations and motivation
B	Creating a safe and inclusive environment
C	Understanding strong relationships and relational trust
D	Establishing shared expectations across schools
E	Post Ofsted school improvement monitoring

Block 3 – Conditions 

Participants will learn how to oversee effective organisational management and governance across multiple school which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Establishing a Common Language of Teaching and Learning
B	Leading, Managing and Deploying Staff
C	Effective Governance and Accountability at Trust Level
D	Ensuring Equity and Equality in Recruitment and Retention
E	Statutory, Compliance and Legal Frameworks

Block 4 – Classrooms 

Participants will learn how to sustain effective teaching, curriculum and assessment across multiple schools which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Effective identification of pupils’ starting points and progress
B	Leading effective teaching at scale
C	Whole-school focus on literacy through oracy
D	Ensuring effective SEND provision across groups of schools

 

Duration: 18 months (plus 3 months for summative assessment process) 
Hours of study: 81 
Cost: Free to those who meet the scholarship eligibility criteria. The cost for school or self-funded participants outside of the criteria is £1,984 

Scholarship eligibility criteria: 

• are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school 

• work in a state-funded school or a state-funded organisation that offers 16-19 places in England 

OR: 

• are a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school 

• are in the first 24 months of headship 

• work in a state-funded school or a state-funded organisation that offers 16-19 places in England 

Delivery of synchronous live training:

Synchronous Training	Frequency	Duration
Face-to-Face conferences	4	4 hours
Live Webinars	4	4 hours

 

Pre-Block Diagnostic Self-Assessment – to identify existing knowledge and areas for development, ensuring time-poor teachers can efficiently focus on what they need to know and be able to do  

Introduction Video - to understand ‘why this and why now’ (5 minutes) 

Self-directed study – using the intuitive learning platform, participants engage in study when it suits their schedule for pre-learning prior to live training or to deepen their knowledge following an event 

Recorded webinars – short recorded webinars that can be viewed when you choose 

Optional Micro-implementation tasks - to apply theory to low-stakes, high-impact deliberate leadership practice

Block overview:

Block 1 – Leading improvement 

Participants will learn about leading improvement which will include self-study units detailed below: 

Unit	Content overview
A	Leading Improvement as a Headteacher – Understanding Implementation
B	Understanding the Evidence – High-quality Professional Development and Frameworks
C	Leading Improvement as a Headteacher – Fostering a Supportive Climate
D	Leading Improvement as a Headteacher – Identifying Improvement Priorities
E	Leading Improvement as a Headteacher – Planning for Change: Theory of Change
F	Leading Improvement as a Headteacher – Developing the Capacity of Staff

Block 2 – Culture 

Participants will learn about leading culture and behaviour across their school which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Leading High-quality Teaching Across School
B	Leading Culture/Behaviour Across the School - High Expectations
C	Leading Culture/Behaviour Across the School – Pupil Motivation and Behaviour
D	Leading Culture/Behaviour – Building Staff Alignment
E	Setting Behaviour Policy and Building Buy-in and Alignment
F	Supporting Staff to Deal with Bullying
G	Establishing Effective Partnerships with Parents

Block 3 – Conditions 

Participants will learn how to develop and lead rigorous, organisational management / governance which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Revisiting implementation – The deliver phase
B	The importance of curriculum
C	Every teacher is a teacher of literacy
D	The purpose and value of assessment
E	Feedback
F	Safety and safeguarding
G	Resource management
H	Governance

Block 4 – Classrooms 

Participants will learn how to ensure effective teaching, curriculum and assessment across their school which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	The Role of Memory
B	The Role of Prior Knowledge
C	Making Learning Stick
D	Sequencing for Success
E	Modelling and Scaffolding
F	Adapting Teaching for All
G	Supporting Pupils with SEND
H	Sustaining School Improvement

We believe it is crucial to provide high quality evidence based support around practice, emotional well-being and your ability to support others for existing and aspiring Headteachers. After all, we need to ensure those tasked with looking after everybody else, are also the recipients of high quality support themselves.

Our Early Headship Coaching Offer (EHCO) is a 12-month programme of targeted support for headteachers in their first five years of headship. It is not assessed! This is all about helping you embed the learning from your NPQ for Headship, sharing and receiving support from your peers, gaining confidence and achieving early success in your role. Our EHCO programme has been designed by  school leadership expert Maggie Farrar, former Chief Executive of the National College for School Leadership. It is tailored to augment the knowledge and skills developed on your NPQH journey.

Duration: 12 months
Hours of study:  30 hours of support
Assessment: No assessment - this is a support programme

Cost: Free to those who meet the scholarship eligibility criteria. The cost for school or self-funded participants outside of the criteria is £800

Scholarship eligibility criteria: 

You are eligible for this targeted support package if you meet the following criteria:

• are in your first five years of headship
• work in a state-funded school in England upon starting the training
• have either completed an NPQH before taking up your first headship post or are currently taking the NPQH
• have not withdrawn from the Early Headship Coaching Offer previously

This programme offers you: 

• local mini-groupings that will help you to establish relationships and foster networks
• a bespoke online diagnostic survey assessing your strengths, confidence and development needs
• an enhanced Community of Practice led by experienced serving Executive Leaders/National Leaders in Education
• in-person sessions providing guided professional dialogue and additional mentoring support
• enhanced collaboration opportunities through shadowing and online spaces for resource sharing and chat
• a local peer review trio supporting the application of the content underpinning the NPQH framework into the context of your own school setting

Delivery of EHCO support

Content overview
Term 1	Diagnostic self-evaluations survey
Term 1	Coaching group session 1 (Apply) - followed by school visit 1
Term 1	Provision of 1:1 coaching*
Term 2	Coaching group session 2 (Thrive) - followed by school visit 2
Term 2	Provision of 1:1 coaching
Term 2	Diagnostic self-evaluation against pre-programme survey
Term 3	Coaching group session 3 (Sustain) - followed by school visit 3
Term 3	Provision for 1:1 coaching
Term 3	Diagnostic self-evaluation and supported practice and well-being planning

Becoming a headteacher is a massive achievement and an exciting opportunity. It also comes with a raft of new responsibilities – yes, striving for excellence, but also a responsibility to recognise the challenges that come with the role and consider your own professional and personal needs.

Our Early Headship Coaching Offer addresses the complexities of headship and will help you navigate your first years in the role, ensuring that you are equipped to flourish throughout your career as a headteacher.

The programme is built around three core strands which will help you to face the challenges of new headship:

• Apply. We will help you to apply what you already know and what you learn from the NPQH in a sustainable, creative and practical way. We will match you with two more new headteachers to embed support and peer review. You will visit each other’s schools to observe and provide follow-up feedback and take part in peer review conversations. We know from our extensive experience that peer support is a powerful tool to help new headteachers hone their skills and sustain them going forward.

 

• Thrive. Being a headteacher brings new and unforeseen challenges. Never has this been more true than over the last few years. However, these challenges provide opportunities to test yourself, grow personally and professionally and embed a strong culture of excellence and inclusion in your school. We will introduce you to the practice of collaborative problem solving, learning how to involve others in tackling challenges and making sure everyone feels part of the process. 

 

• Sustain. This strand will help you cultivate the qualities you need to support yourself in leading for a lifetime, able to take care of yourself and others. As a new headteacher, you may be inclined to put your own personal needs last. We will teach you and encourage you to honour your needs to benefit not just yourself but your entire school community.

The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) is designed for school leaders who are, or aspire to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities.

Duration: 18 months (plus 3 months for summative assessment process) 
Hours of study: 81 
Cost: Free to those who meet the scholarship eligibility criteria. The cost for school or self-funded participants outside of the criteria is £1,148 

Scholarship eligibility criteria: 

• are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school 

• work in a state-funded school or a state-funded organisation that offers 16-19 places in England 

Delivery of synchronous live training:

Synchronous Training	Frequency	Duration
Face-to-Face conferences	4	4 hours
Live Webinars	4	4 hours

 

Pre-Block Diagnostic Self-Assessment – to identify existing knowledge and areas for development, ensuring time-poor teachers can efficiently focus on what they need to know and be able to do  

Introduction Video - to understand ‘why this and why now’ (5 minutes) 

Self-directed study – using the intuitive learning platform, participants engage in study when it suits their schedule for pre-learning prior to live training or to deepen their knowledge following an event 

Recorded webinars – short recorded webinars that can be viewed when you choose 

Optional Micro-implementation tasks - to apply theory to low-stakes, high-impact deliberate leadership practice

Block overview:

Block 1 – Leading improvement 

Participants will learn about how to contribute to leading improvement which will include self-study units detailed below: 

Unit	Content overview
A	Developing a Supportive School Environment
B	Effective Professional Development
C	Making Use of Well-designed Frameworks
D	An Introduction to Implementation
E	Choosing the Right Initiatives
F	Preparing for Change

Block 2 – Culture 

Participants will learn about how to contribute to developing effective whole school culture and improve behaviour which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	Leading High-quality Teaching Across School
B	Leading Culture/Behaviour Across the School - High Expectations
C	Leading Culture/Behaviour Across the School – Pupil Motivation and Behaviour
D	Leading Culture/Behaviour – Building Staff Alignment
E	Setting Behaviour Policy and Building Buy-in and Alignment
F	Supporting Staff to Deal with Bullying
G	Establishing Effective Partnerships with Parents

Block 3 – Conditions 

Participants will learn how to support strategic decision-making and management which will include self-study units detailed below: 

Unit	Content overview
A	Revisiting implementation – The deliver phase
B	The importance of curriculum
C	Every teacher is a teacher of literacy
D	The purpose and value of assessment
E	Feedback
F	Safety and safeguarding
G	Resource management
H	Governance

Block 4 – Classrooms 

Participants will learn how to empower colleagues to improve teaching, curriculum and assessment which will include self-study units detailed below:  

Unit	Content overview
A	The Role of Memory
B	The Role of Prior Knowledge
C	Making Learning Stick
D	Sequencing for Success
E	Modelling and Scaffolding
F	Questioning and Classroom Talk
G	Grouping Pupils
H	Adapting Teaching for All
I	Supporting Pupils with SEND
J	Working Effectively with Colleagues
K	An Introduction to Sustaining Implementation

 

Following the publication of the DfE Special Educational Needs and Disabilities & Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the DfE have announced that this new, leadership NPQ programme will be available by the end of 2025.

Vantage Teaching School Hub will provide regular updates and information webinars as and when new information is released by the DfE to ensure school leaders in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire are kept up to date.

School leaders and SENCOs who want to find out more about SEND specific CPD should content Vantage Teaching School Hub or visit www.nasen.org.uk