Application form for NPQs - One Cumbria | Cumbria teaching School Hub | Teaching School Hub

Application criteria and process
Applications will be anonymised before being screened by two assessors who will use Teach First's rubrics and scoring system to allocate places on the programmes. It is therefore important to answer the questions carefully and pay attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar. We will get back to you with feedback and ask you to resubmit if the application just misses the threshold. If your application is considerably below the threshold, we will not be able to ask you to resubmit.
Introduction
Welcome to One Cumbria’s reformed NPQ School Leader Programmes application form. Our NPQ programmes, delivered in partnership with Teach First, help talented teachers become inspiring leaders at every level. Applications for October 2023 are now open.
Application criteria and process
Please note that:
We will be conducting Teacher Status Checks with the Teaching Regulation Agency to ensure that no prohibited teachers are accepted onto the programme. If we are made aware that you are prohibited from the teaching profession, we reserve the right to withdraw your place from the NPQ programmes.
We recommend that you visit Teach First’s NPQs webpage before applying.
Important: Please save responses to the free text questions in a Word Document as you go in case you encounter any technical difficulties.
Be sure to check your spelling and grammar before submitting as this will also be looked at in your application.
If you have any issues whilst completing the form, please contact: martinl@onecumbria.education.
The commitment
Before starting, please ensure you have informed your line manager and headteacher that you are applying for the NPQs and the programme for which you are applying. If your application is successful, you will be sent a document outlining the expectations of the programme. You will be asked to sign the document to confirm you will meet these expectations, and your head teacher will also be asked to sign the document to confirm they understand and agree to the commitment involved.
The programmewill be a combination of online resources and live training sessions:
Online resources - All the high-quality resources that come with the programme are available online. You’ll access knowledge and tools to help you reflect on and track your leadership development, tackling the issues impacting your school. Each stage requires around ten hours of online learning through modules. You can take these as and when you choose.
Live training sessions - Get together online (and in-person where possible) with leadership experts and fellow participants to review your work, prepare for the next stages and share experiences. There are several focused learning events throughout the NPQ programme: these will be a mixture of virtual and in-person sessions, both one-to-one and in groups, providing an opportunity to focus on your context, deepen your understanding, and access support to reflect on your own and your pupils’ progress.
If you move schools, this may mean you are unable to complete the programme (see our eligibility criteria), so please do consider this as well.
Please acknowledge the information shared here, and the commitment required to complete the programme, before progressing:*
I understand the commitment required to successfully complete the programme

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Contact us
If you have any issues whilst completing the form, please email martinl@onecumbria.education

Data Protection - Fair collection notice
The information you have provided will be used to contact you in relation to the specific One Cumbria programme you have applied for, including any next steps required for your application and any relevant updates. Our main contact method is email but we may also contact you via phone, post, SMS or push notifications. By completing this form, you agree to be contacted for this purpose. For more information on how Teach First handles your personal information, please see their Privacy Statement and Fair Collection Notice - www.teachfirst.org.uk/privacy-policy.
Login information
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Please provide your email address. This will be our main point of contact with you throughout the application process and thereafter.
If you have applied for any other Teach First programme please use the same email address.
We recommend using your personal email for this application, not a work or university email.
Personal information
Name*
First Last
Known as name (optional)
Subject / phase*
(as it appears on your QTS certificate)
Personal email address*
Work email address*
Preferred email address:*
Contact home number*
Contact work number*
Mobile phone number*

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Competency questions
Please complete all questions.
Application questions
The NPQ programme Selection Team will assess your application based on your responses to the questions below. Please take your time to consider your responses, give enough detail in your responses to fully answer the question, and check your spelling and grammar before submitting. We will look at your understanding of the NPQ programme and how it will impact your practice in school and with your pupils.
Q1. Why would you like to complete the Programme with One Cumbria and its Lead Provider Teach First?*
Within your answer please consider:
- Your understanding of the structure of the programme.
- How taking part in the programme will impact on your development and progress.
- The impact that you would hope to have on the One Cumbria vision.
(400 words max )
Q2. Please provide a specific, recent example to show how you are ready for the next step in school leadership.*
Within your answer please consider:
- How this example demonstrates your readiness to take the next step in school leadership
- What skills you will focus on developing
Q3. Throughout the programme, you will develop knowledge and skills in leadership to enable all pupils to succeed.*
You can see more information on these in the NPQ Curriculum Frameworks.
From the list below, please choose one area you consider most important for you to develop in your role and explain how this will impact on pupils and staff at your school.
- Teaching and Learning (including curriculum and assessment)
- Developing Others
- Behaviour and SEND
- School and Trust Culture
- Child Development
- Organisational management and leadership

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Opportunity: Access to Teach First 1:1 Support
You may be eligible to receive free 1:1 support from Teach First to support you in your NPQ. We know it can be helpful to have an experienced former school leader (called a development lead) to coach and guide you throughout your NPQ, and we are able to offer this for a limited number of schools.
The support involves a series of one to one coaching calls over the course of your NPQ programme with your dedicated development lead. You would need to be able to commit to attending at least five 60-minute calls during each year of your NPQ in addition to the time dedicated to the core programme.
Eligibility for this offer is based on your school eligibility, and we will contact you prior to the start of your NPQ to confirm whether we are able to offer you a place.
Please tick this box if you would like to be considered for this opportunity
Tick here
Where/how did you first hear about our NPQ programmes?
- Social media
- Teach First website
- Google/Internet search
- Word of mouth – current programme member
- Word of mouth – someone at my school
Reasonable adjustments (if applicable)
Our aim is to ensure everyone can perform their best and to make our process fair and inclusive for all. Please tell us if you have any individual requirements we should know about.
Individual requirements can include but are not limited to:
Sensory, mobility and health conditions. Neurodiversity, including Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Epilepsy and other hidden disabilities. Faith, including prayer room access or if you are unavailable at specific days or times due to religious observances.
Please only use this box to outline individual requirements which could potentially impact allowing you to perform to the best of your ability and we can organise reasonable adjustments where necessary .
Reasonable adjustments (if applicable)

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Headteacher Information
Please complete all mandatory questions:
- Authorisation to Apply
- How will your place be funded?
- Head Teacher's first name
- Head Teacher's surname
- Head Teacher's email address
Your headteacher's information
To be considered for your NPQ programme choice you will need to secure agreement from your head teacher. This is to ensure your school supports you in pursuing, and you are able to ensure you can meet the required commitment to achieve, the NPQ. Your place on the programme is secured once your head teacher has co-signed the agreement we will send you if your application is successful and before starting your NPQ. If you are currently a head teacher or due to start a headship position, please indicate ‘yes – authorisation granted’ below.
Please confirm that your head teacher has given authorisation for you to apply for this programme.*
(If you are currently a head teacher or will be a head teacher when the course begins please select yes)
- Yes - authorisation granted
- No - authorisation not granted
How will your place be funded?*
- School Funded
- DfE Funded
- Self-Funded
Headteacher name*
First Last
Headteacher email*
Enter Email Confirm Email

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The teacher reference number (TRN) is a unique reference number. TRNs are allocated to all those who hold qualified teacher status, or who have ever trained to teach, in England, and all those eligible for the Teachers’ Pensions scheme. You do not need to hold qualified teacher status to have a TRN.
If you have a TRN or are eligible to be assigned one:
- We will need your TRN for our records.
- You will need a TRN to access a NPQ certificate when you complete your course.
- You will also need your TRN when you complete evaluation surveys for DfE.
Please use the guidance below if you are undertaking an NPQ and:
- You know you have a TRN but are unsure / want to check what it is, or
- Do not currently have a TRN and are working as a teacher / leader in England or living in England but not in a teaching / leadership role at present.
I have a TRN but have forgotten it/want to check it
If you do not know your TRN or want to check your TRN, you can contact the Teaching Regulation Agency helpdesk by:
Phone: 0207 593 5394. Phone lines are open 9am– 5pm Monday–Thursday and 9am – 4:30pm on Friday. Lines are closed on bank holidays. Please state that you are undertaking a National Professional Qualification and require clarification of your TRN.
Email: qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk. Please put the phrase ‘Undertaking an NPQ and require TRN clarification’ in the subject line. The team aim to respond to valid email requests within 5 working days.
In either case you will need to provide any three of the following information types to have your TRN released to you:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- National insurance number
- Your email address
- The establishment where you undertook your initial teacher training
I do not have a TRN, I am working/living in England on an NPQ Programme
If you know that you do not have a TRN, then please email the Teaching Regulation Agency at qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk. The team aim to respond to valid email requests within 5 working days.
You will need to provide certain items of information, and confirmatory identification, so we can allocate you a TRN. Please use the free Galaxkey secure email platform to ensure your identification documents are protected.
To send a secure email to the department, please go to the Galaxkey site: https://manager.galaxkey.com/services/registerme
Please enter your email address that you wish to sign up with and complete the registration process. You will be sent an email to activate your accountonce you have completed this step. You will then be able to send secure emails to the Teaching Regulation Agency using Galaxkey.
The steps you need to take are:
- Select ‘Compose’ to start a secure email
- Enter qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk as the recipient
- Input the ‘Subject’ of the email as: Undertaking an NPQ, do not have a TRN and require a number to be issued
- Please including the following information in your email:
The Teaching Regulation Agency will use the information you provide to create a permanent record for you and allocate you a TRN. Any copies of personal identification documents you provide will be destroyed once your request is processed. Information about how the TRA processes your date is available at the teacher self-service site: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teacher-self-service-portal
Email
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.