Get the tools to establish and – more importantly – sustain your school’s strategic direction. Learn how to create an effective school culture and align your staff in your school’s mission.
Get additional support tailored to the needs of new headteachers. Receive structured, unassessed, face -to-face support from an experienced former headteacher who will offer guidance and coaching to help you get the most out of your training.
Become part of a community of school heads who share a passion for addressing educational disadvantage. Build valuable connections with other headteachers and senior school leaders from across the country and learn how they faced and overcame similar challenges.
If you work in a school serving disadvantaged communities, you can apply for our free one-to-one support which runs alongside the NPQ in Headship (NPQH). You’ll be supported by an experienced former school leader who will coach and guide you throughout the programme. You can apply for this additional support in your application.
This is for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school.
If you’re new to the role of headship, you’ll also be able to access a free additional targeted package of support – the NPQH additional support offer for, and tailored to the needs of, new headteachers.
This 21-month programme (18 months’ delivery and up to three months for assessment, with flexibility to extend by up to six months for teachers new to the role of headship) consists of a series of courses based on the DfE’s NPQ frameworks. Each course cycle features:
This cycle repeats throughout the programme, with implementation a consideration in every course. Towards the end of the programme, you’ll also take a course focused specifically on effective implementation. This provides an opportunity to complete a significant but manageable change project as part of your role. There will be ongoing support through a seminar group and discussion forum.
You’ll develop expertise in the knowledge, skills and concepts for areas of whole school responsibility related to your role as an aspiring or current headteacher. These include curriculum and assessment, professional development and governance and accountability. Our content is informed by the best and most recent evidence, and is developed with input from school leaders and subject matter experts.
Our programmes have a practical focus. You’ll be supported to make small but important changes to your and others’ practice throughout the programme. This will conclude with the implementation module and practical implementation cycle of the programme.
Find out more about the DfE’s NPQH content framework:
The programme is designed to fit around your other school commitments. Over the course of the whole programme (spread over five terms), you’ll undertake 77 hours of learning, including 41 synchronous and 12 in-person. This includes a combination of seminars, learning modules, conferences and a practical learning cycle.
Assessment takes place within three months of you completing your NPQH. Detailed dates will be shared with you before the start of the programme.
The assessment process for all NPQs has been refreshed to reduce the workload burden on teachers while still providing an opportunity to apply their knowledge. To pass the programme, you’ll need to engage with at least 90% of the course and pass one summative assessment.
DfE Funded for all eligible schools.
In June 2021, £184 million of new funding was announced to provide scholarship funding to enable colleagues in eligible schools to train at no cost. Please see slide 5 for more information on this.
Applications for February 2024 are now closed. The application form will re-open in the summer term for an autumn 2024 start.
If you have any further questions please contact Tina Beddoe at beddoet@onecumbria.education
