National Professional Qualification for Headteachers

NPQH

You should be, or aspire to be, a Headteacher with cross-school responsibilities, for example:

an experienced senior leader, a deputy headteacher, a serving headteacher

other senior staff including Assistant Heads leading initiatives across the school, other individual with whole school responsibility. 

This includes senior leaders working across more than one school, for example, directors of Initial Teacher Training

What’s involved

Study can last between 2 academic terms and 12 months,

During this time you will:

develop knowledge and skills across 6 content areas, which set out what an effective senior leader should know and be able to do

have the opportunity to develop up to 7 key leadership behaviours, which set out how an effective leader should operate

complete a final assessment that evaluates your capability against the knowledge and skills set out in the 6 content areas

Content areas

The 6 content areas across which you will develop your senior leadership knowledge and skills are:

strategy and improvement

teaching and curriculum excellence

leading with impact

working in partnership

managing resources and risks

increasing capability

Leadership behaviours

The 7 leadership behaviours that you will have the opportunity to develop are:

commitment

collaboration

personal drive

resilience

awareness

integrity

respect

Structure and teaching methods

The course is designed to be completed through blended learning including:

on-the-job leadership training

360 leadership analysis evaluation

challenge and support - through a coach and/or mentor

access to high-quality resources, drawing on up-to-date research and evidence

professional development from and with credible peers

opportunities for structured reflection

Final assessment

You will complete two projects: a school improvement project within your current school across the whole school, lasting at least 2 terms, aimed at reducing variation in pupil progress and attainment, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching; a school improvement project on a contrasting school. The contrasting placement looks specifically at managing resources and risk as well as increasing capacity and capability.

Through these projects, you will need to demonstrate your competence through an assessment linked to the knowledge and skills set out in the 6 content areas.