National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL)

Choose our NPQ for Executive Leadership and you’ll be joining over 35,000 teachers and school leaders (as of May 2025), who have decided on Ambition to complete their NPQ since they were launched in 2021.

Evidence-informed curriculum
You’ll benefit from our evidence-informed curriculum to help you put evidence-based leadership methods into practice and drive change in your schools or multi-academy trust.

Access the latest research
Throughout the NPQEL course, you’ll get access to the key research on areas including curriculum, assessment and governance across multiple schools and the importance of a positive culture to improve outcomes. Rather than spending your time sourcing the latest insights, you’ll instead focus on putting your learning into practice.

Train to your timetable
Our ‘little and often’ approach means you’ll need on average just one hour per week to engage in our NPQs, helping you to fit your NPQEL around your timetable.

No large project
On our NPQs, there’s no large project at the end. Instead, you’ll sit an ‘open book’ assessment with support via a live webinar and clinics available to help you get the most from your NPQ.

Join our charitable mission
We support teachers and school leaders at every stage of their careers, helping them to keep getting better. We are a charity providing training and professional development based on the most rigorous research and evidence about what really works.

To be eligible for this programme, you must be a school leader who is, or is aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.

Funding for autumn 2025 is targeted for teachers and leaders working in England's top 50% most disadvantaged schools, according to pupil premium percentage.

To be eligible for funding, NPQEL applicants also have to meet the following 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 the 50% of schools with the highest proportion of students who attract pupil premium funding and 16 to 19 educational settings identified as having high disadvantage in England.

RISE intervention schools 
You may be eligible for funding if you work in a school that is eligible for targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) intervention.

Check if you're eligible!
To see whether you are eligible for funding, you can use our eligibility checker tool.

If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ for Executive Leadership costs £4,050 plus VAT.

Get in touch to find out more here.

*Currently nurseries are not available yet on the tool. If you work in a nursery, please contact us directly at [email protected]

Self-funded payment options
If you are unable to access a DfE funded scholarship, you can pay for your NPQ.

We will invoice the school/trust contact you provide in your application directly. Depending on your school type, they maybe be able to reclaim VAT.

If you are unable to come to an arrangement with your school, we can invoice you directly, but you will not be able to reclaim VAT.

Unfortunately, we do not offer payment plans for our NPQ programmes.

The cost of your programme must be paid in full before the start of your programme. We are unable to offer refunds once you start the programme.

DfE funding restrictions
Due to DfE funding being limited, being eligible for an NPQ scholarship does not guarantee either suitability for the course or that a funded course place is available.

If funded places are not available, you can:

• Approach a different NPQ provider to enquire about the availability of funded course places
• Choose to join your chosen providers waiting list
• Choose to pay for a course place

This programme develops your executive leadership skills and knowledge and covers the content listed in the Department for Education’s NPQ Executive Leadership Framework.

You will learn how to:

• create a positive and effective culture across your schools or trust
• support school leaders and your senior team to put in place an evidence-informed approach to designing the curriculum
• give clear feedback to teachers and make sure they are supported with guidance and training to do their jobs effectively
• create and sustain a positive, safe and predictable environment for all pupils across your schools or trust
• work with school leaders and your senior team to make sure professional development priorities are aligned with plans to improve your school or trust
• work effectively in partnership with parents, the community and other schools and trusts
• participate in governance and be fully transparent and accountable.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

You’ll sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which you respond to a short case study.

The assessment window starts at the end of the 18-month programme and runs for up to four months (subject to change by the DfE).

During this time:

• You’ll be given an eight-day window to complete the case study.
• Participants can sit the assessment twice, if they need to.
• You need to complete 90% of the programme and pass the assessment to gain the qualification.
• We will offer a live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support you.

Registrations are now open for November 2025 cohorts. Register here

Don’t wait! Due to a change in DfE guidance, there’s no spring 2026 cohort across all NPQ providers. So, there’s only one chance to start this academic year!

To apply, you must be a school leader who is, or is aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

Funded places are only available to those working in schools in England.

Until you've completed the DfE registration, available from 8 September 2025, your registration and funding will not be confirmed.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.

Who is the NPQEL programme for?
The NPQ for Executive Leadership is designed for school leaders who are, or aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with a responsibility for leading several schools.

How long does the NPQEL programme last?
The NPQ for Executive Leadership is an 18 month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

Is the NPQEL programme fully funded?
The NPQ for Executive Leadership is DfE-funded for teachers and school leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities in England. Find out more about the eligibility criteria in the 'Funding' tab.

How does the NPQEL programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ for Executive Leadership is designed to fit around your schedule with a 'little and often' approach that aligns with insights from the science of learning.

Are there any specific requirements to enrol on the NPQEL programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Executive Leadership, you must be a serving teacher in a school or eligible organisations in England and have completed your early career training.