Why train with Ambition?
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.
Benefits for you
Excel as an executive leader
Set an ambitious vision for your schools or trust and create the conditions and culture needed for staff and pupils to thrive.
Learn from the best
Ambition Institute has a proven track record in delivering continuous professional development. Your leaders will benefit from the latest evidence-informed learning and develop expert knowledge in all areas of school leadership.
Form a strong support network
Connect with other school leaders, share your collective expertise and build a tight-knit network with people who face the same challenges as you.
Benefits for your school or trust
Focus on your specific needs
Traditionally, professional development in leadership has focused on personal traits, such as the qualities of dynamic and charismatic leadership. The new and reformed NPQs pay more attention to the knowledge leaders need to tackle the persistent problems of their daily roles.
Share a common knowledge base
National Professional Qualifications are aligned, so all educators will be working to the same framework and be able to share a common language for developing a school or trust.
Learn from the best
Ambition Institute has a proven track record in delivering continuous professional development. Your leaders will benefit from the latest evidence-informed learning and develop expert knowledge in all areas of school leadership.
Gain expert knowledge
This programme is led by experts, giving your executive leaders the chance to connect with a network of talented educators and put what they learn into practice at your organisation.
Frequently asked questions
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 eighteen month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.
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.
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.
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.