Why us?
Choose our NPQ in Executive Leadership and you’ll be joining over 25,000 teachers and school leaders (as of November 2023), who have decided on Ambition to complete their NPQ since they were launched in 2021.
On our NPQEL, 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.
Throughout the 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.
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.
And with our growing network, you’ll train alongside fellow teachers and early years leaders with similar responsibilities, with content focusing on the key challenges you face in your role.
Plus, 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.
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.
Train to your timetable
This programme is designed to be completed alongside your daily role. It is delivered in short, bite-sized chunks, which is proven to be useful for knowledge retention, and will fit around your existing commitments.
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 in 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 in Executive Leadership is an eighteen month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.
How does the NPQSL programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ in 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 in Executive Leadership is fully funded for teachers and school leaders, at eligible schools and organisations in England, by the Department for Education. 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 in Executive Leadership, you must be a serving teacher in a school or eligible organisations in England and have completed your early career training.
Curriculum
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.
How you’ll learn
Our NPQEL is designed so you can engage in live, facilitated sessions alongside modules you can complete at any time.
The first conference for the Ambition NPQEL spring cohort will take place on Tuesday 6 February 2024 and will be held in the West Midlands at the CBS Arena, Coventry.
Over 18 months, our NPQEL includes:
- Expert-led coaching.
- Two full day conferences (6hrs each).
- Nine courses (each course lasts six weeks and is loosely aligned to a school half term)
- Each course includes six modules.
- Four two-hour clinics (facilitated sessions).
- One two-hour assessment clinic.
- Five communities (1hr15mins group sessions).
The content is delivered through blended learning. This includes 12 hours of in-person delivery (via 2 full day conferences and in-person twilight sessions), a mix of real-time, interactive online sessions and self-guided modules you complete in your own time.
The programme includes facilitator-led sessions with your peer group that focus on decision making. The programme starts with a one-day live conference.
Assessment
Our NPQs no longer include a large project at the end. Instead, you’re given an eight-day window to sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which you respond to a short case study.
This takes within an assessment window that starts at the end of the 18-month programme and runs for three months.
There are two assessment windows every year, and participants can sit the assessment two times, if they need to.
You need to complete the course to qualify for the NPQ accreditation.
We will offer a webinar and live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support you.
Testimonials
Funding
Don’t miss out on a fully funded NPQ! Our February 2024 cohorts are currently our last intake to be fully funded by the DfE.
The Department for Education NPQ scholarship funding is available to all state schools and state funded organisations, including those that offer 16-19 age places in England.
DfE-funded scholarships are available for this NPQ for all those who meet the following criteria:
- Have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for executive leadership across a group of schools or multi-academy trust.
- Work in a state-funded school or organisations, including those that offer 16-19 age places in England.
Extended eligibility.
Organisations now eligible to access scholarships include:
- independent special schools.
- virtual schools (Local Authority run organisations that support the education of children in care).
- hospital schools not already included in other categories of eligible organisations.
- young offender institutions.
If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Executive Leadership costs £4,050 plus VAT.
Support fund for small schools
The DfE have introduced a new Targeted Support Fund for small schools, to enable them to support their teachers and leaders to undertake the NPQs.
There is a grant payment of £200 per participant to settings with 1-600 pupils for every teacher or leader they employ who participates on an NPQ.
This per teacher payment increases to £800 where the employing organisation is a primary school with 1-150 pupils.
Apply
Applications for our spring cohorts are open. Start your application here.
Apply by Tuesday 16 January for a February start.
Don’t miss out on a fully funded NPQ! Our February 2024 cohorts are currently our last intake to be fully funded by the DfE.
Alternatively, please fill out this quick enquiry form to register your interest and find out more about the programme.
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.
Conference one for the NPQEL programme will take place on Tuesday 6 February 2024 and will be held in the West Midlands at the CBS Arena, Coventry.
If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.