Why us?
Choose our NPQ for Executive Leadership and you’ll be joining over 29,000 teachers and school leaders (as of March 2024), 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
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 NPQL 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.
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.
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.
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
New for autumn 2024! DfE-funded scholarships for this NPQ will target those teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities.
For the NPQ for Executive Leadership, funded scholarships will be available for those who 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.
We expect more eligibility information and including which schools and settings will be able to access this funding, to be provided by the Department for Education in the summer term.
If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Executive Leadership costs £4,050 plus VAT.
Apply
Applications have now closed for our spring 2024 NPQ cohorts. We expect to be delivering NPQs in autumn 2024. Register your interest now to hear about future NPQ cohorts.
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.
If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.