Why train with Ambition?
Choose our NPQ for Headship 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
Our carefully sequenced and evidence informed NPQ is designed around the key problems you face. You'll learn to implement your learning into practice in your school setting.
Access the latest research
Develop your knowledge and skills to lead school improvement at headship level. This programme aims to develop expertise that is flexible and allows participants to respond to the challenges they will encounter in a range of contexts.
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 NPQH 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
Learn crucial skills and sector knowledge
All the knowledge you’ll learn on this programme is drawn from a single, evidence-based framework shared by other educators across England.
Learning that sticks
Training is delivered little and often, in regular bite-sized chunks, so there are no long days of training that take you away from your day job. Learning in short, sharp bursts also helps you to retain knowledge.
Thrive in your school setting
Develop the knowledge and skills to work to the best of your ability and tackle the complexities and challenges of your daily role.
Drive habit change
Embedding new habits can be tricky. Our dual modules help you to apply what you learn, connecting theory to practice, to help those habits stick. Insight modules capture the very best the sector has to contribute on a given topic. Application modules help you to use the ideas in context, with support from peers.
Build your network
You’ll connect with other senior leaders, sharing your experiences and building a strong support network that lasts long after you finish the course.
Benefits for your school or trust
Create confident school leaders
Headteachers are equipped with school-focused leadership knowledge, which they can use to establish a culture and conditions where staff and pupils can thrive.
Underpinned by the latest evidence
The framework for the new NPQ for Headship was developed using the latest evidence on effective professional development for teachers and leaders, approved by the Education Endowment Fund (EFF).
Shared learning
Participants learn alongside colleagues whose context is similar, facilitated by delivery partners who know and understand your needs.
Create a common knowledge base
All our NPQs are aligned, meaning teachers and leaders share a common language and framework to drive improvement in their school.
Transform pupil outcomes
Education Policy Institute research shows that high quality professional development can improve pupil outcomes almost as effectively as having a teacher with 10 years’ experience in the classroom.*
Frequently asked questions
What is the NPQH qualification?
The NPQH is a DfE accredited qualification, designed to equip and develop current and aspiring headteachers in England.
How to become a Headteacher?
You need to be a fully qualified teacher and show that you have worked in a senior position in the education sector.
Do I need NPQH to be a Headteacher?
No, you do not need the NPQH to be a headteacher. This requirement was removed in 2012 however, this qualification will still be beneficial for your professional development and applying for roles.
Who is the NPQH programme for?
The NPQ for Headship is designed for serving headteachers, or are aspiring to be a headteacher or head of school with a responsibility of leading a school.
Is the NPQH equivalent to a Master's?
Ambition does not have an arrangement with any Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to guarantee that completing one of our NPQs will count towards Master’s credits. However, your HEI may agree to recognise your NPQ if you enquire with them. So, we recommend directly contacting your place of study to ask.
How long does the NPQH programme last?
The NPQ for Headship is an eighteen month programme.
Can you do the NPQH online?
Most of the content is delivered online through a blend of real-time, interactive online sessions and asynchronous self-guided modules. Throughout the programme, there are also 12 total hours of in-person learning, in the form of two one-day conferences.
How does the NPQH programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ for Headship is designed to fit around your schedule with a 'little and often' approach that aligns with insights from the science of learning.
Is the NPQH programme fully funded?
The NPQ for Headship is fully funded for teachers and school leaders who work in eligible schools and organisations in England, by the Department for Education. Find out more about the eligibility criteria in the 'Funding' tab.
Are the any specific requirements to enrol on the NPQH programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Headship, you must be a serving teacher in a school or eligible organisation in England and have completed your early career training.
What is the NPQH assessment process like?
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 programme and runs for three months. During this which, you’ll be given an eight-day window to complete the case study. We will offer a webinar and live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support you.
What is the pass rate for the NPQH?
We are proud of the positive impact our NPQH is having on school leaders. Check our latest pass rate on the 'Assessment' tab.