National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy (NPQLL)

Choose our NPQ for Leading Literacy and you’ll be joining over 35,000 teachers and school leaders (as of May 2025), who have decided on an Ambition NPQ since they 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 tailored literacy strategies related to your school’s context.

Access the latest literacy research
This includes the science of learning, developing spoken language, reading including phonics, fluency and comprehension, and writing to support you in building your knowledge and practice.

Train to your timetable
Our ‘little and often’ approach means you can engage with our NPQs around your busy timetable, with minimal time needed out of school. On average just one hour per week to engage in our NPQLL.

No large project
Plus, on our NPQs there’s no large project at the end. Instead, you’ll sit an ‘open book’ assessment with support via two on-demand webinars and a dedicated, live assessment preparation clinic 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.

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

For the NPQ for Leading Literacy, funded scholarships are available for those who meet the following criteria:

• Have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a subject, year group, key stage, or phase.
• 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! If you're unsure whether you will qualify for this 'pupil premium' based on funding, please use our eligibility checker tool.

If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ for Leading Literacy costs £899 plus VAT.

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

English hub funding

For autumn 2025, schools may be eligible to access funded NPQLL places via English Hubs. This option is only available toa small number of schools that do not meet the NPQ funding eligibility criteria.

Support is prioritised based on specific criteria. Schools should apply to their local English Hub.

You can find your nearest hub on the English Hubs website.

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 registration 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

Get in touch to find out more.

To be eligible for this programme, you must be leading, or aspiring to lead, literacy in any phase of education.

For example, you might be a head of literacy or literacy coordinator at your school or multi-academy trust.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

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

Our NPQ for Leading Literacy course follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification: Leading Literacy Framework.

On this programme, you will learn how:

• to support staff, of all subject specialisms, to develop pupils’ language and literacy skills
• pupils develop aspects of literacy, including how children learn to talk, how effective spoken language supports literacy development at every age, how children learn to become fluent readers and how teachers can support this across every stage, and explore the importance of subject-specific vocabulary and different strategies to teaching this
• to support pupils' writing – whether learning to write in primary school, through to writing academically at key stage five
• support, develop and teach pupils literacy using evidence-informed approaches
• lead literacy through curriculum, culture and motivation
• effective literacy education can support your school
• to contribute to effective professional development for literacy, linking it to teaching, the curriculum and assessment across the school.

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 12-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.

Assessment period in April 2026
If you’re starting a specialist NPQ in April 2025, please be aware your assessment could take place within an 8-day period between 1-24 April 2026; it is not always possible to avoid national holidays and/or school holidays due to DfE's assessment timelines.

Join a local cohort with one of our regional partners and benefit from our expert curriculum design along with a tailored experience linked to your local context.

If you are unable to find a local cohort, you can join Ambition’s national cohort and gain a national network of peers. Either way, we work to give you the best possible experience.

The launch conference for Ambition’s national NPQLL autumn cohort will take place w/c 17 November (exact date TBC) and will be held at Loughborough University. Partner cohort locations and dates may vary.

Find a cohort that’s local to you in our list of partners here.

Applications are now open for November 2025 cohorts. Apply 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 leading, or aspiring to lead, literacy in any phase of education. For example, you might be a head of literacy or literacy coordinator at your school or multi-academy trust.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

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

The launch conference for Ambition’s national NPQLL autumn cohort will take place w/c 17 November (exact date TBC) and will be held at Loughborough University. Partner cohort locations and dates may vary.

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

Who is the NPQLL programme for?
The NPQ for Leading Literacy is designed for teachers who must be leading, or aspiring to lead, literacy in any phase of education. For example, you might be a head of literacy or literacy coordinator at your school or multi-academy trust.

How long does the NPQLL programme last?
The NPQ for Leading Literacy is a twelve-month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

Is the NPQLL programme fully funded? The NPQ for Leading Lteracy 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 NPQLL programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ for Leading Literacy 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 NPQLL programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Leading Literacy, you must be a serving teacher in a school or eligible organisation in England and have completed your early career training.