Why train with Ambition?
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.
Benefits for you
Make a real difference
Ensuring that all pupils become confidently literate is an essential responsibility of leaders of literacy. The NPQLL will help you to offer all children in your school access to high-quality literacy in their education.
Excel at literacy leadership
Become a true champion of literacy. You’ll develop a thorough understanding of how you can improve literacy in your subject, phase and school, using the latest evidence informed research.
Impact your whole school
As well as providing the key domains of leading literacy, you’ll build your leadership skills by learning how to share your new literacy expertise through effective professional development and implementation, so you can enact lasting change in your context.
Designed by experts
Benefit from a programme which is designed and delivered by literacy, language, reading and writing specialists and experts from across the sector.
Invest in your future
Ongoing professional development helps you to grow and thrive as a leader. You will follow an evidence-informed framework and gain a professional accreditation at the end of the programme.
Learn to your pace
This programme is designed to fit around your busy teaching role. Much of the work can be completed in short bursts around your existing schedule.
Connect with your peers
You will train alongside literacy leaders from similar school contexts. You can share your experiences and build a strong support network.
Benefits for your school
Build brighter futures
By expertly championing literacy leadership in your school, you can make sure that every young person has the literacy skills to succeed across all curriculum areas.
Improve literacy at all levels
Participants will work on applying learning and improving literacy across your school and different subject areas – and support colleagues to do this too.
Put knowledge into practice
This programme gives literacy leaders a comprehensive and accessible evidence base. This allows them to bridge the gap between what they know and how to apply it effectively in your school, to improve literacy and outcomes for pupils.
Create a ‘golden thread’
The NPQs are all aligned. So, no matter what career stage your teachers are at, by joining this programme, they will benefit from an evidence-based framework. They will also share a common language with other NPQ participants that they can pass on to colleagues.
Invest in your leaders
By aligning staff professional development with wider school improvement priorities, you can make sure all pupils have access to high quality literacy support in their education.
Tap into a network
Your teachers will train alongside peers from other schools with similar contexts, supported by facilitators that fully understand your needs.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
Is the NPQLL programme fully funded?
The NPQ for Leading Literacy 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 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.