National Professional Qualification for Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)

Choose our NPQ for Leading Teacher Development 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. Learn to implement professional development that improves teaching and learning for every colleague you work with.

Access the latest research
This includes insights into how we learn, the importance of carefully sequenced professional development so that it sticks and enabling conditions for effective teacher improvement.

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 NPQLTD.

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 Teacher Development, funded scholarships are available for those who meet the following criteria:

• Have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school.
• 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.

Check if you’re eligible! If you're unsure whether you will qualify for this 'pupil premium' based on funding, please use our online eligibility check tool

If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development 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]

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 a teacher who has, or is aspiring to have, responsibility for leading other educators to develop.

You might support all teachers in your school, trainees or those early in their career.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

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

Our NPQ for Leading Teacher Development course follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Teacher Development Framework.

On this programme, you will learn how to:

• make sure professional development in your school is focused on a shared responsibility for improving outcomes for all pupils
• diagnose what teachers know and can do, starting professional development from that point and adapting the approach based on developing their expertise
• help teachers improve through evidence-based professional development focused on improving classroom teaching
• gain an understanding of what teachers have learned by reviewing patterns of performance over a number of assessments
• develop and lead a team of colleagues who can facilitate a range of professional development approaches
• contextualise teacher development based on a variation of school, pupils and teacher needs.
• contribute to a programme of professional development for mentors, trainees and early career teachers.

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.

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.

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

Registrations are now open for November 2025 cohorts. Register now

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 register, you must be a teacher who has, or is aspiring to have, responsibility for leading other educators to develop. You might support all teachers in your school, trainees or those early in their career.

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.

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

Who is the NPQLTD programme for?
The NPQ for Leading Teacher Development is designed for serving teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibility for leading other educators to develop. You might support all teachers across your school, teacher trainees, or early career teachers.

You might be a headteacher or principal; deputy or assistant headteacher; head of teaching development; CPD lead; head of department, phase, key stage or subject; or classroom teacher.

Is the NPQLTD programme fully funded? The NPQ for Leading Teacher Development 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 long does the NPQLTD programme last?
The NPQ for Leading Teacher Development is a twelve month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

How does the NPQLTD programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ for Leading Teacher Development 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 NPQLTD programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Leading Teacher Development, you must be a serving teacher in a school or eligible organisation in England and have completed your early career training.