National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)

Choose our NPQ for Senior Leadership and you’ll be joining over 35,000 teachers and school leaders (as of May 2025), who have chosen Ambition for their NPQ since they were launched in 2021.

Evidence-informed curriculum
Benefit from our evidence-informed curriculum to help you put your learning into practice in your school or trust.

Develop skills on school improvement
Throughout the course, you’ll develop your knowledge and skills on school improvement at the senior leadership 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 NPQSL 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.

To be eligible for this programme, you must be, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities.

For example, you might be an assistant or deputy headteacher, or a head of department or faculty.

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.

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

To be eligible for funding, NPQSL applicants also have to meet the following criteria:

• Are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities.
• 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!
To see whether you are eligible for funding, you can use our eligibility checker tool.

If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ for Senior Leadership costs £1,139 plus VAT.

Get in touch to find out more here.

*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 application 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

Our NPQ in Senior Leadership course follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification: Senior Leadership.

You will learn how to:

• Set clear goals and communicate shared values that improve the culture in your classrooms and school
• Establish a safe and positive environment for pupils
• Support colleagues to meet individual needs and make sure all pupils have access to a rich curriculum
• Lead school-wide professional development for staff
• Make and act on evidence-informed decisions
• Work well with parents, carers, other schools and the wider community
• Lead by example, be accountable for decisions and make sure colleagues know their responsibilities.

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 18-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.

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.

Conference one for Ambition’s national NPQSL autumn cohort will take place on Tuesday 18 November and will be held at Burleigh Court Conference Centre, 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, or are aspire to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities.

For example, you might be an assistant or deputy headteacher, or a head of department or faculty.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

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

Conference one for Ambition’s national NPQSL autumn cohort will take place on Tuesday 18 November and will be held at Burleigh Court Conference Centre, Loughborough University. Partner cohort locations and dates may vary.

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

What is an NPQSL qualification?
The NPQSL is a DfE accredited qualification, designed to equip and develop current and aspiring school senior leaders in England.

Who is the NPQSL programme for?
The NPQ for Senior Leadership is designed for serving senior leaders, or teachers aspiring, with cross-school responsibilities.

Is the NPQSL 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.

Is the NPQSL programme fully funded? The NPQ for Senior 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.

How long does the NPQSL programme last?
The NPQ for Senior Leadership is an 18 month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

How does the NPQSL programme accommodate busy schedules?
The NPQ for Senior Leadership is designed to fit around your schedule with a 'little and often' approach that aligns with insights from the science of learning.

What is the pass rate for the NPQSL?
We are proud of the positive impact our NPQSL is having on teachers and school leaders. Check our latest pass rate on the 'Assessment' tab.

Are there any specific requirements to enrol on the NPQSL programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Senior Leadership, you must be a serving senior leader in a school or eligible organisation in England have completed your early career training.