Why train with Ambition?
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.
Benefits for you
Build your confidence
Learn how to excel as a leader and get the support you need to take the next step in your career.
Access the latest research
Benefit from the latest evidence-based learning and approaches to great teaching and leadership. See how it can improve schools and change lives.
Enact positive change
Translate what you’ve learned on this programme to your own school context. We'll help you do this by providing models and examples that seek to make the link between theory and practice concrete.
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 a common knowledge base
NPQ qualifications are aligned, so you can have confidence that all your educators will share a common language and framework to develop your school or trust.
Support your leaders
Senior leaders will be given the tools to drill down into specific areas of leadership to improve their knowledge, make evidence-informed decisions and action positive change.
Learn from evidence
Senior Leaders will be introduced to evidence-informed practices straightaway. This will help them develop strategies to improve teaching and pupil performance at your school.
Make a leadership pipeline
The programme will help to identify future leaders and create a positive culture where teachers can develop and thrive.
Boost attainment
Studies show that high-quality continuous 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 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.
How long does the NPQSL programme last?
The NPQ for Senior Leadership is an eighteen 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.
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.
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.