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.

DfE NPQ scholarship funding for future NPQ cohorts is yet to be confirmed.

If you don't work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Senior Leadership costs £1,139 plus VAT.

Get in touch to find out more here.

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.

Our NPQ courses no longer include a large project at the end. Instead, 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.

There are currently two assessment windows every year, and participants can sit the assessment twice, if they need to.

You need to complete the course to qualify for the NPQ accreditation.

We will offer a webinar and 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.

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

Registrations are now open. Start your registration here >>

To register, 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.

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.

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.

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.