Why us?
Choose our NPQ in Senior Leadership and you’ll be joining over 25,000 teachers and school leaders (as of November 2023), who have decided on Ambition to complete their NPQ since they were launched in 2021.
On our NPQSL, you’ll benefit from our evidence-informed curriculum to help you put your learning into practice in your school or trust.
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.
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.
And with our growing network, you’ll train alongside fellow teachers with similar responsibilities, with content focusing on the key challenges you face in your role.
Plus, 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.
Benefits for you
Train to your timetable
The flexible programme is designed to fit in with your busy working role. Training is delivered in bite-sized chunks, which is useful for retaining knowledge, and you can learn at a time and pace that suits 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
Who is the NPQSL programme for?
The NPQ in Senior Leadership is designed for serving senior leaders, or teachers aspiring, with cross-school responsibilities.
How long does the NPQSL programme last?
The NPQ in 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 in 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 in Senior Leadership is fully funded for teachers and school leaders, at eligible schools and organisations in England, by the Department for Education. Find out more about the eligibility criteria in the 'Funding' tab.
Are there any specific requirements to enrol on the NPQSL programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ in Senior Leadership, you must be a serving senior leader in a school or eligible organisation in England have completed your early career training.
Curriculum
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.
How you'll learn
Our NPQSL is designed so you can engage in live, facilitated sessions alongside modules you can complete at any time.
The first conference for the Ambition national NPQSL spring cohort will take place on w/c 5 February 2024 and will be held in the West Midlands at the CBS Arena, Coventry. Partner cohort locations and dates may vary.
Over 18 months, our NPQSL includes:
- Two full day conferences (6hrs each).
- Nine courses (each course lasts six weeks and is loosely aligned to a school half term)
- Each course includes six modules.
- Six two-hour clinics (facilitated sessions).
- One two-hour assessment clinic.
- Five communities (1hr15mins group sessions).
The content is delivered through blended learning. This includes 12 hours of in-person delivery (via 2 full day conferences and in-person twilight sessions), a mix of real-time, interactive online sessions and self-guided modules you complete in your own time.
The programme includes facilitator-led sessions with your peer group that focus on decision making. The programme starts with a one-day live conference.
Note: programme content is subject to change.
Locations
Join a central cohort and gain a national network of peers or you can choose an NPQ cohort in your area with one of our regional partners with all the contextual benefits of your area.
With our regional partners, you’ll benefit from our expert curriculum design along with a more tailored experience linked to your local context. 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.
What our partners can do for you
Ambition Institute provides high-quality content and materials, built on our experience in schools and other learning environments, and our deep knowledge of evidence and practice.
Our partner in your region will put this knowledge into context and manage your experience on the programme, from facilitation to day-to-day support.
The timings and methods of activity, sizes of cohorts and the cost of the programme may vary across delivery partners.
Assessment
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 three months. During this time, you’ll be given an eight-day window to complete the case study.
There are two assessment windows every year, and participants can sit the assessment two times, 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.
Funding
Don’t miss out on a fully funded NPQ! Our February 2024 cohorts are currently our last intake to be fully funded by the DfE.
The Department for Education NPQ scholarship funding is available to all state schools and state funded organisations, including those that offer 16-19 age places in England.
DfE-funded scholarships are available for this NPQ for all those who meet the following criteria:
- Are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities
- Work in a state-funded school or organisation, including those that offer education to 16-19 age in England.
Extended eligibility.
Organisations now eligible to access scholarships include:
- independent special schools.
- virtual schools (Local Authority run organisations that support the education of children in care).
- hospital schools not already included in other categories of eligible organisations.
- young offender institutions.
If you don't work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Senior Leadership costs £1,139 plus VAT.
Support fund for small schools
The DfE have introduced a new Targeted Support Fund for small schools, to enable them to support their teachers and leaders to undertake the NPQs.
There is a grant payment of £200 per participant to settings with 1-600 pupils for every teacher or leader they employ who participates on an NPQ.
This per teacher payment increases to £800 where the employing organisation is a primary school with 1-150 pupils.
Testimonials
Apply
Applications are open for our spring 2024 cohort.
Apply by 16 January for a February 2024 start. Start your application here.
Don’t miss out on a fully funded NPQ! Our February 2024 cohorts are currently our last intake to be fully funded by the DfE.
Alternatively, please fill out this quick enquiry form to register your interest and find out more about the programme.
To apply, 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.
Conference one for the Ambition national NPQSL programme will take place on w/c 5 February 2024 and will be held in the West Midlands at the CBS Arena, Coventry. 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.