National Professional Qualifications
What are NPQs?
Great school leaders ensure young people have the best possible experience and outcomes at school. It is a complex and challenging domain, and our NPQs are designed to support leaders and aspiring leaders to meet those challenges.
We offer four leadership NPQs: in senior leadership, headship, executive leadership and Early Years, as well as four NPQs for teachers and leaders who wish to develop their expertise in specialist areas: literacy, behaviour and culture, leading teaching and leading teacher development.
Our programmes have been developed in collaboration with schools and are built on leading research, while remaining grounded in best practice. Our hope is that our NPQ graduates will go on to work together long after their course ends to develop and transform both their own local provision, and the wider educational landscape.
Specialist NPQs
NPQ in Leading Teaching
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, responsibility in leading teaching in a subject, phase or year group.
NPQ in Leading Teacher Development
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, responsibility for professional development in a school.
NPQ in Leading Literacy
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, responsibility for leading the development of pupil literacy in a school.
NPQ in Leading Behaviour and Culture
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, responsibility for leading pupil behaviour and culture across a phase, year group or school.
NPQ in Leading Primary Maths
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, responsibility for leading numeracy in primary schools.
Leadership NPQs
NPQ in Early Years Leadership
For teachers and leaders who run, or aspire to run, an Early Years provision, either within a school or as a nursery; for childminders who have, or aspire to have, leadership responsibilities.
NPQ in Senior Leadership
For teachers and leaders who have, or aspire to have, whole-school leadership responsibilities.
NPQ in Headship
For leaders who aspire to be Headteachers, or who are already Headteachers.
NPQ in Executive Leadership
For leaders who aspire to, or are currently, executive leaders, with responsibility over multiple schools or a specific remit held at Trust or multi-school level.
Reasons to study NPQs
Research-informed practice
enrich your knowledge and understanding of educational research
Essential knowledge
a well-sequenced curriculum ensures you will learn exactly what is needed
Shape the discourse
share your ideas, share your practice and influence the movement to improving education for all children
Transferable skills
develop skills that all the colleagues and children you encounter in the future will benefit from
Community of educators
collaborate with like-minded individuals to support your development long after the programme ends
Fulfilment
enjoy learning again, and see the improvements to your own and others’ practice through our programmes
Why study with the NIoT?
Our programmes are school-led: they are delivered by individuals who work in schools, right now. That means they have the in-depth, domain-specific knowledge to help you grapple with content at the right level, and to support you to problem-solve and apply learning to your own context.
Our programmes are centred on impact: our aim is for your practice to improve and develop in your current context, and for you to be ready and to take the next step in your career as a result of learning with us.
We have designed our programmes carefully, and work closely with school leaders through our regional structures, as well as working with participants, to ensure our programmes are impactful in your context.
Our programmes are respectful of your time: we know you spend most of your time doing the most important job there is – serving the children in your community. That’s why our programmes are designed to be flexible, to deliver exactly what you need in the most time-efficient manner possible.