NPQ for Leading Literacy

Leaders and aspiring leaders of literacy know that children’s ability in this broad and fascinating area will unlock the school curriculum for them, along with enhancing their subsequent ability to achieve life-altering outcomes as well as to lead an enriched life.

The NPQLL will enable you to develop your knowledge of the best available research around literacy, as well as supporting you to apply this knowledge to your own context. With your enhanced knowledge and skill, you will be able to lead colleagues in this critical area so they can have the greatest possible impact on the literacy of the children in their care.

The National Institute of Teaching was founded by four leading multi-academy trusts. Our programmes are underpinned by leading research and driven by what we have found works best in schools. Through our programmes, we aim to ensure participants develop their leadership to ensure their hard work and dedication has the maximum impact on pupils.

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, and to have impact.

Our programmes are rooted in research: every aspect of what you learn is based on the best available research as well as what we have seen and experienced to work best in our founding multi-academy trusts and associate colleges.

Our programmes allow you to build a community: our in-person local seminars are focused on peer learning and problem solving together. As well as applying your learning to your own context, you will have the opportunity to build your network and support one another’s development beyond your time learning with the NIoT.

• How to contribute to designing and delivering professional development that enables colleagues to:
• Develop pupils’ language capability and wider understanding of language
• Develop pupils’ reading and comprehension
• Improve pupils’ writing
• How to champion reading across your school
• How to assess pupils’ literacy abilities in a reliable and valid way that informs future planning

Local seminars: extend your learning with an expert, school leader facilitator, build your network and apply your learning to your own context.

Virtual school visits: visit some of the country’s leading schools, learning about how they have developed and improved their practice over time to deliver exceptional outcomes and experiences for young people.

Online masterclasses: hear school-based sector experts sharing best practice from their context and experience.

Online practice clinics: apply your learning to scenarios and to your own context, trouble-shooting with an expert school-based practice lead.

Online self-studies: learn cutting-edge research and how it is being applied successfully in schools.

On average, participants will spend between one and two hours a week working towards the NPQLL. Where possible, study should be done in dedicated career-development time during school hours.

Please contact [email protected] so that we can let you know your nearest National Institute of Teaching delivery school or centre.

We can confirm that we will be delivering NPQs in schools near the following locations:

North and West: Blackburn, Manchester, Leyland and Skelmersdale .

South, East and London: Norwich, London and South Essex

North and East: Tyne and Wear, Doncaster, Redcar, Halifax, Gateshead, Washington, Peterlee and Grimsby

South and West: Birmingham, Bristol, Devon, Cornwall, Swindon, South Staffordshire, Dudley, Sandwell, Worcester and Walsall

More locations will be added regularly, please check back/apply and we’ll confirm if there’s delivery near you.

In order to receive NPQLL accreditation, participants will need to complete the programme and achieve a pass mark in a written, ‘open book’ style, structured assessment of up to 1,500 words.

We will support participants with writing clinics before they embark on gaining their accreditation.

The assessment itself takes place over an eight-day window. There are two assessment windows per year and participants have two opportunities to take part.  

Applications are now closed for the April 2025 cohort. Register your interest for our next round of NPQs to get information directly to your inbox.

For the April 2025 cohort, funding was available to schools with the highest 50% of pupil premium pupils as well as early years and 16 to 19 educational settings identified as having high disadvantage. Find out more about funding and eligibility criteria here.

If your school was not eligible for funding, the NPQ for Leading Literacy cost £850.

We offer a whole host of other NPQs from subject specialisms to leadership skills. Take a look at the other related NPQs we offer:

• NPQ for Leading Primary Maths
• NPQ for Leading Behaviour and Culture