NPQ for Senior Leadership

Ready to take the next step into senior leadership?

The NPQ for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) will give you the knowledge, confidence and practical tools to lead across a whole school and make a lasting impact on pupils, staff and outcomes.

Develop your expertise in leading teaching, shaping school culture and driving improvement at scale. You’ll learn how to contribute to strategic decision-making, support colleagues to perform at their best, and create the conditions for every pupil to succeed.

This is a nationally recognised leadership qualification designed to help you move into - and thrive in - senior leadership roles.

Ideal for assistant headteachers, heads of year, phase leaders and other leaders moving into whole-school strategic leadership.

Teachers and school leaders who:

• Hold, or aspire to hold, senior leadership responsibilities across a school
• Are looking to step up from middle leadership into a whole-school role
• Want to develop the knowledge and confidence to lead beyond their department or phase

On this NPQ for Senior Leadership, you will develop expertise in:

• contributing to and shaping your school’s strategic direction
• establishing and sustaining a positive school culture for pupils and staff
• leading high-quality teaching and curriculum implementation across a school
• designing and implementing effective assessment systems that produce reliable data without unnecessary workload
• using data to inform decision-making and drive school improvement
• developing, managing and supporting colleagues effectively
• working with internal and external stakeholders across the school community
• understanding statutory requirements, including safeguarding, exclusions, HR and finance
• engaging with governance and external organisations

Our NPQSL is delivered over 18 months through a blended learning model designed to fit around your role in school.

The modules:

Module 1: Self-study 1-3, 6 hours online and day 1, 6 hours in person including practice clinics and coaching

Module 2: Self study 4-5, 4 hours online and virtual school visit 1, 90 minutes, online

Module 3: Self-study 6-9, 8 hours online and day 2, 6 hours, in-person, including practice clinics and coaching

Module 4: Self-study 10-11, 4 hours online plus masterclass 1, 1 hour online plus virtual school visit 2, 90 minutes

Module 5: Self-study 12-14, 6 hours online plus day 3, 6 hours, in-person, including practice clinics and coaching

Module 6: Self-study 15-17, 6 hours online plus masterclass 2, 1 hour online

Module 7: Self-study 18-20, 6 hours online plus day 4, 6 hours in-person including practice clinics and coaching

The programme includes:

• Local seminars - learn with expert facilitators, apply your learning and build your professional network
• Virtual school visits - explore how leading schools implement improvement in practice
• Online masterclasses - hear from experienced school leaders and sector experts
• Self-study modules - engage with the latest research and evidence-based practice
• Implementation discussions - structured in-school support to help you apply your learning in context

You’ll also have access to a library of masterclasses and virtual visits to deepen your learning throughout the programme.

There are typically two to three scheduled sessions each half term, combining online and in-person learning. You should also expect around 4-6 hours of self-study per half term.

Local seminars take place during the working week and during term time. Schools should plan for participant attendance as part of their professional development commitment.

The programme is designed to be manageable alongside your existing role.

We deliver NPQs in schools and centres across England.

Please contact your regional delivery team, who can let you know your nearest National Institute of Teaching delivery school or centre:

East, South and London: [email protected]

South and West: [email protected]

North and East: [email protected]

North and West: [email protected]

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

North and West: Blackburn, Bolton, Bradford, Leyland, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Skelmersdale.

South, East and London: Hertfordshire, North East London, Norwich, South East London, South Essex, Suffolk.

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

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

New locations are added regularly.

• Build the knowledge and confidence to step into senior leadership
• Develop expertise across whole-school leadership responsibilities
• Gain a nationally recognised leadership qualification
• Apply evidence-informed approaches to improve your practice
• Increase your career progression opportunities

• Stronger leadership capacity across the school
• Improved teaching, curriculum and pupil outcomes
• Access to evidence-based strategies and best practice
• Increased staff retention and leadership development

To complete the NPQSL, you will:

• Participate fully in the programme
• Complete a written, ‘open book’ assessment (up to 2,000 words)

The assessment:

• Takes place over an eight-day window
• Is designed to assess your understanding and application of programme content
• Includes two opportunities to pass

We will support you with writing clinics, provide you with live assessment support webinars and self-directed guidance materials before you gain your accreditation.

This programme is suitable for:

• Teachers and leaders currently in, or aspiring to, senior leadership roles

Your school may be eligible for scholarship funding, please click here to find out more.

For the November 2026 cohort, applications open on Tuesday 23 June. You can register your interest now.

To apply, you will need:

• full understanding of eligibility criteria
• agreement from school/employer to apply for this programme
• support from school to take part in the programme and implement learning
• your Teacher Reference Number (A TRN is a 7-digit number that uniquely identifies you in the education sector in England. This will be validated with the Department for Education, please ensure you enter the correct TRN. Not sure what your teacher reference number is? You can find out here)
• school/setting unique reference number (URN), address, contact number, number of pupils on roll, % of pupils eligible for free school meals
• a summary of your current leadership responsibilities and a 200-word statement about why you wish to complete this programme
• name, job title and email address of nominated implementation advisor, name, job title and email address of referee and invoicing contact name, address and email address.

For the November 2026 cohort, funding is available to for all state-funded schools in England. Find out more about funding and eligibility criteria here.

If your school is not eligible for funding, the NPQ for Senior Leadership costs £1,150.

The National Institute of Teaching is a higher education provider founded by schools, for schools.

• School-led - learn from leaders working in schools today
• Evidence-informed - grounded in the latest research and best practice
• Designed for impact - apply your learning directly in your context
• Built around your role - manageable alongside your teaching commitments
• Collaborative – learn alongside peers and build a strong professional network

• NPQ for Early Years Leadership
• NPQ for SENCOs
• NPQ for Headship
• NPQ for Executive Leadership