NPQS
Applications are now open for November 2025!
Visit our 'How to Apply' page to start your application today!
We are delighted to be able to offer National Professional Qualifications through two different providers as part of our commitment to delivering the best possible professional development to all colleagues.
Why take an NPQ?
National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are a nationally recognised suite of qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels; from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice, to those leading multiple schools across a trust or other group of schools.
NPQ courses are designed to help you hone and expand the abilities you already have, supporting you to become a more effective leader inside and outside the classroom. Completing an NPQ will support you on the next step in your career by offering practical support and guidance, and the core knowledge you need to help your school improve further. Wherever your teaching career takes you, having an NPQ can help you demonstrate your continued commitment to and expertise in school leadership and specialist areas of teaching practice.
Find out more about the different NPQs we offer:
Specialist NPQs:
Specialist NPQs can help you develop your classroom teaching or specialism. We offer four specialist NPQs. All specialist NPQs will take you 12 months to complete.
Leading Teacher Development: support the development of teachers.
Leading teaching: support improvements in the quality of teaching and learning.
Leading behaviour and culture - promote a culture of good behaviour and high expectations.
Leading primary mathematics - use mastery approaches to lead maths teaching in your school.
Leadership NPQs
Leadership NPQs can help you develop your leadership skills or progress to a leadership role. Leadership NPQs will take you 12 months to complete.
Senior leadership - develop whole-school leadership expertise to improve outcomes for teachers and pupils.
Headship - become an expert school leader and outstanding headteacher.
Special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) – perform a SENCO role effectively and set the strategic direction of special educational needs policy in a school.
NPQ Funding: Scholarship funding for Autumn 2025
Funded courses for those serving more communities with higher disadvantage:
Scholarship funding is available for teachers and leaders in publicly funded schools (including maintained nursery schools) and 16 to 19 educational settings in England for the following NPQs:
Funding for these courses is also available to:
- schools eligible for targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) intervention
- hospital schools
- young offender institutions
- local authority virtual school headteachers, staff in a defined deputy headteacher role and staff in direct teaching roles
- other local authority staff in direct teaching roles – for example, local authority supply or peripatetic teachers
Scholarship funding is also available for the following NPQs based on disadvantage criteria:
- leading teaching
- leading behaviour and culture
- leading literacy
- leading primary mathematics
- senior leadership
- executive leadership
- early years leadership
- leading teacher development
For these NPQs, scholarship funding to cover the full NPQ course cost will be available to teachers and leaders from eligible schools and 16 to 19 settings that have high levels of disadvantage.
For the NPQ in early years leadership, highly disadvantaged early years settings and maintained nursery schools will also be eligible.
For the NPQ in leading teacher development, scholarship funding is available if you:
- work in a school or setting that appears on one of the disadvantage eligibility lists
- are taking on the role of lead mentor for an initial teacher training (ITT) provider accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024 (this includes those working in non-school settings or in schools not otherwise eligible under the disadvantage criteria)
Course Costs
If your school is not eligible for funding, or we do not have a funded place available, you can still complete your NPQ with us this year- but your school will need to fund your place.
Course Duration Course Costs NPQEL 18 months £4085 NPQH 18 months £1970 NPQSL 18 months £1135 NPQLT 12 months £890 NPQLBC 12 months £890 NPQLPM 12 months £890 NPQLTD 12 months £890 NPQ for SENCO 18 months £1333 Course costs are the same, irrespective of the size of your school or school type.
This is a complete cost, so there are no additional fees to pay. The course cost also includes your final assessment (up to two attempts).