Leadership Development, including NPQs
"School leadership has never been more important. As responsibility for school improvement transfers to the school-led system, we will need effective leaders at every level, from middle leaders up to multi-academy trust CEOs"
"School improvement requires leadership but depends on effective leaders at every level".
Ambition Institute (2016)
There are a wide range of leadership development programmes with a focus on supporting the individual leader or at a whole-school level.
National Professional Qualifications (NPQ)
Leadership National Professional Qualifications (from September 2021)
NPQs are a set of prestigious professional qualifications, already widely recognised by the sector. They are voluntary and are designed to support the professional development of teachers and school leaders at all levels, across primary and secondary schools.
Three existing NPQs in Senior Leadership, Headship and Executive Leadership have been reformed to ensure they are underpinned by the latest and best evidence, and reflect the new Headteachers’ Standards. Our NPQ in Middle Leadership has been replaced with three new NPQs for teachers and school leaders who want to broaden and deepen their expertise in specialist areas.
National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL)
The National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) is for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools.
National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and NPQH additional support off for new headteachers
The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school. Headteachers in their first two years in role will have the option to access an additional support offer to complement their NPQH programme.
National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)
The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) is for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities.
Specialist National Professional Qualifications (from September 2021)
National Professional Qualification for Leading Culture and Behaviour
The National Professional Qualification for Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC) is for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading behaviour and/or supporting pupil wellbeing in their school.
National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching
The National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching (NPQLT) is for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a subject, year group, key stage or phase.
National Professional Qualification for Leading Teacher Development
The National Professional Qualification for Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD) is for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school. They may have responsibilities for the development of all teachers across a school or specifically trainees or teachers who are early in their career.
Other leadership programmes
Leading Together (Teach First)
Leading Together is a Teach First programme that can help you build an effective senior management team that work together to support, train and empower high-quality leadership across the school. Cohort 1 included schools in Bradford but cohort 2 targeted other areas.
Future Leaders (Ambition Institute)
A two-year programme led by Ambition Institute aiming to raise levels of pupil achievement in England’s challenging schools by attracting and developing high potential senior leaders to become headteachers in these schools. Branded as Future Leaders & delivered by Ambition School Leadership. Eligibility: Senior leaders (primarily in category 5 and 6 areas, with some availability in category 1 to 4 areas) who meet certain eligibility criteria. Bradford is category 6.
Leadership equality and diversity
Leadership Equality and Diversity funded programmes
Lead schools provide leadership development activity for teachers covered by at least one of the protected characteristics. Lead schools applied for grant funding across 2018-2020 and funding was awarded to schools covering each of the 8 regional school commissioner regions. Regional hub lead schools are responsible for allocating funding to individual school-led projects and for co-ordinating leadership development for teachers covered by protected characteristics across their region. Eligibility: Teachers covered by any of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and working in a state-funded school in England (see here).
Women Leading in Education
To support women teachers to progress into leadership. The DfE funds a national provider, In Diverse Company, to promote and raise awareness of the Coaching Pledge. They also fund delivery of the Coaching Pledge database, where women teachers register their interest in being matched with a coach, and potential coaches register their interest in providing coaching. The database is hosted and managed by the Teaching Schools Council (TSC). Eligibility: Women teachers in all areas of the country and at any stage in their career.