NPQ – National Professional Qualification

For all programmes the time commitment for a participant is at least 50 minutes per week.  The 50 minutes study each week is made up of a combination of Insight and Application modules.

Insight modules: Weeks 1, 3 and 5 are independent and can be accessed whenever you want during the week through an online platform.  Through accessing the Insight modules, you will engage with new learning linked to your NPQ programme at your own pace.

Application modules: Weeks 2, 4 and 6 are completed with a `buddy’ so you will pair up and spend those 50 minutes (max) together either virtually or in person.  Your buddy will provide support throughout the programme.

In addition to the Insight and Application modules, there will be scheduled Clinics (2hr) and Communities (1hr).  As a rough guide, you will have a Clinic and a Community each half-term.

NPQLL, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLBC: The only time out of school required is for the one-day launch Conference and the assessment clinic at the end of the course (half day).

All other Clinics are run virtually (4-6pm) to minimise the impact on pupils.  Clinics are roughly once a half-term.  The Programme lasts for 12 months, comprising six six-week courses).

NPQSL & NPQEYL: Two and a half days out of school, the launch Conference, a second Conference at the 3/4 point of the Programme and the assessment clinic at the end of the course (half day).  All Clinics are run inside the working day but outside of teaching time (4-6pm) to minimise the impact on pupils.  Clinics are roughly once a half-term.  The Programme lasts for 18 months, comprising nine six-week courses.

NPQH: Three and a half days out of school, the launch Conference, a Conference at the 3/4 point of the programme and the assessment clinic at the end of the course (half day).  You will also be required to do a school visit to another school and can timetable that yourself.  All Clinics are run inside the working day but outside of teaching time (4-6pm) to minimise the impact on pupils.  Clinics are roughly once a half-term.  The programme lasts for 18 months, comprising nine six-week courses.

All dates will be shared with you in advance and we advise that you put all of the dates into your calendar and request your leave of absence so that you know when you need time out of school.

The Assessment is a case study of 2000 words, which you read, and have an 8 day to respond in no more than 1500 words (essay style, continuous prose).  The Clinics that you will attend every 6 weeks take you through problem-solving/scenario-based approaches to problem-solving, so this is great preparation for the Assessment.  The Assessment Clinic at the end of the programme will also prepare you for your 1500-word response.  You must also engage with at least 90% of the Course Content/Clinics/Conferences/Communities throughout your course to pass.

We would advise that you put the Assessment window in your diary and ensure that you give yourself enough time to complete it. Although 8 days can seem like a lot of time, you also have to factor in your usual work / home commitments at the same time.

Scholarship funding for autumn 2025

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:

• special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs)
• headship

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 also available if you’re taking on the role of lead mentor for an initial teacher training (ITT) provider accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024.

To be eligible, your school or setting must be on one of the disadvantage eligibility lists.

Eligibility lists

Details of eligibility lists based on disadvantage are set out as follows.

Schools

The top 50% of publicly funded schools that have the highest proportion of students attracting pupil premium. This does not include maintained nursery schools.

Further education

The top 50% of 16 to 19 settings where the highest proportion of funded students attracting a disadvantage uplift. This is based on a combination of disadvantage block 1 and block 2 funding.

Early years

The top 50% of early years settings where the highest proportion of children get early years pupil premium or disadvantaged 2-year-old entitlement funding.

This includes private, voluntary, independent (PVI) settings, Ofsted-registered early years childminders and maintained nursery schools.

These settings are eligible for the early years leadership NPQ only.

Maintained nursery schools are also eligible for headship and SENCO NPQs regardless of disadvantage.

Schools eligible for targeted RISE intervention

This includes schools that:

• were previously scheduled for structural intervention after 1 January 2025 but have since had this intervention revoked
• are stuck schools – a stuck school is defined as a school that was graded Requires Improvement or equivalent at its most recent Ofsted inspection, and was also graded below Good at its previous inspection and is still within the same structure

The eligible settings are fixed for the autumn 2025 recruitment period.

Early headship coaching offer

For the early headship coaching offer, you can get funding to cover the course fees if you’re both:

• in your first 5 years of headship in England in a state-funded school or 16 to 19 organisation
• currently doing, or have completed, the NPQ for headship

Funding restrictions 

You can only receive scholarship funding for each NPQ once.

If you receive scholarship funding but then withdraw from or fail a course, you cannot get scholarship funding for the same NPQ again.

Being eligible for an NPQ scholarship does not guarantee that:

• the course is suitable for you
• a funded course place will be available

NPQ providers determine suitability through their application processes.

The total amount of scholarship funding is limited, so some eligible teachers and leaders may not secure a funded place. Check with your provider before you register to see if a funded place is available.

NPQ providers manage applications for the courses they deliver and may prioritise applications according to the number of funded places they have available. For example, priority will be given to applications for the NPQ for SENCOs to those needing to take the NPQ as a mandatory qualification for their role as a SENCO.

If a funded place is not available

If funded places are not available with your chosen NPQ provider, you can:

• contact another provider to enquire about funded places
• join your provider’s waiting list
• self-fund your course place

Find out more about providers and the NPQ courses they offer.

Legacy NPQs 

If you received scholarship funding for a legacy NPQ before November 2021 and withdrew from the programme, you’re still eligible for scholarship funding for the current NPQs.

Clinics are two-hour, facilitated sessions that aim to check participant understanding of the content delivered through the Insight and Application modules in previous six-week course, address common misconceptions, further contextualise the content and support the building of a community/network.