National Professional Qualification for SENCOs

Our carefully sequenced and evidence informed NPQ for SENCOs is designed to help you confidently implement and lead your school’s SEND provision.

> Length: 18 months.
> Delivery: Blended learning, that includes 'little and often' online and face to face learning.
> Qualification: Sector recognised qualification.
> Curriculum: Carefully sequenced and evidence informed.
> Cost: Limited funding for all state schools in England. Self-funded places available.

To apply for the NPQ for SENCOs, you must be a current or aspiring SENCO, or a school leader such as a senior leader or headteacher.

The NPQ for SENCOs is also open to leaders in specialist or alternative provision.

The NPQ for SENCOs is mandatory for SENCOs. You will need to complete this qualification within the first three years in the role. If you have already obtained the NASENCO qualification you do not need to complete the NPQ for SENCOs. Those required to undertake a mandatory NPQSENCO will receive priority for fully-funded scholarship places.

Those required to undertake a mandatory NPQSENCO will receive priority for fully-funded scholarship places.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.

Do you work in a school outside of England?
Find out more about our International NPQ offer here >>

For autumn 2026, the NPQ for SENCOs is fully funded for state schools in England.

There are a limited number of funded places, which are available to those who:

• Are a current or aspiring SENCO, or a school leader such as a senior leader or headteacher.
• Work in a state funded school in England

If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ for SENCOs costs £1,332 plus VAT.

RISE intervention schools 
You may be eligible for funding if you work in a school that is eligible for targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) intervention.
Find out more about RISE eligibility here.

Check if you’re eligible!
If you're unsure whether you will qualify for DfE funding, please use our online eligibility check tool.

Self-funded payment options
If you are unable to access a DfE funded scholarship, you can pay for your NPQ.

We will invoice the school/trust contact you provide in your registration directly. Depending on your school type, they maybe be able to reclaim VAT.

If you are unable to come to an arrangement with your school, we can invoice you directly, but you will not be able to reclaim VAT.

Unfortunately, we do not offer payment plans for our NPQ programmes.

The cost of your programme must be paid in full before the start of your programme. We are unable to offer refunds once you start the programme.

DfE funding restrictions
Due to DfE funding being limited, being eligible for an NPQ scholarship does not guarantee either suitability for the course or that a funded course place is available.

If funded places are not available, you can:

• Approach a different NPQ provider to enquire about the availability of funded course places
• Choose to join your chosen providers waiting list
• Choose to pay for a course place

Choose our NPQ for SENCOs and you’ll be joining over 40,000 teachers and school leaders (as of May 2026), who have decided on an Ambition NPQ since they launched in 2021.

Evidence informed curriculum
Our carefully sequenced and evidence informed NPQ is designed around the key problems you face. You'll learn to implement tailored SEND strategies related to your school’s context.

Access the latest SEND research
This includes core school leadership domains like teaching, behaviour and culture, alongside specialist SEND knowledge on topics like identifying need, running effective intervention and working within the law.

Train to your timetable
Our ‘little and often’ approach means you can engage with our NPQs around your busy timetable, with minimal time needed out of school.

No large project
Plus, on our NPQs there’s no large project at the end. Instead, you’ll sit an ‘open book’ assessment with support via two on-demand webinars and a dedicated, live assessment preparation clinic to help you get the most from your NPQ

Join our charitable mission
We support teachers and school leaders at every stage of their careers, helping them to keep getting better. We are a charity providing training and professional development based on the most rigorous research and evidence about what really works.

Ofsted rated Outstanding
We're proud that our NPQ provision has been awarded Outstanding across all areas by Ofsted.

You’ll sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which you respond to a short case study.

The assessment window starts at the end of the 18-month programme and your outcome is usually available within four months (subject to change by the DfE).

During this time:

• You’ll be given an eight-day window to complete the case study.
• You have two submission attempts. If you fail on the first submission, you will have one further opportunity to resit the assessment. You will submit the assessment in the next available assessment window.
• You need to complete 90% of the programme and pass the assessment to gain the qualification.
• We will offer a live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support you.

Join a local cohort with one of our regional delivery partners and benefit from our expert curriculum design along with a tailored experience linked to your local context.

If there isn't currently a delivery partner in your area, you can join Ambition’s national cohort. Either way, we work to give you the best possible experience.

To look for your local delivery partner, use our interactive map tool.

Our delivery partners cover the majority of England's major regions, including:

• North of England: Country Durham, Cumbria, Gateshead, Middlesborough, Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Cleveland, Tyneside, and more.
• Lancashire and Yorkshire: Lancashire, Cheshire, North Yorkshire, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Kirklees and more.
• East Midlands and the Humber: Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and more.
• West Midlands: Birmingham, Sandwell, Shropshire, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire and more.
• East of England and North East London: Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Havering, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, King's Lynn and more.
• South Central England and North West London: City of London, Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Westminster, Reading, Slough, Camden, Islington, Berkshire, Basingstoke and more.
• South East and South West: Kent, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Swindon, Bath and more.

Applications are now open for November 2026. Apply by 22 October 2026. Start your application here >>

Don’t wait! There is no DfE funded spring 2027 cohort across all NPQ providers. So, there’s only one chance to start this academic year!

The NPQ for SENCOs is mandatory for SENCOs. You will need to complete this qualification within the first three years in the role. If you have already obtained the NASENCO qualification you do not need to complete the NPQ for SENCOs. Those required to undertake a mandatory NPQSENCO will receive priority for fully-funded scholarship places.

To apply you must be be a current or aspiring SENCO, or a school leader such as a senior leader or headteacher.

The NPQ for SENCOs is also open to leaders in specialist or alternative provision.

NPQs are not suitable for active Early Career Teachers.

DfE registration: Until you've completed a DfE registration, available from 23 June 2026, your registration and funding will not be confirmed . You can now register here.

Our application process in seven simple steps:

Step 1: On the programme page
Click ‘Apply now’.
Step 2: Set up your MyAmbition account
Create an account with your name, email address and password. Confirm your email to activate your account.
Step 3: Complete your application
Log in to MyAmbition, fill in your personal and professional details, and answer the application questions. Attach any required documents.
Step 4: Submit your application
Review your answers and click ‘Submit’.
Step 5: Application in review
You’re application will be reviewed and you will be contacted if more information is needed.
Step 6: Place offered
If your application is successful, we will send you an offer by email.
Step 7: Place accepted
Accept your offer on MyAmbition to secure your place.

If you have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch with next steps.

Do you work in a school outside of England?
Find out more about our International NPQ offer here >>

We’re proud to be the largest provider of NPQs in England.

As an education charity, this helps our mission to support more teachers and school leaders serving children from disadvantaged backgrounds to keep getting better.

From our recent participant survey*, we heard that:

• 94% of participants agreed that their Ambition NPQ had helped them to develop their expertise as a school leader.
• 92% of participants agreed that as a result of their Ambition NPQ, they felt better equipped to carry out their current role.
• 93% of leaders agreed that staff completing an Ambition NPQ had supported their school to improve.

You can read more about what our NPQ participants have said here >>

*taken from our 2025 NPQ participant surveys.

We’re now welcoming interest in our NPQs from those working outside of England.

For schools and applicants working outside of England, content is delivered through blended learning. This includes a mix of real-time, interactive online sessions and self-guided modules you complete in your own time.

If you work in a school outside of England and are interested in one of our NPQs for yourself or your school, you can find out more about our International NPQ offer here >>