National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL)

Build your confidence
Learn how to excel as a leader and get the support you need to take the next step in your career.

Access the latest research
Benefit from the latest evidence-based learning and approaches to great teaching and leadership. See how it can improve schools and change lives.

Enact positive change
Translate what you’ve learned on this programme to your own school context. We'll help you do this by providing models and examples that seek to make the link between theory and practice concrete.

Build your network
You’ll connect with other senior leaders, sharing your experiences and building a strong support network that lasts long after you finish the course.

Create a common knowledge base
NPQ qualifications are aligned, so you can have confidence that all your educators will share a common language and framework to develop your school or trust.

Support your leaders
Senior leaders will be given the tools to drill down into specific areas of leadership to improve their knowledge, make evidence-informed decisions and action positive change.

Learn from evidence
Senior Leaders will be introduced to evidence-informed practices straight away. This will help them develop strategies to improve teaching and pupil performance at your school.

Make a leadership pipeline
The programme will help to identify future leaders and create a positive culture where teachers can develop and thrive.

Boost attainment
Studies show that high-quality continuous professional development can improve pupil outcomes almost as effectively as having a teacher with 10 years’ experience in the classroom.

Our NPQ in Senior Leadership course follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification: Senior Leadership.

You will learn how to:

• Set clear goals and communicate shared values that improve the culture in your classrooms and school
• Establish a safe and positive environment for pupils
• Support colleagues to meet individual needs and make sure all pupils have access to a rich curriculum
• Lead school-wide professional development for staff
• Make and act on evidence-informed decisions
• Work well with parents, carers, other schools and the wider community
• Lead by example, be accountable for decisions and make sure colleagues know their responsibilities.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

Our NPQSL is designed so you can engage in live, facilitated sessions alongside modules you can complete at any time.

Over 18 months, our NPQSL includes:

• Two full day conferences (6hrs each).
• Nine courses (each course lasts six weeks and is loosely aligned to a school half term).
• Each course includes six modules.
• Six two-hour clinics (facilitated sessions).
• One two-hour assessment clinic.
• Five communities (1hr15mins group sessions).

The content is delivered through blended learning. This includes 12 hours of in-person delivery (via two full-day conferences and in-person twilight sessions), a mix of real-time, interactive online sessions and self-guided modules you complete in your own time.

The programme includes facilitator-led sessions with your peer group that focus on decision making. The programme starts with a one-day live conference.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

Ambition Institute provides high-quality content and materials, built on our experience in schools and other learning environments, and our deep knowledge of evidence and practice.

Our partner in your region will put this knowledge into context and manage your experience on the programme, from facilitation to day-to-day support.

The timings and methods of activity, sizes of cohorts and the cost of the programme may vary across delivery partners.

The NPQSL is a DfE accredited qualification, designed to equip and develop current and aspiring school senior leaders in England.

The NPQ for Senior Leadership is designed for serving senior leaders, or teachers aspiring, with cross-school responsibilities.

Who will support me during the NPQSL course?

Throughout your NPQSL, you’ll be supported by experienced facilitators and coaches who understand the realities of school leadership. They are there to:

• Offer guidance and feedback as you progress through each stage of the programme.
• Review your practice activities and provide constructive feedback to help you apply your learning.
• Help you prepare for assessment by giving you clear, practical advice.

Their role is to keep you on track, help you balance your study with your professional commitments, and ensure you get the most from your NPQSL experience.

Ambition does not have an arrangement with any Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to guarantee that completing one of our NPQs will count towards Master’s credits. However, your HEI may agree to recognise your NPQ if you enquire with them. So, we recommend directly contacting your place of study to ask.

The NPQ for Senior Leadership is an 18 month programme, with a mixture of live, facilitated sessions and self-directed learning.

The NPQ for Senior Leadership is DfE-funded for teachers and school leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities in England. Find out more about the eligibility criteria in the 'Funding' tab.

The NPQ for Senior Leadership is designed to fit around your schedule with a 'little and often' approach that aligns with insights from the science of learning.

The NPQSL is built on the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification frameworks. These frameworks are underpinned by:- The evidence base behind the Early Career Framework (ECF) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework.- Alignment with the Teachers’ Standards and Headteachers’ Standards, ensuring your learning connects directly with the professional expectations of school leaders.This approach ensures that the NPQSL curriculum is coherent, evidence-informed, and relevant to the challenges leaders face across schools today. NPQSL framework can be found here

The NPQSL is built on the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification frameworks. These frameworks are underpinned by:

• The evidence base behind the Early Career Framework (ECF) and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework.
• Alignment with the Teachers’ Standards and Headteachers’ Standards, ensuring your learning connects directly with the professional expectations of school leaders.

This approach ensures that the NPQSL curriculum is coherent, evidence-informed, and relevant to the challenges leaders face across schools today. NPQSL framework can be found here.

What is the pass rate for the NPQSL?
We are proud of the positive impact our NPQSL is having on teachers and school leaders. Check our latest pass rate on the 'Assessment' tab.

Are there any specific requirements to enrol on the NPQSL programme?
To be eligible for the NPQ for Senior Leadership, you must be a serving senior leader in a school or eligible organisation in England have completed your early career training.