National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are trusted, transferable qualifications accredited by the Department for Education.
They are designed to help teachers hone and develop the skills they already have, helping them become a more effective leader inside and outside the classroom and to facilitate excellence across a range of contexts.
We are committed to ensuring that NPQs continue to offer the best possible support to teachers and leaders wanting to expand their knowledge and skills.
We are proud to be working in partnership with Ambition Institute to deliver the full range of Specialist and Leadership NPQs. We believe that Ambition’s system-led leadership programme offers the best experience for colleagues embarking on these qualifications. The blend of clinics, conferences and communities offers a high-quality CPD experience across all NPQs.
John Winter
Pathfinder NPQ Lead
“The NPQs offer an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate across the region to further improve teaching and leadership in our schools so that pupils can be taught by an expert teacher and led by expert leaders.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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 15mins). As a rough guide, you will have a Clinic each half-term and three (Specialist) or five (Leadership) Communities spread over the programme duration.
NPQLBC, NPQLL, NPQLT, NPQLTD, NPQLPM The only time out of school required is for the one-day launch Conference and one of the twilight Clinics (which is scheduled approximately halfway through the Programme).
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, NPQSENCO & NPQEYL: Two days out of school, the launch Conference and a second Conference at the 3/4 point of the Programme. 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 days out of school, the launch Conference and a Conference at the 3/4 point of the programme. 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.
The Assessment is a case study of 2000 words, which you read, and have 8 days to respond to 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.
2026-7 NPQ cohorts
Funding for 2026 has now been announced:
- the NPQ for Headship and NPQ for SENCOs will continue to be scholarship funded, regardless of disadvantage criteria.
- the NPQ for Senior Leadership will now be scholarship funded, regardless of disadvantage criteria.
- the NPQ for Early Years Leadership will now be scholarship funded for participants working in Early Years settings regardless of disadvantage criteria.
- scholarship funding for the Early Headship Coaching Offer will continue to be available if the participant is also:
- in the first 5 years of headship
- undertaking or has completed the NPQ for Headship
Scholarships for all other NPQs (all specialist NPQs) will continue to be based on disadvantage criteria.
If you are not eligible for scholarship funding you can still undertake an NPQ. Please contact us for further information.
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.
Communities are structured, peer-led sessions where you will consolidate and contextualise your learning by working together. You will explore a brief scenario to get you started before discussing relevant problems you are experiencing in your context. This is an opportunity to draw on one another’s experience and expertise to develop solutions to genuine problems you’re facing. These sessions are one hour and 15-minutes long and are delivered online.
These sessions will help you to embed a supportive network with peers on the same learning journey. This helps broaden and consolidate your understanding of key concepts of your NPQ.
NPQ and You
Explore what our previous NPQ participants said about their course and how it impacted their practices and wider school community.
