NPQ Headship (NPQH)

What is the National Professional Qualification for Headship? (NPQH)

For school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school.

The Church of England National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) provides a unique opportunity to grow as a leader. This programme is for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to become, a headteacher or head of school, with responsibility for leading a school.

Please note that applications are currently closed. Cohort 10 is likely to begin in November 2026.

How long is the programme?

The course is based on the 10 units of the NPQH framework and will be delivered across 5 cycles of the learning model over 18 months, as follows:

Cycle One

School Culture

Teaching

Cycle Two

Curriculum & Assessment

Behaviour

Cycle Three

Additional/SEND

Professional Development

Cycle Four

Organisational Management

Implementation

Cycle Five

Working in Partnership

Governance & Accountability

Download our National Professional Qualification for Headship Overview here

Benefits for you and your school

Deliver meaningful change in your school

You’ll be equipped with school-focused leadership knowledge, which you can use to establish the culture and conditions where staff and pupils can thrive. You’ll be encouraged to apply and translate what you’ve learned to your own school context. Models and examples will help you translate theory into practical skills you can use in your school’s setting.

Flexible training

This programme is designed to be flexible to fit with your busy working role. Training is delivered in bite-sized chunks, and you can learn at a time and pace that suits you.

Access the latest research & learning backed by evidence

Benefit from the latest evidence-based learning and approaches to great teaching and leadership. You’ll be introduced to evidence-informed practices to enable you to develop strategies to improve teaching and pupil performance at your school.

Individualised training

You’ll be able to focus on specific areas of leadership where you want to improve your knowledge. This will help you make evidence-informed decisions and action positive change.

Funding

The criteria for fully funded NPQs have recently changed, focusing on teachers and leaders in the most challenging educational settings. However, scholarships will continue to be available for all those from publicly funded schools and 16-19 educational establishments wishing to undertake the NPQ Headship for November 2025.

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis as fully funded places are capped.

NPQ Programme -

Design and Assessment

(click the image below to view)

Page updated

Report abuse