Accreditation: National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH)

Audience: Aspiring Middle Leader, Middle Leader, Aspiring Senior Leader, Senior Leader

Start Date: October 2024

Duration: 12 months

Apply by: TBC

Cost: DfE funded

The step from senior leader to headteacher can be a daunting one. The buck does stop at the headteacher's desk - but that responsibility comes with the priceless opportunity to make a genuine difference in children's lives.

Our NPQH provides a bridge from successful senior leadership to headship. It will build your confidence when it comes to the essential aspects of headship, such as leading curriculum and assessment, developing behaviour strategies and implementing school improvement.

But it will also remind you that effective leadership of a school, ultimately, is about people. You will learn how to be an empathetic, humane headteacher: to encourage and support members of staff, to communicate effectively with parents and carers, and to make school a safe, welcoming place for every pupil who attends.

Headship can be a lonely place. You are surrounded by people, but they all look to you for advice and guidance. An NPQH will provide you with an invaluable community of like-minded leaders and headteachers, to whom you will be able to turn for advice and support throughout your headship.

Why study at the NIoT and Rivers Teaching Alliance?

We are rooted in schools. We know the unpredictability of school life – the day-to-day challenges that teachers face. Our time-efficient programmes have been drawn up specifically to meet the needs of busy school leaders. Our programme will give you only the information essential to becoming the best and most effective leader you can be.

• Realise your vision: You will learn the skills necessary to set an ambitious vision for your school, creating an environment where staff and pupils can thrive.
• Research-informed practice: You’ll have access to the latest and best evidence of what works in education, but will also be supported in turning it into real, hands-on practice.
• Essential knowledge: There is no fluff – every minute spent working towards an NPQH enables you to make a greater impact in your job.
• Community of educators: You’ll be part of a diverse community of educators, all learning from one another during the course – and potentially afterwards, too.
• Personalised learning: You’ll be able to focus on specific areas of leadership where you want to improve your knowledge and subsequently transform that knowledge into action.
• Fulfilment: The better and more knowledgeable you are at your job, the more enjoyable and exciting you will find it – and that enthusiasm will be passed on to your pupils.

What you’ll learn

• How to build and maintain a clear and nurturing school culture
• How to ensure effective teaching and to support curriculum and assessment development
• How to establish and sustain a positive, predictable, safe environment for pupils
• How to manage behaviour effectively and to support pupils with additional and special educational needs and disabilities
• How to establish an effective professional-development programme
• How to manage a large organisation, implementing strategies, working in partnership with parents and carers and ensuring effective governance and accountability

How you’ll learn

The programme is made up of eight modules, studied over 18 months. Each module contains a combination of self-study units, locally delivered in-person sessions, online masterclasses delivered by specialists, coaching and a virtual visit to a school.

Time commitment

There are two to three scheduled events every half term, some online and some in-person. There are also around four to eight hours of self-study.

NPQ in Headship – The National Institute of Teaching (niot.org.uk)