
For | Those who are, or aspiring to be, an executive headteacher, trust director or chief executive, with responsibility for leading several schools |
Length | 18 months |
Study Time | 60hrs online study; one 2-day residential; three 4hr in-person sessions; nine 1.5hr local webinars; four 1.5hr national webinars; four 1.5hr case studies |
Accreditation | NPQEL |
Programme Start Options | October 2022 or February 2023 |
Cost | Fully funded for all staff in state-funded schools and state-funded organisations that offer 16 to 19 places in England £4,050 for all others – more information here |
Outstanding leadership across a group of schools or trust
A completely updated NPQEL for those who are, or aspiring to be, an executive headteacher, trust director or chief executive, with responsibility for leading several schools
- Gain a nationally recognised, prestigious, government-backed qualification and make progress in your career
- Strengthen your expertise as both a strategic and operational leader, creating the culture, governance and strategy needed for a group of schools to flourish successfully and coherently
- Learn flexibly around your job with a blend of online learning, virtual sessions and local face to face workshops as well as a core residential weekend
Benefits for you
- Develop knowledge and understanding of how to apply the evidence on multi-school improvement through people development, working with leaders, staff, pupils, governors and the wider community
- A blended learning experience which fits around your role where you learn and discuss key content online delivered in a way that suits the busy working lives of teachers and school leaders
- Local virtual and face to face sessions that focus on real problem-solving, creating understanding, connecting with your peers and gaining depth of knowledge
- A residential stay helps you develop networks with key national leaders and peers
- Ongoing preparation to give you confidence to pass the final assessment
- Facilitation and support from serving executive leaders in excellent trusts
Benefits for your school or trust
- A skilful and research-informed executive leader with the capacity to strategically lead a group of schools or trust
- Practical capability to get on with the job of developing others with the skills to lead with people and teams, creating change and impact
- A professionally aware and informed leader who can make evidence-based decisions and approach headship in an effective and efficient manner
- The ability to review and evaluate practice in order to bring about change and get the best outcomes for young people and staff across the organisations
A blend of flexible online learning, online discussion, virtual workshops and face to face workshops, for a few hours study each week over 18 months with one weekend residential. This is followed by an assessment where you will complete a 1500-word case study assessment to demonstrate your understanding of real leadership and change.
Our online modules guide you and your colleagues through understanding and implementing effective approaches to people-powered school improvement.
This completely reformed Leadership NPQ has an evidence-based curriculum design, connecting you to the latest research and best practice. Our research-rich course covers all of the core content in the government’s Framework for this qualification. It will help you to:
- Provide strategic leadership across a group of schools in effective teaching, curriculum, assessment and culture
- Oversee the development of cross-school approaches to embed effective workforce development, change and implementation
- Create and manage cross-school systems and processes, working with partners and boards.
Funding and Cost
Full scholarship funding, with no cost to the participant, for the NPQ in Executive Leadership is available to all teachers who meet the following criteria:
- are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher, or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools
- are employed in state-funded schools, as well as those employed in state-funded organisations that offer 16 to 19 places in England
The course fee is £4,050 for all others – more information here
Start your application
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More information
The Teacher Development Trust is an internationally leading charity in the fields of staff development and school improvement through people development. Founded by practising teachers and leaders in 2012, we’ve helped hundreds of schools and leaders to create lasting improvement.
Apply now for our NPQs starting in October 2022:
Find your local partner

Our network of UK and international delivery partners will be happy to support you along your learning journey with exceptional facilitators who have a strong track record of leadership and supporting other leaders.
If you may be interested in becoming a facilitator, please click here.
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