The NPQH Qualification is for those who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school. Learn about the latest research from expert facilitators, deepen your knowledge through discussions with other local school leaders, and discover how to make lasting improvements within your setting.
“The NPQH is a great learning journey which I would recommend to anyone who is on the SLT of their school.”
NPQ for Headship (NPQH)
Lead sustainable improvement and meaningful change
An updated NPQH qualification for those who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school
- Gain a nationally recognised, prestigious, government-backed qualification and make progress in your career
- Strengthen your expertise as both a strategic and operational leader, helping you to create a culture where pupils and staff can thrive, and learn how to bring others with you on the journey
- Learn flexibly around your job with a blend of online learning, virtual sessions and local face to face workshops
Benefits for you
- Develop knowledge and understanding of how to apply the evidence on school improvement through people development, working with staff, pupils, governors and the wider community to create lasting change
- 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
- Ongoing preparation to give you confidence to pass the final assessment
- Facilitation and support from serving school leaders in excellent schools and delivery at local venues
- An additional programme of online support and group coaching aimed exclusively at new headteachers
Benefits for your school or trust
- A skilful and research-informed organisational leader with the capability to lead school in conjunction with a motivated and coherent senior leadership team
- 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 within the organisation
Not all NPQH Qualifications are equal. As the national charity for teacher development, we value your time and care about providing a programme which has a real impact on your development as a head of school or trust. This means:
- Evidence-Based Content – You will be looking at the latest research and case studies from real schools to guide your leadership role. We review our content regularly to ensure it reflects current best practise.
- Flexible Online Learning Modules – Learn at your own pace at a time which suits you with our online study modules. We even provide our units as videos and podcasts to help you learn on the go.
- Local Face-to-face Sessions – Rather than covering new material, our in-person workshops are entirely focused on participants discussing the learning content with their peers and expert facilitators. Participants reflect on what’s working well in their different settings and how new leadership ideas can be successfully put into practice.
- A Smart, Heart, Humble Approach – Everyone who writes and delivers a TDT NPQ puts our values first. We follow the evidence, we care about doing right by the people we support, and we listen thoughtfully to feedback.
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. This is followed by an assessment window where you will complete a 1500-word case study assessment to demonstrate your understanding of real leadership and change.
In addition, new headteachers will be eligible for an exclusive programme of free on-the-job additional support, through group coaching and online support.
Our online modules guide you and your colleagues through understanding and implementing effective approaches to people-powered school improvement.
This completely reformed NPQH has an evidence-informed 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 the strategic lead of effective teaching, curriculum, assessment and culture within your school
- Lead effective professional development, change and implementation
- Manage a school’s systems and processes, working with parents and governors
- Build a stronger understanding of your own strengths and areas for development, helping to create a more sustainable and resilient approach to leadership
Funding and Cost
Full scholarship funding, with no cost to the participant, for the NPQ in Headship is available to all teachers who meet the following criteria:
- are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school
- 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 £1,899 for all others.
Please see the government website here for more information and guidance on funding for NPQ courses.
Start your application
Register your interest in the box provided below
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.
Key Information for NPQH: A Quick Guide
Course Length
Study Time
Accreditation
Programme Start Date
Other Key Dates
Cost
Express your interest in a TDT NPQH today!
Complete the form below to start your NPQ journey. Once you have submitted the form below, you’ll receive a confirmation email and guidance on how to complete your application.
Please note that we will not be offering the NPQ in Executive Leadership or NPQ Headship Coaching Offer in Autumn 2024. If you are interested in joining an EL or HCO cohort in 2025, please express your interest below and we will be in touch.
Express your interest in a TDT NPQ today!
Find a Delivery Partner near you
Our carefully selected network of Delivery Partners deliver our courses across over 21 locations across England and the United Arab Emirates. Some Delivery Partners deliver in more than one region, so please ensure you are able to travel to your chosen local delivery location.
Please use our interactive map below to see where our partners are based and what courses they are offering.
Upcoming Key Dates for current NPQH participants
Spring 2023 NPQH Cohort
NPQH
Final Devivery Session
Assessment window start
Assessment window end
Autumn 2023 NPQH Cohort
NPQH
Final Devivery Session
Assessment window start
Assessment window end
Frequently Asked Questions for NPQHs
Is NPQH equivalent to Masters?
NPQs for Headship are not the same as a Masters degree. A small selection of university courses will transfer NPQs from specific providers as a number of credits towards a masters degree. NPQHs can be worth up to one hundred masters credits, but the exact number will be awarded at the discretion of the university in question.
Do I need NPQH to be a headteacher?
No, the NPQH Qualification isn’t a requirement for school headship. Until 2012, it was mandatory for the heads of state schools to have an NPQH but it has since become optional. However, the NPQH remains a well-established and trusted qualification for school heads or those preparing for a head teacher position.
Is an NPQH worth it?
The National Professional Qualification for Headship is an accredited Training Programme which is widely recongnised and respected in UK schools. It will give you a clear idea of what best practise looks like within your role and the research behind it. It will also prompt you to consider how you will react to various challenges and transitions which are likely to come up within your role. When using TDT as a provider specifically, participants also get the benefit of regular in-person sessions with the goal of discussing and reflecting on the learning material with other school leaders. We’ve heard our participants find this valuable as a way to find out what works at other schools and trusts, problem solve, form a clear idea of the type of head they would like to be, and deeply reflect on how what they’ve learned can be sucessfully applied in their setting.
What is the pass rate for NPQH?
The pass rate for NPQH is generallt high but varies between cohorts and providers, TDTs most recent graduates for NPQH had a pass rate of 94%.
How long does an NPQH take?
An NPQH qualification takes 18 months to complete.
Do I Need to Be a Headteacher to take an NPQH?
No, the content of the NPQH is aimed towards those who either are the head of a school or trust or aim to be as the next step in their career. However, much of the course is applicable to all senior leaders or those who wish to understand the demands and best practise of headship better.