NPQH (Headship)
The 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.
Programme Overview
| Course duration | Self-led study hours | Live teaching hours (online & face-to-face) |
Coaching hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 months | 30 hours | 52.5 hours | 10 hours |
This 21 month programme is made up of five teaching cycles. Within each cycle you are required to complete:
Teaching cycles
Throughout the course you will cover:
Teaching Cycle 1: School culture and teaching
Teaching Cycle 2: Implementation and operational management
Teaching Cycle 3: Curriculum and professional development
Teaching Cycle 4: Additional/SEND and behaviour
Teaching Cycle 5: Partnership and governance
Your learning experience
Across the programme you will take part in five teaching cycles. Across these phases you can expect to learn through:
- Reading course materials and recommended texts
- Virtually delivered webinars
- Break out room discussions
- Online group discussion forums
- Listening to podcasts
- Watching video content
- Listening and note-taking
- Examples and discussion with experienced school leaders
- Expert coaching in a small group
- Skills practice within a small group
- Researching
- Reflection and journaling
For more detailed programme information take a look at the NPQH Course Overview (PDF)
Programme dates
- NPQH December 2022 - January 2024 (Cohort 1)
- NPQH March 2022 - April 2023 (Cohort 2)
- NPQH November 2021 - April 2024 (Cohort 3)
Assessment
In order to successfully complete NPQH you will need to demonstrate at least 90% attendance at both Activate and Apply sessions.
You will also need to pass the summative assessment which takes place at the end of the programme. The summative assessment takes the form of a case study review and is completed as an open book assessment over an 8-day window. To pass you will need to achieve a mark of 60% of above.
Further information about assessment will become available throughout the course of your NPQ programme.
Funding
Cost: Fully funded to all state schools