Headship (NPQH)
National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH)
We are delighted to be partnering with the National Institute of Teaching to deliver this programme.
- Target Audience: school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school.
- Course Length: 18 months, plus 3 months for assessment period
- Brochure: NIoT - NPQ in Headship
Programme cost
Funding for Cohort 5 has changed.
DfE Funding Information for 2025 to 2026 Cohort
Scholarships will continue to be available to all teachers and leaders from state-funded schools and state-funded 16 to 19 educational organisations for the following NPQs:
- NPQ SENCO
- NPQ Headship
Scholarship places are limited. For non-funded school settings, the cost of the NPQ in Headship is £1,880.
Scholarship eligibility criteria will be confirmed on gov.uk.
See also the funding information section on our main NPQ page here.
What will I learn?
You’ll develop expertise in the knowledge, skills and concepts for areas of whole-school responsibility related to your role as an aspiring or current headteacher.
Modules include:
- How to establish and drive your school’s strategic direction
- How to set whole-school culture, creating a safe and secure environment for pupils and adults to learn, work and develop.
- How to ensure curriculum and lesson planning is effective across all areas of your school
- How to develop and maintain the quality of teaching in your school
- How to design and implement assessment practices which produce valid and reliable data, and how to drive actions based on this data through others
- How to ensure all pupils experience success and enjoy a positive school experience, including those for whom school is more challenging
- All aspects of statutory compliance you need to know as a headteacher, including safeguarding, exclusions, risk management, HR and finance
- How to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders
- All aspects of governance and external organisations you will need to manage as a headteacher
Programme breakdown
Your Learning Journey
There are two or three scheduled events every half term, some online and some in-person. There are also around four to eight hours of self-study.
Local seminars: extend your learning with an expert, school leader facilitator, build your network and apply your learning to your own context.
Virtual school visits: visit some of the country’s leading schools, learning about how they have developed and improved their practice over time to deliver exceptional outcomes and experiences for young people.
Online masterclasses: hear school-based sector experts sharing best practice from their context and experience.
Online self-studies: learn cutting-edge research and how it is being applied successfully in schools.
Implementation advisor: structured conversations with an identified in-school advisor to support implementation of learning in context.
How will I benefit?
Over 18 months, you will:
- Develop as a leader with whole-school responsibility.
- Get the tools to establish and sustain your school's strategic direction.
- Learn how to create an effective school culture and align your staff in your school's mission.
- Be supported to effectively implement change and improvement in an area you identify as a school priority.
- Join a network of like-minded leaders.
- The programme is delivered by our highly trained and skilled teachers and leaders from our school-based delivery partners.