What are National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)?

The prestigious National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), already widely recognised and trusted by the sector, are accredited by the Department for Education. They are designed to help you hone and develop the skills you already have, helping you become a more effective school leader and teacher in your school context.

How are the NPQs being reformed?

From September 2021, the reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) will offer teachers and leaders professional development opportunities and career progression pathways. These qualifications will build on key content areas of the Early Career Framework (ECF) reforms. This allows for further specialisation and development of expertise, helping prepare teachers and leaders for the next step in their careers. 

The purpose of the reformed NPQs  is to:

• help teachers and leaders build their capability in the profession, improve leadership in schools and improve outcomes for young people
• retain high-calibre teachers by offering career development opportunities and progression routes

To best address the broad range of responsibilities of current and aspiring middle leaders, the Middle Leadership NPQ has been replaced with three new specialist NPQs.

The three specialist qualifications are:

• NPQ Leading Teacher Development - developing teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school 
• NPQ Leading Teaching  - developing teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a subject, year group, key stage or phase. 
• NPQ Leading Behaviour and Culture - developing teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading behaviour and culture and/or supporting pupil well-being in their school 

The three reformed leadership NPQs are:

• NPQ Senior Leadership - developing school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross-school responsibilities 
• NPQ Headship - developing school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school 
• NPQ Executive Leadership - developing school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher with responsibility for leading more than one school 

Which NPQs do you offer?

As the leading NPQ provider, Outstanding Leaders Partnership supported by Best Practice Network, is able to offer all 6 of the reformed NPQs.  See the Specialist NPQs and Leadership NPQs tabs for more information.

Why take a reformed NPQ?

The reformed suite of NPQs are designed to support improved leadership in schools and build capability. These new NPQs will continue to have a measurable impact on participants' leadership capacity, school improvement and pupil outcomes. 

NPQs are suitable for school leaders at each stage of their career, promoting leadership in specialist areas, aimed at middle leader development and progressing to Senior Leadership, Headship and Executive Leadership.

Benefits for schools include: 

• Increased workforce capacity, capability and confidence 
• Staff retention and succession 
• Research-based improvement activity addressing priority needs