National Professional Qualifications
STEP Ahead Teaching School Hub is proud to offer seven National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) in partnership with Ambition Institute. These include four specialist NPQs and three leadership NPQs.
The Specialist NPQs provide teachers and leaders with more options to keep getting better. Teachers can specialise in:
- Leading Teaching (NPQLT)
- Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)
- Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)
- Leading Literacy (NPQLL) *NEW FOR 2022*
The specialist NPQs present an exciting opportunity for continued professional development for teachers and leaders. These NPQs build on the Early Career Framework, supporting the ‘golden thread’ of learning which runs through the whole professional development system.
The leadership NPQs are designed to look at what best practice means for school leadership. They attend to the knowledge and skills school leaders need to help them tackle the persistent problems of their daily roles.
At STEP Ahead Teaching School Hub, we offer:
- NPQ in Senior Leadership (NPQSL)
- NPQ in Headship (NPQH)
- NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) *NEW FOR 2022*
All NPQs are comprised of 6-week courses (approximately one course per half term); in weeks 1, 3 and 5, participants engage with 1-hour of independent study, and in weeks 2, 4 and 6, participants engage in 1-hour deliberate practice online. As part of each 6-week course, there will also be a 2-hour clinic facilitated by a Visiting Fellow (the vast majority of these sessions will be delivered online).
At the end of the 12 months (specialist NPQs) or 18 months (leadership NPQs), there is an assessment. During this time, participants will be given an 8-day window to sit an ‘open book’ style assessment where they will read a 2,000 word case study and respond to it in a maximum of 1,500 words.
Take a look at the DfE’s NPQ promotional video below: