National Professional Qualifications
- REGISTER YOUR INTEREST with UCL NOW FOR APRIL 2025 START (Apply with the DfE here from February 10th)
NPQs and Learners First
Learners First has been a successful DfE accredited NPQ provider since 2012. We are now a proud delivery partner of the University College London’s Institute of Education (UCL) and previously, the Teacher Development Trust. We have an excellent track record of supporting teachers, leaders and associate professional colleagues through the NPQs, using the expert knowledge and superb facilitation and networking opportunities provided by our specialist facilitators.
From October 2024, we were delighted to partner UCL for the new NPQ SEN qualification and look forward to extending our offer to more NPQs from April 2025. UCL is a long standing NPQ provider and the UK’s largest university-based centre for research, teaching, development and innovation in education leadership. The NPQs are written using cutting edge research and evidence on how teachers and school leaders learn and grow over time and underpinned by the IOEs values to work for and with schools to enable them to make meaningful connections between theory, evidence and practice in their own contexts of learning.
NPQs are delivered and studied to fit in with your day job and busy lifestyle. You will train alongside peers with similar responsibilities. The course content focuses on the key challenges teachers and leaders face in their role. There’s no project work and minimal time out of school is required but Learners First and UCL prioritise face to face networking and offers additional professional development to enhance the NPQ theory into practice in your own context.
TESTIMONIALS FROM CURRENT PARTICIPANTS
Find Out More – Free Information Briefings
To find out more about the NPQs, the course structure, content, assessment and which one is right for you or your team, please join us for any of the free information webinars below:
To speak to one of our team or for individual queries, please email info@learnersfirst.org with your query and we will be glad to help.
apply for an NPQ
step one
Register Your Interest for an NPQ with UCL
Act quickly as limited scholarship funding is issued on a first come-first served basis for eligible schools
step two
Register for an NPQ with the DfE (eligibility funding)
Please tick UCL
step three
Complete the Application & Sponsor Form from UCL
Tick Learners First
step four
Onboarding Begins with UCL & Learners First
NPQ Programmes Available
New for Autumn 2024
NPQ SENDCO
From October 2024, the new NPQSENCO will become the mandatory qualification for all SENDCos. It replaces the Master’s level NASENCO qualification. We will be delivering the NPQSENCO with University College London (UCL). This is a leadership qualification, studied trough a blended learning approach for 18 months.
Please visit the UCL website here for more information or register directly with the DfE here
Specialist NPQs | Cohort Intake | Suitable for teachers and leaders currently or aspiring to specialise in a domain area of expertise. Not suitable for ECTs. | |
12 months duration plus assessment | Spring 2025 | learn how to become a teacher educator to successfully support teachers in your area of responsibility or whole school, to expand their skills (suitable for mentors) | |
| NPQ Leading Teaching (NPQLT) | Autumn 2024 | learn how to develop and lead subject curriculum, pedagogy and assessment within a subject, year group or phase | |
| NPQ Leading Behaviour & Culture (NPQLBC) | Autumn 2024 | learn how to create a culture of good behaviour and high expectations in which staff and pupils can thrive (also available to colleagues without QTS) | |
Leadership NPQs | Cohort Intake | Suitable for teachers, current or aspiring school/trust leaders who are or aspire to operate at a level commensurate with the NPQ standard. NB, NPQSEND can be accessed by participants without Qualified Teacher Status | |
18 months duration plus assessment | NPQ Senior Leadership (NPQSL) | Autumn 2024 & Spring 2025 | develop your leadership knowledge and expertise in different domain areas to improve outcomes for teachers, the wider workforce and pupils across your school |
Spring 2025 | develop expertise in leading high-quality early years education and care, as well as effective staff and organisational management (suitable for leaders of PVIs, Childminders, and school EYFS leaders) | ||
| Autumn 2024 & Spring 2025 | develop the knowledge that underpins expert school leadership, including working in partnership and organisational management and apply it to become an outstanding headteacher | |
Autumn 2024 | Develop expertise in leading SEND across your organisation. This is the mandatory qualification for all named or aspiring SENDCOs who do not hold the NASEND (pre 2024). From Autumn 2024, all SENDCOs without NASEND must register for NPQSEND. Suitable for Assistant SENCOs & colleagues with interest in role. | ||
Specialist NPQ Qualifications
NPQ Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)
For teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school. They may have responsibilities for the development of all teachers across a school or specifically trainees or teachers who are early in their career.
NPQ Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)
For teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading behaviour and/or supporting pupil wellbeing in their school.
NPQ Leading Teaching (NPQLT)
For teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a subject, year group, key stage or phase.
NPQ Leading Literacy (NPQLL)
A brand new NPQ for those who are leading literacy programmes across a school, year group, key stage or phase, or who are aspiring to such roles in the future.
Leadership NPQ Qualifications
NPQ Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
A completely new NPQ for leaders in early years settings, qualified to at least Level 3 who are, or are aspiring to be, managers of Private, Voluntary and Independent nurseries, headteachers of school-based or maintained nurseries, or childminders with leadership responsibilities
The NPQEL will be delivered locally through Learners First Schools Partnership
NPQ Senior Leadership (NPQSL)
For school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a senior leader with cross school responsibilities.
NPQ Headship (NPQH)
For school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, a head teacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school.
NPQ Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (NPQSENCO)
For new SENCOs, assistant SENCOs and experienced colleagues with an interest in working with young people with SEND. Develop expertise in leading SEND across your organisation. This is the mandatory qualification for all named or aspiring SENCOs who do not hold the NASEND (pre 2024). From Autumn 2024, all SENCOs without NASEND must register for NPQSEND.
THE NPQ CURRICULUM PRINCIPLES
The NPQ experience will benefit you:
- To develop knowledge and understanding of how to apply the evidence on your area of focus (of the NPQ)
- Through 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 leaders
- To undertake local virtual and face to face sessions that focus on real problem-solving, creating understanding, connecting with your peers and gaining depth of knowledge
- Through support and ongoing preparation to give you confidence to pass the final assessment
- Through expert facilitation and support from serving setting and school leaders in and delivery at local venues
The experience will benefit your school or trust by:
- Developing you as a skilful and research-informed leader who can contribute to a cohesive, impact-focused school leadership team
- Supporting you to develop practical capability to get on with the job of developing others with the skills to lead with people and teams, creating change and impact
- Coaching you to become a professionally aware and informed leader who can make evidence-based decisions and approach leadership in an effective and efficient manner
- Enabling your 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
2024/25 Programme Schedule
Programme Delivery
- A blend of flexible online learning, online discussion, virtual workshops and face-to-face workshops, for a few hours study each week over the duration of the course
- An end point assessment where you will complete a 1500-word case study assessment to demonstrate your understanding of course content
- Evidence-informed curriculum design, connecting you to the latest research and best practice. The research-rich course covers all of the core content in the government’s Framework for each qualification
| Duration | Blended Structure (Face to face sessions are based in South Yorkshire) | Summative Assessment |
All leadership NPQs with Learners First & UCL | 18 months plus 8-day window for final assessment | 2 hrs Self Audit 1 x 4hr Induction Conference (virtual) 3 x 5 hrs Face to Face Networks 4 x 2-3 hrs Peer Learning Group (face to face) 39 hrs self learning Journal and Implementation Project (not assessed) 1 hr check in/term with Line Manager sessions (Total Study Time Approx. 75 hrs) |
1,500-2,500 worded response to a scenario based case study. Open book online submission. 8-day window |
Leadership NPQSENCO | 2 hrs Self Audit 3 x 5 hrs Face to Face Networks 4 x 2-3 hrs Peer Learning Group 2 x Regional Conferences 39 hrs self-study online at a time to suit you/implementation Project (not assessed) (Total Study Time Approx. 75 hrs) | ||
All Specialist NPQs with Learners First & UCL | 12 months plus 8-day window for final assessment | 1 x 2.5 hrs Online induction Conference 4 x 3hr Peer Learning Group (face to face) 3 x 1 hr Line Manager/mentor check in Learning Audits and Review Self study Online (Total Study Time =55 hrs) |
NPQ Scholarships and Funding Spring 2025
Please not that NPQ scholarship funding is limited. It is essential to apply without delay for your NPQ starting in April. Scholarship funding is awarded on a first come, first served basis. Just because your school may be eligible, a funded place is not guaranteed.
NPQ | Funding Eligibility | *Full scholarship funding available only for those… |
NPQ Headship (NPQH) | Fully Funded |
All teachers and leaders from publicly funded schools & 16-19 educational organisations (irrespective of level of disadvantage) |
NPQ Leading Primary Maths (NPQLPM) | Fully Funded | |
NPQ SENCO (NPQSEND) | Fully Funded | |
NPQEL Executive Leadership (NPQEL) | Dependent |
Teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities:
|
NPQEYL Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) | Dependent | |
NPQSL Senior Leadership (NPQSL) | Dependent | |
NPQLT Leading Teaching (NPQLT) | Dependent | |
NPQLL Leading Literacy (NPQLL) | Dependent | |
NPQLBC Leading Behaviour & Culture | Dependent | |
NPQ Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD) | Fully Funded | Teachers or non-teachers who are or will be taking on the role of lead mentor for an initial teacher training provider accredited to deliver ITT from September 2024 (they must be registered as a mentor) |
Dependent | Teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities:
| |
*Please note that full details whether your school or setting is eligible for funding will be announced by the DfE when applications for Autumn 2024 open in July 2024
You can only receive scholarship funding for each NPQ once. If you receive scholarship funding but then withdraw from or fail your programme, you cannot receive scholarship funding for the same NPQ again. | ||
For those not eligible to receive the scholarship funding, the costs for each NPQ are HERE
HOW ARE THE NPQs ASSESSED?
The assessment process for NPQs has been refreshed to reduce the workload burden on teachers while still providing an opportunity for them to apply their knowledge. To pass the courses, teachers will need to engage with at least 90% of the course and pass one Summative Assessment. The NPQ Summative Assessments will take the form of a case study covering the content in the relevant NPQ Content Framework and represent a likely situation to be faced by a Teacher at the relevant NPQ qualification level or role. A different case study and mark scheme will apply for each cohort group.
TESTIMONIALS FROM CURRENT PARTICIPANTS
