Guidance

Leading teaching national professional qualification

A course to help teachers learn how to lead the teaching and learning of a subject, year group or phase.

Applies to England

Who this course is for

This course is for teachers and middle leaders who have, or want to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in a:

  • subject
  • year group
  • key stage
  • phase

Overview

This one-year course will help you gain confidence and develop skills in:

  • creating a culture of high expectations
  • supporting colleagues with all aspects of their teaching
  • contributing to effective professional development linked to teaching, curriculum and assessment

This course will:

  • take 12 months to complete
  • involve an average of 1 to 2 hours of study each week
  • be a mix of self-study and group sessions
  • involve a written assessment
  • start Februaryin 2024autumn 2024  

FundingFunding 

Funding to cover the course fees for this NPQ is available for most teachers and school leaders in many state-funded settings in England.

Learn about funding.

Course content

Effective teaching

ThisYou’ll course covers:gain:

  • identifyingan andunderstanding implementingof goodthe teachingcore practice
  • supportingprinciples colleaguesbehind inthe designingscience aof broad and coherent curriculumlearning
  • planningtechniques effectiveto plan lessons that stimulate your pupils’ thinking
  • helpingpractical colleaguestools adaptand theirguidance teaching to differentsequence needs
  • contributingyour tocurriculum theand designplan offor school assessment systems
  • aligningan understanding of how to align your professional development with wider school improvement priorities

Benefits for you and your school

Increased specialism in your roleLeadership

You’ll gain:build the expertise to:

  • anidentify understandingand ofimplement thegood coreteaching principles behind the science of learningpractice
  • practicalsupport toolscolleagues andin guidancedesigning toa sequencebroad your curriculum and plancoherent for assessmentcurriculum

Improved leadership

You’ll build the expertise to:

  • effectively manage a team of teachers
  • create a culture of professional learning and continuous improvement in your school
  • contribute to the design of effective school assessment systems

GreaterSupporting support for colleagues

You’ll develop the skills to help colleagues:

  • plan effective lessons
  • meet individual pupil needs
  • provide opportunities for all pupils to succeed
  • adapt their teaching to different needs

Course structure

The course includes 9 topics, outlined in the course framework. Providers use this framework to design their course.

The course includes:

  • independent study
  • group coaching
  • face-to-face sessions with other participants

You’ll need to spend 1 to 2 hours a week working on this NPQ.

Providers

You can train with one of the following providers:

They work with delivery partners, such as teaching school hubs, to provide training.

Assessment

To get your NPQ accreditation, you’ll need to complete the course and pass a written assessment (1,500 words).

Apply

Before you apply to your chosen training provider, you need to register with the Department for Education.

Learn how to apply for an NPQ.

Published 20 September 2023
Last updated 1221 FebruaryMarch 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated with details of the course due to start in autumn 2024.

  2. Updated NPQ start date to February 2024.

  3. First published.