National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership (NPQML)

We are proud to announce that we are part of the new NPQ Alliance, led by Ambition School Leadership.

This is a national Alliance that brings together over 50 multi-academy trusts, teaching school alliances and teaching schools – including Ark, Outwood Grange and Oasis Community Learning – with regional school groups from across the country. We will deliver the NPQs through the Alliance’s experienced facilitators, tailoring programme content to meet local challenges and each leader’s development needs.

Working together to test, learn and innovate

The Alliance will support the education system to do everything it takes to raise the aspirations and attainment of every child, no matter what their background.

The programme

The main focus of this programme is to ensure that all participants increase their confidence, capability and impact as a middle leader. The course will empower participants to proactively develop a strong network to support them in their first steps in leadership. Participants will be assessed through a written assignment to ensure that they have reached the qualification requirements plus a viva interview to assess them against the more challenging Ambition bar.

 Content will cover all assessment requirements with six areas of focus being:

• Strategy and improvement
• Teaching and curriculum excellence
• Leading with impact
• Working in partnership
• Managing resources
• Risks and increasing capability

Workshops will include a mixture of theoretical input and also case studies and interactive discussion amongst participants. Participants will also be directed to a bank of online resources that will supplement and enhance learning thus preparing them for the written assessment.

Eligibility

This programme is suitable for:

• Teachers who are aspiring to middle leadership and who meet the following eligibility criteria:
  • Likely to be in a middle leadership role in the next 12-18 months
  • Have completed at least one year of full-time teaching
• Those currently in middle leadership roles who fit within the guidance below:
  • In secondary schools, middle leaders will have roles such as head of department, head of year or a whole-school lead role (for example, SEN), or second in charge of a department or pastoral area
  • In primary schools, middle leaders will have roles such as phase leaders; key stage leaders or a whole-school lead role (for example, literacy)
  • If the middle leader is aspiring to senior leadership, or currently serves on the senior leadership team, this person may be more suited to the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leaders

For both aspiring and serving middle leaders to receive their qualification, they will need to be able to complete the project element of this qualification successfully. This is to lead an improvement project in their team, lasting at least two terms, aimed at improving pupil progress and attainment and the capability of their team. It is essential that the school understands this element of the programme, and the support that will be required of them, when they are placing participants on the programme.