National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership

This course is designed for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to be, an executive headteacher or have a school trust CEO role with responsibility for leading several schools. 
 
If you aren’t sure if this is the right NPQ for you look at the pages for the other courses or contact us for a personal chat via enquiries@llse.org.uk 

The course is comprised of four modules. Each of the modules takes 12 weeks to complete. As part of each module, you will undertake some online study (approximately 2 hours per week of the 12 weeks), participate in two live interactive webinars (90 minutes each), and attend a face-to-face session (full day)  
 
As part of the online learning, you will have the opportunity to engage with relevant research and evidence, learn how leaders in other schools carry out their role and participate in discussion forum activities with everyone else completing the same qualification as you. You will also complete a series of activities to build a personal online learning journal. This will record your progress, help you to reflect on the new knowledge, understanding and skill you are acquiring and act as a repository for all of the key information you don’t want to forget.

You will be expertly guided through your modules with support from your two facilitators and your external coach.

The key topics covered over the course of the four modules are:

• School / college culture
• Teaching 
• Curriculum and assessment 
• Behaviour
• Additional and special educational needs and disabilities
• Professional development
• Organisational management 
• Implementation
• Working in partnership
• Governance and accountability

With each explored through the lens of the work of an executive leader.  
 
Within each module there are opportunities for you to complete formative assessment activities which will enable you and your facilitator to reflect on and evaluate the progress you make whilst completing the qualification.  

Formative assessment takes place throughout the programme, helping you to understand the progress you are making, and facilitators to adapt your learning experiences. 
There are two overall criteria to achieving the qualification:

• Engagement with a minimum of 90% of the course 
• Successful completion of the summative assessment

Summative assessment takes the form of a 2500-word response to a case study, completed in a single 8-day window at the end of your programme. The assessment will give you the opportunity to demonstrate how you would deploy the knowledge, skills and understanding gained through the NPQ to lead and implement a specific aspect of change.

Find out further information about assessments

UK - £3900.00 + VAT

Funding Information Autumn 2026 - The NPQEL programme will continue to offer scholarship funding only to participants from schools/settings eligible under the PP50 criteria. Details of eligibility lists based on disadvantage are set out here

Full guidance on funding for the Autumn 2026 NPQ cohort can be found here.

"I am starting to feel more confident about different areas of education. I have been able to share research with colleagues and start open and honest conversations. My understanding of certain areas has grown which I think has led to being more confident with my leadership skills."  
  
"There is a genuine sense of support across the cohort and the facilitators. Challenge appears to flow freely and appropriately but in such a way that people, including myself, can either respond immediately; in order to seek clarification or instant support from the team, or mull over a challenge in our own time. There is no pressure to perform, just support to succeed." 

Recruitment for the Autumn 2026 Cohort is now open.

Applications to join this cohort, either with a funded/non funded place are now open. Funded places are limited, and we would encourage you to start your application early by following this link.

DfE registration
All NPQ applicants are required to register with the Department for Education (DfE). This service is now open,  and you can start your registration here. Everyone applying for an NPQ (regardless of funding pathway) will be required to have a One Login account. We recommend people set this up now to avoid any delays in the registration process. You can do that by visiting  Register to get started with GOV.UK One Login - GOV.UK One Login