National Professional Qualifications
NPQs and Learners First
Learners First is successful DfE accredited NPQ provider. We are a proud delivery partner of the University College London’s Institute of Education (UCL). 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 and partner schools and MATs
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.
Please visit the UCL NPQ Website
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 three
Complete the Application & Sponsor Form from UCL
step four
Onboarding Begins with UCL & Learners First
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
2026/27 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
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 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 |
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