Continuous Professional Development

Who should apply for NPQH?

An applicant for NPQH should:

• be motivated to be a headteacher
• be no more than 18 months from headship
• be supported by their headteacher/line manager
• understand that they are required to complete the eligibility process described below

The application and eligibility process

NPQH has a two-stage eligibility process. The first stage is application and the second is a two-day assessment and development event. The two stages are explained in more detail below.

Applicants must successfully complete both stages in order to have a confirmed place on NPQH. It is currently a mandatory requirement to have a confirmed place on NPQH in order to be appointed to a first substantive headship in the maintained sector.

Individuals considering applying will shortly be able to access a range of pre-entry resources, including online activities, diagnostic tools, case studies and background materials. These resources are designed to help individuals find out more about headship, as well as to reflect on their readiness for the role and for NPQH. In the meantime, applicants may wish to consider your readiness for headship by looking at the resources for aspiring headteachers on the Tomorrow's leaders today website. The resources available include guides, toolkits and interactive learning materials for senior or middle leaders who are thinking about applying for headship.

Application

All applicants are required to complete an online application form, based on the six key areas of the National Standards for Headteachers. In addition, the applicant's headteacher or line manager will be required to complete an online supporting statement form. The supporting statement is designed to demonstrate that the headteacher/line manager agrees that the individual is ready to apply and that if the application is successful, the headteacher/line manager is prepared to support them during their time on NPQH. Full guidance on the application process will appear on the NCSL website in due course.

The evidence on the application form and supporting statement will be evaluated in relation to readiness for headship. If an application is unsuccessful, the applicant will be provided with feedback.

Entry assessment and development process

Those who are successful at application stage will be invited to a two-day face-to-face event. Before attending this event, they will be expected to complete two online self-reflection activities and engage in a 360 degree diagnostic process. The 360 degree diagnostic process will involve gathering anonymous online feedback from others that the applicant works with, including their headteacher.

The two-day event consists of a range of assessment and development activities. These activities are designed to complement the information previously gathered through the application form and supporting statement, the 360 degree diagnostic and the self-reflection tools, in order to identify individuals' strengths and areas for development in relation to their journey to headship. The event finishes with an in-depth interview with an assessor, who will provide the applicant with one-to-one feedback in relation to his or her readiness for headship.

Those who successfully complete the two-day event will begin their personalised development pathways as NPQH trainee headteachers.

It is possible that at this stage, an individual's development priorities will be judged to take longer than 12 months to address - in which case he or she will be required to return to NPQH at a later stage.

Where can I apply?

Please visit the NCSL website for further details.