National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) have been a feature of leadership training for nearly 20 years. Both school leadership and the NPQs have evolved over this time; most recently with the expansion of NPQs to include more specialist courses, and – as part of the Covid recovery period – the DfE offering full funding for the teachers taking them. However, changes are afoot and the funding is reducing.
This report sets out to answer the questions:
- Now the funding has changed, how available are NPQs?
- Given the increase in uptake over recent years, do people still want to do NPQs?
- What might the future of NPQs look like in order to keep teachers engaged in professional development?
Key Findings:
NPQs have been enormously popular. Over half of all teachers have completed (or are currently completing) at least one NPQ, as of November 2024.
The perception of NPQs by teachers is mainly positive. The most positive example is that three quarters of those who studied the Headship NPQ reported that it had improved their leadership skills, and 39% said it made them more employable. Just 11% said it didn’t help at all.
Although teachers felt their NPQ improved their employability, hiring managers don’t always weigh them heavily in decisions. Only 3% of heads and senior leaders felt the NPQ was a significant factor in offering a job, and 27% considered it a small factor. Most school leaders weren’t influenced by an NPQ at all.
Commitment to teaching isn’t significantly different among those who engaged with NPQs. Teachers were no more likely to say they wanted to stay in teaching until retirement compared to those without. Across all roles, differences were minimal.
NPQs have been popular, but demand may slow now that so many teachers have completed them. Over half of teachers who haven’t done an NPQ (51%) say they never want one, and 14% are unsure. That leaves just over a third who are still interested — but most would only do it if their school pays.
