NPQ in Senior Leadership (NPQSL)

Lead whole-school improvement with confidence

The National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership (NPQSL) equips current and aspiring senior leaders with the knowledge, skills and confidence to drive improvement across their schools.

Designed for leaders working in international schools, this Department for Education-accredited qualification combines expert-led training, flexible online learning, practical school-based development and leadership performance coaching.

Educational Success Partners delivers NPQSL in partnership with Best Practice Network, a Department for Education-licensed NPQ provider with extensive experience of supporting thousands of teachers and school leaders.

Delivered remotely over 18 months, the programme enables leaders around the world to gain a highly regarded professional qualification while continuing in their current role.

Strengthen your leadership. Drive sustainable improvement. Create lasting impact.

NPQSL at a glance

  • 18-month, part-time programme

  • Four virtual face-to-face events

  • Flexible online study

  • Six hours of leadership performance coaching

  • 90 total learning hours

  • Department for Education-accredited qualification

  • Final assessment through a case-study scenario

  • 60 Master’s credits on successful completion

  • Remote worldwide delivery for international schools

Who is NPQSL for?

NPQSL is designed for school leaders who are, or are aspiring to become, senior leaders with cross-school responsibilities.

It is particularly suitable for:

  • Experienced middle leaders preparing for senior leadership

  • Assistant headteachers

  • Deputy headteachers

  • SEN coordinators with whole-school responsibilities

  • Department leaders aiming to progress into senior leadership

  • Leaders responsible for driving change across their school

  • Other senior staff with significant cross-school responsibilities

Applicants must have the support of their headteacher. Acceptance onto the programme requires a signed headteacher declaration, which is uploaded as part of the application.

Become an expert senior leader

Senior leadership requires leaders to think and act beyond an individual subject, phase or department.

Effective senior leaders contribute to the strategic direction of their school, establish a positive culture, improve teaching and curriculum provision, and ensure that organisational systems support staff and pupils effectively.

They must be able to make evidence-informed decisions, work successfully with colleagues and external partners, and respond effectively to complex whole-school challenges.

Through NPQSL, participants develop the specialist knowledge needed to:

  • Contribute to the strategic direction of their school

  • Lead school improvement and effective implementation

  • Apply ethical principles and professional leadership behaviours

  • Establish and sustain a positive school culture and ethos

  • Promote consistently high expectations for behaviour

  • Improve teaching, curriculum and assessment

  • Support pupils with additional needs and special educational needs or disabilities

  • Lead high-quality professional development

  • Manage people, resources and organisational systems effectively

  • Work successfully with parents, governors and external partners

  • Understand governance and accountability

  • Review and evaluate practice across the school

  • Make informed, evidence-based leadership decisions

  • Lead sustainable organisational change

A practical programme designed around senior leadership

NPQSL brings together expert-led training, online study, practical activities, formative assessment and leadership performance coaching.

The programme gives participants regular opportunities to apply their learning to genuine whole-school priorities, reflect on its impact and develop approaches suited to their particular leadership role and educational context.

Learning explores school improvement, implementation, ethical leadership, school culture, behaviour, professional development, teaching, curriculum, assessment, inclusion, organisational management, partnership working, governance and accountability.

Participants also have access to expert talks from respected education and industry leaders.

Flexible remote delivery for international leaders

The programme can be completed fully online, making it accessible to school leaders worldwide.

Virtual face-to-face events provide structured opportunities for expert input, practical activities, professional dialogue and collaboration with leaders from different international contexts. Online learning is completed flexibly around participants’ professional commitments.

Participants also benefit from:

  • Expert-led training

  • Access to high-quality, evidence-informed resources

  • Global professional networking

  • Practical activities rooted in whole-school leadership

  • Group and one-to-one coaching

  • A structured Leadership Development Record

  • Expert talks from education and industry leaders

  • Opportunities to reflect on and demonstrate professional impact

The NPQ certificate awarded to international participants is identical to the certificate received by participants completing the qualification in England.

Leadership performance coaching

Participants complete six hours of leadership performance coaching during the programme.

This includes a combination of group coaching and personalised one-to-one support. Coaching helps participants connect their learning to their senior leadership responsibilities and apply evidence-informed approaches to whole-school priorities.

The final coaching activity is an impact review completed before the summative assessment.

This support enables participants to reflect on their leadership practice, evaluate their progress and consider how their work is contributing to sustainable improvement across their school.

Assessment

Participants complete formative, practice-led assessment activities throughout the programme. These activities allow them to apply their learning, receive feedback and demonstrate its impact within their school.

The final summative assessment is based on a case-study scenario. Participants are given an eight-day assessment window in which to prepare and submit their written response.

To pass the qualification, participants must:

  • Engage with at least 90% of the required programme elements

  • Complete the required Leadership Development Record reviews

  • Participate in the virtual face-to-face events

  • Complete the required online practice activities

  • Undertake the formative assessment tasks

  • Engage in leadership performance coaching

  • Submit and pass the final case-study assessment

Benefits for participants

Completing NPQSL will help participants to:

  • Build the confidence and expertise to lead across a school

  • Develop greater awareness of their leadership behaviours

  • Make informed, evidence-based decisions

  • Lead sustainable whole-school improvement

  • Improve teaching, culture and organisational effectiveness

  • Review and evaluate practice more effectively

  • Respond confidently to new and complex challenges

  • Increase their capacity to take on wider leadership responsibilities

  • Develop a strong international professional network

  • Gain a portable qualification valued by schools in England and internationally

  • Earn 60 Master’s credits that may support progression to further postgraduate study

Successful participants may choose to progress to the National Professional Qualification in Headship if they are preparing to apply for headship roles.

NPQSL may also support progression into roles such as deputy headteacher, specialist leader of education or teaching school director.

Benefits for schools

Supporting a leader to complete NPQSL can help a school to:

  • Develop and retain senior leadership talent

  • Support effective leadership succession

  • Build a cohesive, impact-focused leadership team

  • Strengthen strategic and operational leadership

  • Embed evidence-informed approaches to school improvement

  • Reduce variation in teaching and pupil outcomes

  • Improve organisational effectiveness

  • Strengthen governance, accountability and partnership working

  • Increase the school’s capacity to manage change

  • Create sustainable improvements for pupils and staff

Delivery partnership

Educational Success Partners works in partnership with Best Practice Network, a Department for Education-licensed NPQ provider, to make nationally recognised professional qualifications accessible to teachers and leaders in British and international schools worldwide.

Best Practice Network has extensive experience of delivering NPQs and supporting thousands of educators. Together, ESP and Best Practice Network combine high-quality, evidence-informed professional development with flexible remote delivery and a practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by international schools.

Programme fee

The programme fee is £1,705, which includes admission, tuition, assessment and the final award of the NPQSL upon successful completion.

 Self-funding candidates will be subject to 20% UK VAT.

Apply for the autumn 2026/27 cohort

Applications for the autumn 2026/27 cohort must be received by 23:59 UK time on 25 October 2026.

Prospective participants should discuss the programme with their Headteacher, Principal or professional development lead before applying.

Consider your professional goals, the responsibilities you would like to develop and how your participation will benefit your school and its pupils.

For more information about NPQSL or to apply email Mark Bignell on mark@espeducation.co.uk.