International Professional Qualification for Headship (iNPQH)

Starts: November 2026

Duration: 18 Months

Time: 1.5 – 2.5 hours per week

Fees: TBC

Designed for school leaders who are, or aspire to be, a headteacher, principal, head of school with responsibility for leading a school.

Four Modules:

  1. An exploration of the characteristics of effective teaching
  2. Behaviour, additional and special educational needs and disabilities
  3. Organisational management, working in partnership and governance and accountability
  4. Effective professional development for improving teaching

Key Topics Covered

Through the lens of a headteacher:
• 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

What will I be studying?

The course is comprised of four modules, each takes 12 weeks to complete.

During 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),
• Attend a face-to-face online session (half day).

You will engage with relevant research and evidence, learn how leaders in other schools carry out their role and participate in discussion forum activities with NPQH peers.

You will build a personal online learning journal to record your progress, help your reflection on the new knowledge, understanding and skills you are acquiring.

You will be expertly guided through your modules with support from your facilitator and your coach.

Assessment

Formative assessment takes place throughout the programme, helping you to understand the progress you are making. 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 comprises a 2,500 word case-study response, completed in an 8-day window. This provides you an opportunity to demonstrate how you would deploy knowledge, skills and understanding gained through the iNPQ to lead and implement a specific aspect of change.

Register your interest: 

Please click the link below to apply and select:

Delivery Partner: Forest Learning Alliance

Cluster: Wellington College International

Organisation: Wellington College

Click here to register your interest with LLSE

Funding/Invoicing:

  • Colleagues within the Wellington family of schools may apply for a partial bursary from The Bridge. If you would like to apply please complete this application form.
  • If you have your full funding arrangements in place please complete this form.