National Professional Qualifications
What are NPQs?
National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are a nationally recognised suite of voluntary qualifications designed to support the professional development of teachers and school leaders at every stage of their career. Trusted and transferable, NPQs provide evidence-informed expertise, equipping educators with the knowledge and skills to drive sustainable improvement and deliver lasting impact across their schools.
NPQs are intended for teachers and leaders beyond the Early Career Teacher (ECT) phase and are not available to ECTs whilst they are completing their ECT induction and training period.
Why choose Ambition for your NPQ:
As a Delivery Partner, Manor Teaching School Hub continues to work in partnership with Ambition Institute to deliver a comprehensive suite of National Professional Qualifications. Together, we offer high-quality professional learning programmes that empower teachers and leaders to strengthen practice, develop leadership capacity, and improve outcomes for pupils.
Ambition’s programmes follow a blended learning model, carefully designed to maximise flexibility whilst encouraging professional collaboration. Participants benefit from a combination of virtual clinics, face-to-face conferences, and an in-person assessment clinic towards the end of the programme. These sessions provide valuable opportunities to connect, collaborate and share best practice with peers and colleagues.
Participants will also have access to Ambition’s highly regarded virtual learning platform, Steplab, where they will complete concise Learn and Apply activities informed by the latest evidence and best available educational research.
Benefits for you as a participant:
Each programme offers a 'little and often' approach means you'll need on average just one hour per week to engage in your NPQs, helping you to fit your NPQ around your timetable.
There is no large project at the end of your NPQ. Instead, you'll sit an 'open book' assessment with support from your conferences and clinics you have attended throughout your programme to help you get the most from your NPQ. The assessment is a summative assessment in the form of a case study covering the relevant NPQ content framework. You will have a window of 8 days to complete your complete and submit the assessment.
Training is delivered little and often, in regular bite-sized chunks, so there are no long days of training that take you away from your day job. Learning in short, sharp bursts also helps you to retain knowledge.
The dual modules help you to apply what you learn, connecting theory to practice, to help those habits stick. Insight modules capture the very best the sector has to contribute on a given topic. Application modules help you to use the ideas in context, with support from peers.
You will connect with other likeminded peers and leaders, sharing your experiences and building a strong support network that lasts long after you finish the course.
Why choose Manor for your NPQ:
At Manor Teaching School Hub, we carefully select highly experienced facilitators who are current local school leaders. Drawing on extensive practical expertise and strong facilitation skills, they contextualise learning to ensure it is relevant, meaningful, and tailored to participants’ professional settings, while providing support throughout the accredited programme.
At Manor Teaching School Hub, participant experience is at the heart of everything we do. From the beginning of the NPQ journey through to successful completion, we provide exceptional support, guidance, and communication, ensuring a seamless and rewarding experience. We are also proud of our exceptionally high pass rates across all NPQ programmes, reflecting the quality of our delivery and the commitment of our participants.
NPQ eligibility:
The Department for Education (DfE) has published an up-to-date list of eligible schools and further education settings for these Specialist NPQs. These can be accessed using the links below.
Funding for Leadership NPQs:
Scholarship funding has previously been available to teachers and leaders in all state-funded schools and 16–19 settings for the NPQ in Headship and the NPQ for SENCOs.
This funding has now been extended to include the NPQ in Senior Leadership, increasing access to professional development opportunities for a wider range of school leaders.
With Early Years and Foundation stage education under the spotlight this year scholarship funding is available for the NPQ in Early Years Leadership to professionals working across publicly funded early years settings and maintained nursery schools.
This includes colleagues working in:
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Maintained nursery schools
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Private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings
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Publicly funded early years education settings
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Ofsted-registered early years childminding settings
Therefore, as of Autumn 2026, NPQH, NPQSENCO, NPSL and NPQEYL are fully funded however spaces are limited!
Please note: As in previous academic years, scholarship places remain limited, even for schools that meet the Department for Education (DfE) eligibility criteria. Scholarship availability through Manor Teaching School Hub is subject to funding allocations received from our Lead Provider, Ambition Institute. As a result, funded places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
If a funded place is not available for your chosen NPQ:
If funded places are not available with your chosen NPQ provider, you can:
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contact and join Manor Teaching School Hub’s waiting list
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self-fund your course place
Schools will be able to determine eligibility for funding using the link below which redirects to Ambition Institute’s scholarship checker:
Funding for eligible school settings:
Funding for national professional qualifications: eligible school settings
Funding for eligible for further education settings:
Funding for national professional qualifications further education settings
RISE Scholarships:
Schools in the targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme are eligible for scholarship funding for all NPQs. Regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE): school support provides further details on the targeted RISE programme and lists schools that are eligible for targeted RISE intervention.
Funding for Specialist NPQs:
Scholarship funding for the Specialist NPQ programmes below are available to eligible schools and 16–19 settings that meet disadvantage criteria:
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NPQ in Leading Teacher Development (this is fully funded for participants undertaking the role of Lead Mentor for an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provider. Eligibility also extends to individuals working in non-school settings, as well as those employed in schools that may not otherwise qualify under disadvantage criteria)
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NPQ in Leading Literacy
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NPQ in Leading Teaching
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NPQ in Leading Behaviour and Culture
Further details about each NPQ are provided below:
Which NPQ will you choose…?
Registration opens for you to apply for your chosen NPQ on 23rd June.
NPQ Programmes
Application Process
Register your interest so that we know the NPQ that you are interested in. Click here.
Register with the DFE – confirming you wish to proceed with Manor and Ambition. You will need your TRN and should use your full name and school email address. Click here.
Manor will commence your registration with Ambition – you will receive an email from Ambition (please check your spam).
Complete the Ambition application process. Since some programmes have eligibility criteria there are a number of steps. You should get to “Place Accepted” by the application deadline
You will be forwarded a Proof of Employment Docusign to forward to your Headteacher.
You are on the programme ! Manor will send you joining instructions for the first conference and Ambition will send you a link to get onto Steplab.