NPQEL FAQs

We have changed our face to face regional sessions to online regional sessions and this is likely to continue for a while.

Participants now have 24 months to complete their programmes and submit for assessment, rather than 18 months.

The programme has been developed by executive leaders and ASCL’s team of specialists, bringing together practical experience from those currently doing the job, as well as in-depth knowledge across a wide range of topics. Expertise from outside education gives a business perspective on executive leadership and draw on contributions from the National Governors’ Association on governance issues.
 
Colleagues delivering the face-to-face sessions are experienced leaders in multi-academy trusts (MATs) and we will be involving nationally recognised experts covering areas such as ethical leadership, change management, improvement strategies and curriculum design.

There is a small amount of required reading before the introductory twilight session. To ensure participants gain the maximum benefit of the twilight sessions, they will be expected to complete preparatory work, which includes reading, analysis of data, podcasts, videos, and pre-session tasks.
 
We are conscious participants have busy roles and the assessment tasks will involve a significant amount of planning time, implementation and written work, therefore we intend to limit the amount of additional written work required.
 
During the programme, there are no set hours for completion of the online materials, making it difficult to pinpoint a definitive number of hours involved. However, it is anticipated this is likely to be between 3 to 5 hours per module. A small amount of written preparatory work may be required for some sessions.
 
Follow-up materials will be available online during the programme. It is anticipated participants will complete a learning log throughout the programme. The one-day conference and two-day residential will also involve some preparatory work, with follow-up materials available online.
 
Different modules may have different amounts of online support material.

It is difficult to be specific as participants will spend different amounts of time on different sections. However, a rough guide is between 3 and 5 hours per module preparation (a total of 30 to 50 hours of preparatory work), and around 15 hours on follow up material. It is anticipated the majority of this work will be of immediate benefit to participants in their current posts.
 
Work on assessment tasks is in addition to time allocated to completing each module and face-to-face sessions. The course has been structured to recognise that participants already have busy day jobs, therefore assessment tasks are spread over sufficient time to enable participants to complete the assessment tasks without impacting too significantly on their work/life balance, or ability to carry out their existing work commitments. Spreading the programme over an 18 month period will also provide opportunities for the learning experiences to be embedded into working practices.

The assessment is not an end-of-module assessment; two assessment tasks are completed during the course and are specified in the NPQEL Content and Assessment Framework.
 
The NPQEL assessment tasks and criteria are on pages 47-50.
 
The first task can be completed at any stage of the programme but will ideally need to tie in with the planning cycle of the participant’s school.
 
The second task is longitudinal, working across more than one school and requiring planning, implementation and evaluation. For cohort 1 it is envisaged this task should be planned in the summer term of 2018 for implementation in the following academic year. For cohort 2 this will be planned spring 2019 with the assessment completed by spring 2020.
 
Some participants may already be working with a group of schools and be able to readily arrange this task.
For those not working within a group of schools, or without access to a group of schools, ASCL would broker placement with a nearby group of schools for this task. There are no other assessments as part of the course, although there is a 360° review at the start and end of the programme.

There are no written coursework commitments other than preparatory work for face-to-face sessions and completion of the formal assessment tasks.

The programme is designed for participants working in all types of educational institutions, including primary, secondary, special and all-through schools. Some aspects of the programme are phase specific and participants are encouraged not to limit themselves to focus solely on a specific phase given that executive leadership often covers more than one phase of education.

Yes. The programme has been designed to benefit those already in executive leadership positions, as well as those who are preparing to move into an executive leadership role.

No. It will not be necessary to have completed NPQH. We recognise participants will be coming to the programme with a range of different experiences and it has therefore been constructed accordingly, and utilise the prior experiences of participants.

Participants will complete a 360° review near the start of the programme and again towards the end. This is online and involves a self-assessment questionnaire together with the engagement of between five and eight work colleagues completing a similar questionnaire (this can include governors). The self-assessment is compared with responses from work colleagues and the outcome made available to the participant and, in confidence, to the course coordinators.
 
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the outcome of their review with other course members and with one of the course coordination team. Discussion with a member of the course coordination team may be by telephone rather than face-to-face.

Yes. We recognise a participant’s personal circumstances may change over the period of the programme and it will be able to defer in discussion with the course lead.

The coaching element is not compulsory but is on offer to all participants. For those who would prefer a mentor, this can be arranged as an alternative, or participants can opt out of this element of the programme should they wish by choosing the reduced cost package of £4,300 + VAT.

Once participants sign up to the programme the expectation is that it will be completed. It will be possible to defer should a participant’s circumstances change, however, the programme is costed on a minimum cohort size so there cannot be any rebate on costs.

This would need to be resolved between a participant’s current and new employer. It should have no impact on completing the programme, provided it is still possible for the participant to effectively complete the assessment tasks. A participant would need to consider the issues around completing the programme, including the assessment tasks, when contemplating changing jobs.

Ideally, all participants should attend all face-to-face sessions, however, it is accepted that circumstances may make this difficult. We would strongly recommend every effort is made to attend the national events. It may be possible to attend regional sessions in a different centre to catch up on missed sessions but we understand this may not be possible due to travel arrangements. It may also be possible to catch up on specific sessions with the next cohort going through the programme.

Yes. The programme covers MATs in all stages of development, and those operating in different educational and social contexts.

As this is a joint venture with a range of partner organisations there is no discount currently available for ASCL members.

Providing you are able to complete the final assessment task which involves a project in several schools, then you can enroll from overseas. However, as the programme involves five face-to-face sessions and three national training days, you should consider travel costs in your decision making as to whether to enrol.