St. Catherine's is the leading school, for the Catholic Teaching Alliance, on the delivery of the National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership (NPQML), a DfE accredited course in conjunction with the Schools, Students and Teachers network (SSAT).

Who is the NPQML for?

Those who are, or are aspiring to become, a middle leader with responsibility for leading a team e.g. a key stage leader, a curriculum area leader, a pastoral services leader, a subject leader, a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), or a head of department. This includes those who are, or are aspiring to be, a middle leader with cross-school responsibilities e.g. a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE).

What is involved in the NPQML?

• 12 course modules – 24 hours
• Self-study intersessional tasks – 12 hours
• Assigned in-school coaching – 6 hours
• Online engagement with peers and through the Knowledge Hub platform – 12 hours
• Real-world workplace learning and improvement project culminating in a 4,500 word assessment task – 150 hours
• Completed over 18 months
• Online engagement with peers and access to SSAT resources through Discourse

Curriculum Framework

The curriculum framework is built around six content areas and seven leadership behaviours, all of which are common to each level of NPQ, enabling leaders to develop the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience progressively through the levels.

Assessment Criteria

• Performance is assessed against the metrics set out in the DfE’s NPQ Quality Framework. 
• https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653046/NPQ_Content_and_Assessment_Framework.pdf

Our commitment to you

• We will provide a suitable venue for all module training
• We will carry out a competency and behaviour audit for each participant
• We will ensure that the face-to-face training of the 12 two-hour course modules using the module content provided by the SSAT is delivered consistently
• We will ensure all NPQML content areas are delivered and assessment criteria are met
• We will ensure all materials are contextualised and personalised where possible for participants from all education providers
• We will monitor the quality of coaching provided to participants

Your commitment to us

• You will provide an in-school coach
• You will ensure that participants complete the course
• If participants do not complete the course, this will incur a charge of £900+VAT
• You will enable participants to attend all module content delivery sessions

Our delivery schedule

Module	Title	Date	Times	Venue
1	Introduction to the NPQML course	Friday 14th November – Launch Date	9am-4pm	St Catherine’s Catholic School
2	Vision, values and the moral purpose
3	Leading and managing innovation and change
4	Managing resources and risks	Tbc	4.30-6.30pm	St Ursula’s Convent School
5	Data analysis for performance and progress	Thursday 23rd January	4.30-6.30pm	St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School
6	Evidence based teaching and learning	Tbc	4.30-6.30pm	Bonus Pastor Catholic College
7	Leading strategic improvement	Thursday 19th March	4.30-6.30pm	St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School
8	Developing your leadership approach	Tbc	4.30-6.30pm	Bonus Pastor Catholic College
9	Building a high-performance team	Tbc	4.30-6.30pm	St Ursula’s Convent School
10	Support and challenge – holding yourself and others to account	Tuesday 23rd June	9am-4pm	St Michael’s Catholic College
11	Developing yourself and others
12	Collaboration, partnership and communication

Costs involved

The course cost is £900+VAT

For each candidate working towards the DFE’s NPQML qualification there is an assessment fee charged at the point of enrolment payable to the SSAT and this is included in the course costs. Each cohort is limited to 20 participants.

Funding
SSAT is an accredited provider of the NPQ Scholarship Fund for NPQML. Participants who are in a category 5 or 6 school are able to claim back the full cost of the NPQML. All applications are subject to DfE approval.

NPQML cohorts
First cohort – Summer 2018
Second cohort – Summer 2019
Third cohort – Summer 2020

Applications
If you would like to register your interest for staff in your school for any of the cohorts, please contact Clare Barclay (c.barclay@catholicteachingalliance.org.uk).