Executive Leader Programme
Level 7 Apprenticeship with NPQEL
Designed for aspiring or recently appointed executive leaders looking to improve their leadership capability.
Applications are now closed for Spring 2025. You can register your interest in our next cohort below.
Funded by the Apprenticeship Levy
What is the Executive Leader Programme?
The Executive Leader Programme is a dual award which has mapped the DfE's flagship NPQ for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) to the Level 7 Senior Leader Standard.
This means you will be undertaking two prestigious awards concurrently, providing you with even more resources to excel in your career.
Benefits include:
✅ Enhanced Leadership Training: Gain access to extended leadership training that goes beyond the standard NPQEL curriculum, ensuring you are well-prepared for any challenge.
✅ Expert Support & Coaching: Benefit from additional support and coaching from seasoned tutors and coaches, providing you with personalised guidance and insights.
✅ Collaborative Learning Experience: Participate in the same Face-to-Face events as your peers in the standalone NPQEL, fostering collaboration and networking opportunities.
✅ Wraparound Apprenticeship Benefits: Enjoy the comprehensive support of an apprenticeship, including structured learning and practical, hands-on experience.
✅ Comprehensive Dual Qualification: Not only will you complete the full NPQEL, but you'll also earn a prestigious Level 7 Senior Leader qualification, enhancing your leadership credentials.
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Aligned to Masters level credits
Can be used as a springboard on to Liverpool Hope University's MA in Leading Education
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Access the latest research
High quality resources to help you throughout your studies
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Chartered Management Institute
Eligibility to become a Chartered Fellow and Institute of Leadership and Management Fellow
Price for this programme: £14,000 £0
This course is fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy Fund
Why should I undertake the dual award?
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Cross-sector experience
Candidates access cutting-edge theory, resources and delivery from thought leaders and leading practitioners from all sectors of the economy.
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Utilise levy funding
This professional development opportunity makes use of the apprenticeship levy and includes the DfE accredited NPQEL at no additional cost.
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A wider view of leadership
Candidates apply cross-sector management and leadership practice to their school context providing greater challenge and a broader perspective to organisational improvement.
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Practice based learning
Candidates undertake school-based activities and are assessed on how they apply learning in their day-to-day role, helping develop and refine organisational management and leadership skills.
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Access to extra 1:1 coaching and content
Throughout the course you will have access to 1:1 coaching and teaching to help you succeed in the qualification.
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A personal experienced tutor to help you
An experienced tutor will help you throughout both the apprenticeship and the National Professional Qualification (NPQ).
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Stay up to date with
business theory
Enhance your knowledge of essential business functions and stay updated with the latest in management theory and practices.
Hone your team
leadership skills
Build self-awareness and confidence to lead successfully and collaborate more effectively within a team.
This programme focuses on the holistic development of the appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours, designed in partnership with cross-sector industries, to ensure bespoke coverage of all the relevant requirements of leading and managing at a senior/headship level at your setting or across multiple organisations.
The Executive Leader Programme makes use of a blended delivery model consisting of Face-to-Face events, online study, webinars and coaching.
Face-to-Face
NPQEL participants will attend 6 face-to-face events (including 1 x 2 day conference) via the blended delivery model. Our nationwide delivery partnership network allows us to bring face-to-face training to a regional conference centre , facilitated by experienced school leaders and facilitators.
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Online Learning
Participants access online learning and support via our virtual learning environment (VLE) Canvas. Through Canvas, participants are able to engage with their learning communities of peers and access multimedia content. They can also access research and expert-led school practice aligned to the curriculum content for the qualification, receive high-quality feedback from experienced performance coaches and submit work for assessment.
How do I access the funding?
You can access funding for the Executive Leader Programme with NPQEL from your school’s Apprenticeship Levy. Schools will be able to access the funding through their apprenticeship service (AS) account.
If your school needs help setting up your AS account, just let us know and we’ll guide you through it.
The Executive Leader Programme with NPQEL costs £14,000 from Apprenticeship Levy funds or co-investment for non-levy payers where the government pays 95% (the NPQEL standalone cost is £4095).
The level of funding depends on each candidate’s learning needs, with a maximum allocation of £14,000 to cover the cost of the apprenticeship.
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
The levy is paid by large employers with a wage bill of over £3 million. These employers pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill into the levy. Most state-maintained schools and multi-academy trusts pay into the levy.
The levy is designed to create long term sustainable funding for apprenticeships and to give employers more control to provide their staff with a range of training opportunities.
Apprenticeship funded training is designed for both new and existing staff members.
If your school is not a levy payer or has exhausted its levy funds, the government will pay 95% of tuition fees with your school paying the remaining 5%. Please contact us if you would like more information.
Below is the programme structure for the Executive Leader Programme:
Below are the learning hours for the NPQEL and the Level 7 Senior Leader Standard:.png)
- Applicants must be a serving Head Teacher (or equivalent role) with a minimum of 3 years’ experience.
- All applicants must have either QTS, QTLS, a Level 5 (or higher) qualification (any subject), or an international equivalent (see below). You must be able to evidence this with a copy of your certificate.
- For those with QTS, you can download a copy of your certificate here https://teacherservices.education.gov.uk/SelfService/Login.
- For those with QTLS, you can download a copy of your certificate here https://set.et-foundation.co.uk/my-set/my-profile. If for any reason you are unable to provide a copy of your certificate, you will need to ask a representative from the school where you are teaching to contact Capita Teachers' Pensions. Your employer should know how to do this via the Capita employer portal https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/
- If do not have QTS or QTLS, you will need evidence completion of a Level 5 qualification (any subject). For International applicants, you will need to apply for a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability https://enic.org.uk/Qualifications/SOC/Default.aspx to demonstrate your Level 5 qualification is comparable to UK qualifications.
Our Executive Leader Programme dual award includes the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL). For more information about NPQEL click here.
Best Practice Network is one of the leading providers of NPQEL nationally and the quality of our provision is rated ‘Exceptional’ by the DfE’s external quality assurance agent.
You can view our performance against the national metrics here.
Laura Saunders, Lead Facilitator, delivered a webinar consisting of a 30 minute presentation about the Executive Leader Programme followed by a Q&A session.
The slides used during the presentation can be downloaded here.
How to apply
Applications are now closed for Spring 2025. You can register your interest in our next cohort below.
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