Access the NPQ in Early Years Leadership at no cost!

Generate Teaching Hub is proud to be working with Teach First to deliver this fully funded National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership to colleagues across Halton, Warrington and Wigan area.

The NPQ in Early Years Leadership is designed for leaders qualified to at least level 3 with a full and relevant qualification who are, or are aspiring to be:

• managers of private, voluntary and independent nurseries
• headteachers of school-based or maintained nurseries
• childminders with leadership responsibilities 

Visit the Teach First site for more detailed information.

Generate Teaching Hub is coordinating local cohorts of teachers to complete the NPQ, using experienced school leaders from our trust local school partners as facilitators. This means you get to learn alongside your peers and build local links of support, advice and ideas.

The frameworks for the NPQs have been updated and expanded since Autumn 2021 and draw from the very latest evidence and research into pedagogy, behaviour, curriculum and more.

To best address the broad range of responsibilities of current and aspiring middle leaders, this is one of four specialist NPQs that have been introduced which support alternate career development. Key information on the NPQ in Early Years leadership includes:

• Fully funded to state school teachers (see below);
• A 21-month programme (18 months’ delivery and three months for assessment) consists of a series of modules based on the DfE’s NPQ frameworks.
• Each module cycle features:
  • Evidence-based online content to refresh and build knowledge, as well as exemplify what this looks like for your role and level of leadership
  • A formative assessment task to support your learning
  • A face-to-face seminar with a group of peers, facilitated by a serving school leader or Teach First Development Lead – you’ll analyse and reflect on the task and hear further examples of good practice
  • The opportunity to record reflections and consolidate learning
• Towards the end of the programme, you’ll also take a module focused specifically on effective implementation, providing an opportunity to plan a strategic improvement, focused on your context and pupils.

What will teachers attending Early Years Leadership Learn?

You’ll develop expertise in the knowledge, skills and concepts for leading an Early Years setting. These include best practice around child development and additional and specialist educational needs, as well as culture, organisational management and partnerships you may make as the leader of an Early Years setting. Our content is informed by the best and most recent evidence and developed with input from serving leaders and subject matter experts.

With a practical focus to the programme, you will be supported to make small but important changes to your and others’ practice throughout the programme. This will conclude with the implementation module and practical implementation cycle of the programme.

Funding

In October 2021, the DfE announced all NPQs are fully funded for state school teachers until the year 2023/24. For other applicants, the price for this NPQ is £1,045. Teachers and leaders are eligible for the funding if they work in one of the following:

• state-funded schools
• state-funded 16 to 19 organisations
• independent special schools
• virtual schools (local authority run organisations that support the education of children in care)
• hospital schools not already included in other categories of eligible organisations
• young offender institutions
• Local authority employed supply teachers will also be able to access scholarships.

In addition, for the NPQ in Early Years Leadership only, funded places are also available for leaders employed:

• in a local authority nursery in England.
• in a pre-school class that’s part of a school in England.
• in a private nursery that is registered with Ofsted.
• as a childminder or nanny and registered with Ofsted.

How to Apply

1. To apply individual applicants must complete the application form here:

2. Confirm eligibility and register on the DfE portal here:

Applications are now open for the cohorts starting February 2024.

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