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NPQ Funding & Scholarship Eligibility

As part of the government’s long-term education recovery plan, it was announced in May 2022 that funding for fully funded NPQ training scholarships has been extended until the academic year 2023 to 2024. 

Scholarships are available, making NPQs completely free, to teachers and leaders in the following settings from autumn 2022: 

  • 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 

Practising teachers employed by local authorities, such as supply teachers, will also be able to access scholarships. 

Teachers and leaders who are employed as above are eligible for training scholarships for the following NPQs: 

  • NPQ for Leading Teaching (NPQLT) 

  • NPQ for Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC) 

  • NPQ for Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD) 

  • NPQ for Leading Literacy (NPQLL) 

  • NPQ for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) 

  • NPQ for Headship (NPQH) 

  • NPQ for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) 

  • NPQ for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) 

Lead mentors for providers accredited to deliver initial teacher training from 2024 will also be able to access scholarships for the NPQ in leading teacher development, once successfully accredited providers have been announced. 

NPQ for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) 

Training scholarships for the NPQ for Early Years Leadership are available to those 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 

And are employed: 

  • in a maintained nursery school in England 

  • in a pre-school class or nursery that’s part of a maintained school in England 

  • in a pre-school class or nursery that’s part of an independent school in England providing free early years entitlements places 

  • in a nursery that is registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register 

  • as a childminder and registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, or with a registered Childminder Agency 

*‘Full and relevant qualifications’ are defined as qualifications that demonstrate depth and level of learning appropriate to specified outcomes of full early years, childcare or playwork qualifications. The qualification should have valid, reliable assessment and awarding procedures and must include an element of assessed performance evidence. 

For further information on funding and scholarship eligibility, additional eligibility and details regarding the updated targeted support funding offer for the 2023-2024 academic year, please click here. 

If you are not eligible for scholarship funding, you can still undertake an NPQ and should contact HISP TSH by emailing: npqs@hisptsh.org for more information regarding costs.