Schools minister Catherine McKinnell urged the sector to “get involved” in the DfE’s review of the national professional qualification (NPQ) framework. But there’s a massive problem the review isn’t addressing: our current NPQ programmes simply aren’t transforming leadership practice in schools.
I’ve interviewed a good number of NPQ graduates recently, and the common feedback I repeatedly hear is: “I enjoyed the course but it didn’t change me.”
This should alarm us all. We can’t afford leadership programmes that deliver information without transformation.
A fundamental flaw
The current NPQ frameworks, particularly those under review (headship, senior leadership, and executive leadership), fundamentally misunderstand how leadership actually develops. They’re overwhelmingly focused on what successful leaders know and do, not how they develop the capacity to lead.
Leadership is presented as a set of competencies to be acquired through study rather than a practice to be developed through experience. The approach reflects a belief that knowledge acquisition equals leadership improvement. Experience suggests otherwise.
I recently conducted interviews with school leaders. Ninety per cent reported that programmes were “overwhelmingly theoretical, limiting transfer to practice” and that “provided good background but lacked practicality”.
As government scales back NPQ funding dramatically, we must ensure remaining resources deliver impact.
How leadership develops
School leaders don’t develop through courses alone. It takes years of deliberate practice, reflection and learning from failures and victories. This happens in the daily reality of school life: addressing underperformance in valued colleagues, making difficult budget decisions, dealing with competing stakeholder relationships.
Current NPQ frameworks barely acknowledge this messy reality. They’re built on the flawed assumption that knowing what good leadership looks like equals becoming a good leader.
What’s missing
As Gareth Conyard and Sir Steve Lancashire argued in these pages this week, the place to start this kind of review is to listen to teachers and leaders. If the DfE did, this is what they would hear.
First and foremost, school leaders say they need practical tools they can implement immediately, not more theory. Here are three examples of crucial elements mostly missing from NPQs:
Handling Difficult Conversations
Leadership improvement often stalls because leaders avoid necessary conversations. They lack confidence in handling emotional responses, potential relationship damage, or not saying the wrong things. Yet promptly addressing issues is essential for school improvement.
The most impactful leadership programmes, according to my research, involve “immersive, high-pressure scenarios” with immediate feedback, developing skills like de-escalation and time management.
Effective delegation
With schools facing chronic recruitment challenges and leadership vacancies at critical levels, proper delegation has never been more important. Yet it’s a persistent challenge, particularly for those promoted from teaching roles.
NPQs might cover delegation theory but don’t build the practical skills: matching tasks to capabilities, communicating expectations, establishing appropriate check-in points. The result is leaders who understand delegation conceptually but struggle to implement it effectively.
Facilitating meetings
Schools run on meetings, yet a staggering amount of school time is wasted in ineffective meetings, directly impacting teacher workload and wellbeing.
Moving forward
My research suggests three essential reforms the DfE’s expert panel must consider:
Practical application
Sixty-four per cent of leaders I spoke with valued programmes where learning is “embedded in daily practice” and “aligned with ongoing projects.” NPQs should require participants to implement learning in their schools with more structured feedback cycles. (Essays are not enough.)
Communities of practice
Eighty-two per centof leaders identified ongoing cohort connections as the most valuable aspect of development. NPQs need to create structured peer networks that extend beyond programme completion, rather than treating participants as individual learners. (Forums are not enough.)
Contextualisation
The ‘golden thread’ approach assumes standardised content across all contexts. The conversations I’ve had contradict this, showing leaders instead value programmes that allow “extraction of most relevant/needed course elements” for their specific settings.
If the NPQ review merely tweaks content without addressing these fundamentals, it will be a wasted opportunity to tackle high and rising leadership vacancies and record departures from the profession.
My research suggests that a leadership development framework based on what leaders want and how they actually develop would look dramatically different. But are we bold enough to listen?
Your thoughts