Early Years Leadership
We are pleased to partner with education charity Ambition Institute to deliver the NPQ in Early Years Leadership.
In 18 months, participants will develop expertise in early years leadership, helping to give all children up to the age of five the best possible start in life.
Those doing the training will learn:
- Gain a NPQ for Early Years Leadership accreditation in 18 months
- Access the latest evidence-based learning
- Become an expert in early years education
- Broaden your network of early years leaders
Benefits for you
Thrive as a leader
This programme is designed specifically for leaders of early years education. Through evidence-based professional development, you’ll learn what great early years learning looks like and how to lead others and your setting. You’ll also look at what others can learn from you.
Close the gap
Evidence shows that high quality care and education in early years is fundamental for a child’s development, preparing them for school and later life*. We’ll help you to develop the knowledge to deliver this to the children you support.
Train to your timetable
This is a flexible programme, designed to fit around your existing work commitments. Most of the training can be completed at a time that suits you with minimal time spent away from your early years setting.
Connect with peers
You’ll train with people from early years settings, sharing your experiences and building a strong support network.
Tailor your training
The programme allows you to apply the theory to your early years’ setting.
Benefits for your school
Give young people the best start
Equipping your leaders with evidence-based training on what good education and care looks like will help to create a level playing field for children in the early stages of life.
Benefit from tailored training
This is the first NPQ that is designed specifically for early years practitioners. It will develop expertise that can be applied to identifying and addressing persistent and common challenges in early years leadership.
Invest in high-quality professional development
Participants will learn how to unpack and apply learning across all aspects of the early years – and support their colleagues to develop in these areas too.
Create a ‘golden thread’
The new NPQs are all aligned. Right from the start, your leaders will benefit from an evidence-based framework with a common language that they can pass onto colleagues.
Tap into a network
Your leaders will train alongside peers from other early years settings, supported by facilitators who fully understand their needs.
Why choose CET?
Ambition Institute has designed this ground-breaking new NPQ to help you develop your knowledge and understanding of what high-quality, early years education and care looks like.
Ambition’s ‘little and often’ approach uses the latest evidence to help you put your learning into practice in your early years setting. You’ll train alongside other early years leaders with similar responsibilities, focusing on developing your expertise to tackle the persistent problems you face in your role.
This is a new NPQ developed by the Department for Education. It was developed with an expert advisory group, and early years leaders, academics and experts. The programme sits alongside the NPQs for teachers and school leaders. Each of Ambition’s NPQs share the same common language and framework to help drive improvement across education.
With no project work and minimal time out of your early years’ setting, this NPQ is designed to fit around your busy timetable.
Curriculum
What you will learn
This programme follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification: Early Years Leadership Framework.
You will learn how to:
- Set a strategic direction for your early years setting and apply ambitious standards for all children
- Champion evidence-based practice
- Plan and deliver care and a high-quality curriculum to support children’s development
- Establish communication, language and literacy approaches to support children’s learning
- Make sure all children experience success
- Identify children who need support and make appropriate referrals
- Create an environment for all children and colleagues where everyone feels welcome and safe.
Note: programme content is subject to change.
How you will learn
The programme is delivered through blended learning. This includes a mix of real-time interactive online sessions, face-to-face training, peer-led sessions and self-guided modules which you complete in your own time.
Assessment
The assessment window starts at the end of the 18-month programme and runs for three months. During this time, participants will be given an eight-day window to sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which they respond to a short case study.
There are two assessment windows every year, and participants can sit the assessment two times, if they need to.
You need to complete the course to qualify for the NPQ accreditation.
Ambition Institute will offer a webinar and live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support participants.
Cost
DfE-funded scholarships for this NPQ will target those teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities.
For the NPQ in Early Years Leadership, funded scholarships will be available for those who meet the following criteria:
- be an early years practitioner who is qualified to at least level three, with a full and relevant early years or teaching qualification.
- Work in the 50% of schools with the highest proportion of students who attract pupil premium funding.
- Highly disadvantaged early years settings will also be eligible.
Check your setting’s eligibility
If you’re unsure whether you will qualify for this ‘pupil premium’ based on funding, please use Ambition’s online eligibility check tool.
To secure your funded place ahead of cohort launch, apply now.
Can’t find your setting?
If you are a state school with a nursery who is appearing as not eligible for funding for this NPQEYL or a childminder, please contact Ambition directly at npqadmissions@ambition.org.uk
If you do not work in an eligible school, the NPQ in Early Years Leadership costs £1,139 plus VAT.
To apply, you must be:
- An early years foundation stage leader in a state funded school
- A manager of private, voluntary and independent nurseries
- A Headteacher of school-based or maintained nursery
- A childminder with leadership responsibilities
Deadline for Online Applications:
Spring 2025
Contact npqs@cumbriaeducationtrust.org for further information
