National Professional Qualifications
NPQ for Early Years Leadership
What is the National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)?
The NPQEYL is a professional development course, which has been designed with leaders and practitioners in mind, using the latest and best available evidence and collective wisdom of the profession to ensure every child in every setting gets the best start in life. It is designed to support early years leaders to develop expertise in leading high-quality education and care, as well as in effective staff and organisational management.
Why was the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership developed?
Evidence shows that leadership quality has a positive impact on educational outcomes. Likewise, investing in early years professionals’ CPD improves the quality of early years education. The NPQ EYL fills a gap in early years leadership courses, providing high-quality, evidence-based leadership training for Early Years leaders/aspiring leaders. The NPQ EYL responds to:
- the impact of the pandemic on children’s progress in all areas of learning
- the revision of the Early Years Funding Strategy statutory framework
- the need to offer a way for leaders/aspiring leaders to develop the skills required to meet their leadership responsibilities
Is this the right course for you?
If you are, or want to be, a manager of a Private, Voluntary and Independent nursery, headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery, or a childminder with leadership responsibilities, this course will provide you with training on culture, child development, curriculum and assessment, Additional and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), professional development, organisational management, implementation and working in partnership.
Read the full Early Years Leadership framework here.
Do I get a full and relevant qualification at the end of the course?
The NPQEYL is a high-quality CPD offer, and as with other NPQs, does not appear on Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications. It does not have a qualification level attached to it, and instead it is envisaged that the NPQEYL will complement existing early years qualifications that leaders already hold.
What benefits will the course bring to you and your setting?
Leaders of early years settings need to have expertise across a number of areas. The NPQEYL will help you develop essential knowledge and skills that underpin successful leadership of a high-quality nursery, including how to:
- Establish an effective culture across the nursery
- Deliver a high-quality and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all your learners and ensures all children experience success
- Support staff to engage in effective professional development
- Manage resources effectively
- Work successfully with parents, services and other early years settings
Entry requirements
You should hold at least a full and approved level 3 early years qualification. You should be, or should aspire to be one of the following:
- A manager of a private, voluntary or independent nursery
- A headteacher of a school-based or maintained nursery
- A childminder with leadership responsibilities
How is the course delivered?
The courses consists of a mixture of online study, remotely delivered peer learning groups and two face to face whole day conferences. The qualification lasts for 18 months.
How is the course assessed?
To pass the NPQEYL, participants will need to engage with at least 90% of the course and complete a final assessment.
The final assessment will present a work-based situation the participant might expect to face as an early years leader. You will have eight days to provide a 1500 – 2500 word written response in an ‘open book’ setting.
How much does it cost?
There is some funding available from the DfE for schools that fit the criteria. Please see the funding page for more information.
When does the NPQEYL start?
Two cohorts are being offered in 2024-2025, the first in the Autumn and the second in the new year. Applications are now open.
How do I apply?
The NPQ registration process is described on our registration page of the website that can be found here.
