NPQEYL - Early Years Leadership

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Those leading early years have the privilege of supporting children at the start of their journey in education and, as such, can have a significant impact on their life chances. 

Leading a nursery requires a wealth of strategic and operational knowledge. The role is  reliant on working with and through colleagues to ensure every child gets the best start in  life. Leaders need to have a srong understanding of their context, community and  the children and adults they work with. They also need to have expertise across a  number of areas and be able to create a culture and climate that will allow children to thrive and succeed.

The National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) is for leaders qualified to at least Level 3 with a full and relevant qualification 1 who are, or  are aspiring to be, managers of Private, Voluntary and Independent nurseries, headteachers of school-based or maintained nurseries, or childminders with  leadership responsibilities.

Programme Information

Our delivery model is grounded in tried-and-tested evidence of effective school improvement from both the UK and US. The programmes are underpinned by theory, mapped for progression across all qualification levels, and application of learning prioritised to facilitate successful implementation.

Programme Model

The programme will use ‘see it, name it, do it’ as an organisational structure for scaffolding learning to the point of mastery. The model is a highly applied and personalised approach coined by the internationally renowned Leverage Leadership Institute. 

• See it: The approach goes beyond theory by using current, real-life models of exemplary practice
• Name it: By identifying features of exemplary practice, the invisible is made visible. Participants reflect on their current practice and name their ‘gaps’
• Do it: Participants are guided through implementation planning with time for practice, peer feedback and the use of gap tasks. As part of formative assessment, participants then ‘fix their gaps’ by applying their learning in school. 

Embedded assessment practice

Opportunities to ‘do it’, through practice and planning give the best chance of successful implementation and lead to rapid school improvement. Application of learning provides regular practice opportunities for final scenario-based assessment.

Blended learning

The programme is made up of a blend of synchronous and asynchronous components totalling a maximum of four days plus self study.

*Synchronous live facilitated sessions are designed in two-hour blocks that may be combined as whole days lasting six hours or delivered as a series of two-hour twilights.

Key Information

• Cost: £1,095 per participant (scholarship funding available for most participants)
• Scholarship funding available - click here for more information
• Programme length: 18 months
• Start date: October 2022
• Assessment : An open-book assessment in an eight-day set window within 3 months of completion requiring a structured 1500-word response to a real multi-resource scenario/case-study.