Deferral Policy

North West London Teaching School Hub

At North West London Teaching School Hub, we are committed to supporting our participants throughout their NPQ journey. While we expect participants to complete their NPQ programme with the cohort to which they were originally accepted, we understand that exceptional or unforeseen circumstances may arise. In these cases, we aim to offer the necessary support to help participants complete their programme successfully, including the possibility of a deferral.

(Please note North West London Teaching School Hub monitors engagement regularly and will be in regular contact with participants with low/falling engagement to support as early as possible).

Deferral Process for NPQ Participants

If you are considering deferring your NPQ programme, please review the following steps carefully. Each stage must be completed in order to ensure that your deferral request is processed correctly.

1. Eligibility for Deferral

To be eligible for a deferral, participants must have been formally enrolled in the NPQ programme.

This includes:

• Registration with the Department for Education
• Submission of confirmation of employment
• Engagement with at least one module or attendance at one event

Deferral may be granted in cases where personal or professional circumstances make it impossible for the participant to continue at that time. Such circumstances might include (but are not limited to):

• Illness or health-related issues
• Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption, or parental leave
• Bereavement or significant personal changes
• Any unforeseen or exceptional events outside the participant’s control

2. How to Request a Deferral

If you find that you need to defer, please email us at North West London Teaching School Hub as soon as possible. Deferrals must be agreed upon between the participant and our team. When requesting a deferral, please provide an expected date for re-joining the programme, which will usually be around 12 months from the point of your deferral, as there is now only one intake per academic year.

When you return, you’ll re-join the programme from the point where you last actively engaged, rather than from when your deferral was formally approved. This ensures you can continue your learning smoothly and complete any missed content. Please see the appendix for the deferral request form.

3. Deferral Details

• Deferral Period:
  Under the new one cohort per year model, deferrals are normally for 12 months, as participants will re-join the next available cohort. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer deferrals that extend beyond 12 months except in exceptional circumstances.
• Restarting the Programme:
  When you return, you will re-join the programme from the point where you last actively engaged, rather than from when your deferral was approved. This helps ensure a smooth and fair continuation of your learning journey.
• Availability of Return Points:
  Opportunities to re-join after a deferral are now more limited. Participants must re-join by or before the November 2027 cohort, as no deferrals will be possible beyond this intake.
• Deferral Opportunity:
  Each participant is permitted one deferral per programme. A second deferral can only be considered in exceptional and evidenced circumstances.

4. Impact on Funding

If your programme is scholarship-funded by the Department for Education, you will retain funding when you re-join the programme, although this is subject to changes by the Department for Education.
If you are self-funded (or funded by your school, trust, or associated organisation), please note that we do not offer refunds in the event of a deferral. This is based on the expectation that you will complete the programme at a later date.

5. Deferral Before or During the Assessment Window

• In exceptional cases, if you need to defer your assessment after meeting the engagement requirements and entering the assessment window, we may be able to offer an assessment deferral.
• You will not lose your assessment attempt; however, please note that under the one cohort per year model, assessment opportunities now take place only once a year. This means that rescheduled or re-sit assessments may be delayed by up to 12 months, depending on when the next assessment window is available.
• Participants who defer their assessment will be given access to programme materials ahead of their rescheduled assessment window to help them refresh their learning and prepare effectively.

Examples of situations where an assessment deferral may be granted include:

• Illness or health-related issues that affect your ability to fully engage with the programme.
• Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption or parental leave
• Bereavement or significant personal changes that impact your ability to meet the assessment deadline.
• Any unforeseen or exceptional situation outside your control that prevents timely submission.

6. What happens if you choose not to return?

If you decide not to return to the programme after a deferral, you will be considered to have withdrawn from the NPQ programme. In this case, Ambition Institute NPQ Withdrawal Policy will apply.

7. Availability of Deferral

From Autumn 2025, all NPQs will move to a one cohort per year model. As a result, opportunities to defer will be limited, and it may not always be possible to re-join until the following academic year. Participants will not be able to defer beyond the November 2027 cohort.

Key Changes from Autumn 2025:

• Only one NPQ cohort per year (starting in November).
• Deferrals will result in a 12-month wait to re-join the next available cohort.
• Participants must re-join by November 2027 at the latest.
• Only one deferral per participant is permitted.
• Assessment opportunities (including re-sits and deferrals) will take place once per year.

8. Further Information

If you have any questions about deferral or the process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at North West London Teaching School Hub. We are here to support you in every step of your NPQ journey.

Email – npq@northwestlondontsh.org.uk

Deferral Request Form