National Professional Qualification for Leading SEND (NPQSENDCO)

Become an expert leader of special educational needs and learn how you can build an inclusive culture in your school where all pupils can succeed.

Registrations are now open for November 2025. No other NPQ cohorts will be available in the 2025/26 academic year.

This is a new course designed for SENCOs and replaces the NASENCO qualification.

Eligibility: You must be a current or aspiring SENCO, a school leader, or someone who is responsible for the strategic leadership of SEND in a school or trust. The NPQ for SENCOs is also open to leaders in specialist or alternative provision.

Duration: 18 months

Curriculum:

This programme follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification (NPQ): SENCO framework.

On this programme, you will learn how to:

• Contribute to establishing and sustaining a positive and supportive culture across the school for all pupils.
• Support senior leaders to ensure staff and governors enact statutory guidance.
• Support teachers and support staff to understand the importance of expert teaching for all pupils and to implement a graduated approach in the classroom, subject or domain effectively.
• Support the delivery of effective provision for pupils with SEND and their families, and be able to review, monitor, evaluate and improve the impact of SEND provision.
• Work with staff, specialists and other agencies to assist the school in meeting the needs of all pupils.
• Implement an efficient SEND identification process across the school which ensures that barriers to learning are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity.
• Work with and equip fellow leaders with the skills to establish and sustain effective curriculum planning that enable teachers to plan, adapt and teach effectively for all pupils.
• Support the development of a positive, safe and supportive environment for pupils across the whole school.
• Ensure all pupils feel motivated in school with a supportive setting to enable them to reach their aspirations and potential.

How you will learn:

The programme is delivered with a mixture of face-to-face and virtual sessions. The programme starts with a full-day Conference to introduce you to the structure and content of the course, allowing you to meet your Visiting Fellows and the wider NPQ cohort, a second full-day Conference will take place in year two.  

Each of the nine courses within the programme are taught through a combination of independent and paired self-study modules, a facilitated live clinic, and supported by peer-led community sessions. 

The North-West London Teaching School Hub team will be supporting you throughout your learning journey on the programme, tracking your progress and acting as your point of contact. 

Assessment:

You’ll sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which you respond to a short case study.

The assessment window starts at the end of the 18-month programme and runs for up to four months (subject to change by the DfE).

During this time:

• We will offer a live clinic in advance of the assessment window to support you.
• You’ll be given an eight-day window to complete the case study.
• Participants can sit the assessment twice, if they need to.
• You need to complete 90% of the programme and pass the assessment to gain the qualification.

Cost:

For the autumn 2025, the NPQ for SENCOs is fully funded for state schools in England.

There are a limited number of funded places, which are available to those who:

• A current or aspiring SENCO, or a school leader such as a senior leader or headteacher.
• Work in a state funded school in England

The NPQSENCO is mandatory for current SENCOs in their first three years of the role. If you have previously completed the NASENCO, the NPQSENCO is not mandatory.
Those required to undertake a mandatory NPQSENCO will receive priority for fully funded scholarship places.

Check if you’re eligible! If you’re unsure whether you will qualify please use our eligibility checker tool.

If you do not work in an eligible school, or all fully-funded spaces have been filled, the cost of the NPQSENCO is £1,332 + VAT.

*Currently nurseries are not available yet on the tool. If you work in a nursery, please contact us directly at npqadmissions@ambition.org.uk

Self-funded payment options
If you are unable to access a DfE funded scholarship, you can pay for your NPQ.

Ambition Institute will invoice the school/trust contact you provide in your registration directly. Depending on your school type, they maybe be able to reclaim VAT.

If you are unable to come to an arrangement with your school, Ambition Institute can invoice you directly, but you will not be able to reclaim VAT.

Unfortunately, Ambition Institute do not offer payment plans for NPQ programmes.

The cost of your programme must be paid in full before the start of your programme. Ambition Institute are unable to offer refunds once you start the programme.

DfE funding restrictions
Due to limited DfE funding, eligibility for a scholarship does not guarantee a funded place.

If no funded places are available, you can:

• Join a waiting list with your chosen provider
• Pay for your place yourself
• Approach another NPQ provider

Facilitators:

Jane Noy

Rachel Robinson

Charlotte Maginnis

Middlesex Learning Trust

Further Info

Only in exceptional circumstances may a participant request either a deferral or withdrawal from their programme. Participants should be aware that there is a process to follow which is outlined in Ambition’s Institute’s Deferral and Withdrawal Policy.

A participant considering withdrawal from an NPQ Programme should be aware that it is Department for Education Policy to only fund an NPQ course for a participant once. This means that a participant who starts a Department for Education funded NPQ course, and then withdraws from that course, will not be funded again for the same programme.