National Professional Qualification in Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)

This course is for teachers who lead on behaviour and supporting pupil wellbeing in your school.

Gain expertise in behaviour management and discover how to create a culture where staff and pupils can thrive.

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

Eligibility: This course is for teachers who lead, or aspire to lead on, behaviour and supporting pupil wellbeing in your school.

Duration: A 12 month specialist qualification 

Curriculum:

Our NPQ for Leading Behaviour and Culture course follows the Department of Education’s National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Behaviour and Culture Framework.

You will learn how to:

• Create a culture of high expectations across your school
•  Support the development of a positive, predictable and safe environment for pupils
• Assist pupils with complex behavioural needs
• Nurture improvement through evidence-based professional development
•  Put new approaches to leading behavior and culture into practice in your school setting.

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 Fellow and the wider NPQ cohort.  

Each of the six courses within the programme is taught through a combination of self-study modules, a mixture of virtual and in-person Clinics, and peer-led Community sessions. You will also be allocated a study partner to complete online learning with and discuss reflections. 

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 12-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:

Funding for autumn 2025 is targeted for those teachers and leaders who work in the top 50% of England’s most disadvantaged schools, according to pupil premium percentage.

For the NPQ for Leading Behaviour and Culture, funded scholarships are available for those who meet the following criteria:

• Have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading behaviour and/or supporting pupil wellbeing in their school.
• Work in the 50% of schools with the highest proportion of students who attract pupil premium funding and 16 to 19 educational settings identified as having high disadvantage in England.

If you do not work in an eligible school, or all fully-funded spaces have been filled, the cost of the NPQLBC is £899 + VAT.

If you’re unsure whether you will qualify for this ‘pupil premium’ based on funding, please use the Ambition Institute online eligibility check tool, and/or contact us at npq@northwestlondontsh.org.uk and we will advice.

*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 not eligible for a DfE-funded scholarship, you can self-fund your NPQ.

We will invoice the school or trust contact provided in your registration. Depending on your school type, they may be able to reclaim VAT.

If you’re paying personally, we can invoice you directly — however, you will not be able to reclaim VAT.

Please note:

• Full payment must be made before the programme begins.
• We do not offer payment plans.
• We are unable to offer refunds once the programme has started.

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:

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

Facilitators:

Gina Cooper

Ashmole Academy

Matt Watton

Ashmole Academy

Mel Hooson

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.