National Professional Qualifications and the NCCE
Launching fully in September 2021, the reformed National Professional Qualifications for schools (NPQs) recognise and support excellence in teaching and leadership.
Replacing the NPQ for middle leaders, three new qualifications comprise a nationally-recognised, voluntary suite of professional development and accreditation:
- Leading Teaching: developing teachers who are subject leads or responsible for improving teaching practice in a subject or phase
- Leading Teacher Development: supporting the training and development of others, including trainee and qualified teachers
- Leading Behaviour and Culture: developing teachers who have responsibilities for leading behaviour and culture
The NCCE is well-positioned to support those following NPQs, in the context of computing, with:
- support for computing subject leaders, and others responsible for teaching practice in the subject
- information for those with a wider teacher development responsibility, looking to maximise the subject-specific support of the NCCE
NPQ Leading Teaching
Aimed at teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading teaching in computing, this NPQ covers the broad range of knowledge and skills needed to be effective.
As well as being an effective teacher, as laid out in the Early Career Framework, subject leaders of computing need to have a firm grasp of school culture and how it relates to the subject.
Becoming expert in the interconnected aspects of curriculum leadership such as curriculum design and implementation - built on an understanding of the learning process and supported by adaptive teaching and excellent classroom practice - is an important developmental goal. This ensures that professional development, strategically planned and supported across the department and beyond, helps to ensure team development and better outcomes in the subject.
Our new guide makes it easier for subject leaders following this NPQ to quickly and easily access the extensive collection of support and resources which the NCCE offers.
NPQ Leading Teacher Development
Those following this NPQ aim to improve teaching through understanding of the specific context and community of adults and pupils within the school, whether they are responsible for the early career teachers within computing (or school-wide) or are leading continued teacher professional development across a school or trust.
Developed over many years, through experience and the application of rigorous research, our modular facilitator development programme provides an evidence-informed foundation in delivering professional development effectively. It also provides a route to supporting the community of teachers within your context and beyond, through face-to-face CPD programmes.
NPQ Leading Behaviour and Culture
Participation in the facilitator development programme is of value, too, to those following this NPQ, as they will be asked to provide leadership and professional development to others.