Personalised leadership development? Lessons from the pilot NPQH in England

This article draws upon an evaluation, carried out for the National College, of the piloting of the new National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in England. The pilot programme focused on the personalisation of headship training to make it more customised to the identified needs of each individual. The reconfigured programme featured leadership coaching, school-based work, face-to-face events, online communities, peer learning groups, and use of online NPQH materials in a virtual environment. The evaluation study was carried out with participants, providers and coaches over the 12 month period of the pilot. The evaluation team concluded that the pilot programme had gone well for the majority of the participants, who viewed the revised NPQH as having significant strengths. These included its focus on personalised learning, the supportive environment offered by providers, its various components (in particular coaching, placement schools, online aspects, etc.) and a timeline that fits in with trainee head teacher aspirations. In particular, needs identification and personalisation was a clear strength of the programme and the only barriers to learning related to individual's learning styles and preferences.