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New NPQ coming in Autumn 2024 for SENCOs, teachers and school leaders.
The new NPQ for SENCOs programme aims to develop participants' professional knowledge and critical understanding of key concepts and debates addressed in the academic and professional literature, in order to lead and co-ordinate special educational needs and disability (SEN and D) provision across an educational setting.
About the programme
- Why join UCL?
- What will you learn?
- What are the benefits for you?
- What are the benefits for your school?
- Is this programme for me?
- How long will it take?
- When will it start and how much will it cost?
- Are scholarships available for this programme?
- Programme route map
- How to apply
Autumn cohort 2024
Register for a national professional qualification (NPQ)
Why join UCL?
The UCL Centre for Educational Leadership looks forward to working with you on their newly designed NPQ supporting you to deepen your knowledge of Special Educational Needs Leadership within a collaborative and open learning environment.
Based on the latest research and evidence this new programme will enable you to take your new learning and develop your skills and put them into practice.
Our programmes put you and your school at the heart of the programme through a professional learning group approach that helps you to share your thinking and understanding within a well-planned framework. You will experience a blended approach of face to face, self-directed study materials and in school support to enable you to progress professionally and develop networks to enhance your career.
What will you learn?
- School Culture: You will develop and sustain an inclusive, strengths-based, school culture through contributing to its strategic direction, managing resources and fulfilling the statutory duties to enable all pupils and teachers to thrive and succeed.
- Behaviour: You will be able to contribute and implement the development of good models of behaviour and learning across the whole school community including adapting behaviour approaches to meet the needs of individual pupils and liaising with and training key stakeholders to ensure a safe learning environment for all.
- Implementation: You will learn how to implement change successfully within your context by understanding the stages of implementation and applying them with the support of your facilitators and colleagues.
- Statutory framework: You will strengthen your knowledge of the legal basis for the SEND Code of Practice and how to work with key stakeholders and leaders to assist your school in meeting its statutory duties and support effective provision to pupils with SEN.
- Identification of need: You will learn how to work with teachers and leaders to identify the needs of pupils and develop policies and processes to address them including how to monitor and evaluate the impact of support and targeted intervention.
- Leading and managing provision: You will learn how to work with other leaders to implement, monitor and evaluate SEN provision effectively.
What are the benefits for you?
Our participants have noted many benefits to studying for a UCL Leadership NPQ. Overall, they outline how the programme has given them professional confidence, time and space to reflect on themselves and the kind of leader they want to become and increased knowledge, capacity and skills in their chosen area of study.
You will be able to:
- Develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to implement new initiatives and approaches successfully through a supported implementation project.
- Understand what level your skill set is at and recognise what this means for your career path and future professional learning.
- Develop your own leadership persona to become more visible to colleagues.
- Increase your understanding of the legal basis of the statutory framework and the how to implement policies and processes lead and manage SEN provision.
- Recognise that change must go through stages and sub-stages and that it must be planned effectively at the outset with clearly defined planned outcomes and processes for ongoing monitoring.
- Access research and materials and have many opportunities to discuss a variety of professional development approaches and models with other teachers.
What are the benefits for your school?
We know that our children and young people need teachers who are committed to their education and are confident learners themselves. Our programmes have been developed with teachers and leaders to:
- Create professionally confident teachers and leaders.
- Grow the next generation of leaders with the skills and knowledge to use the evidence-base for the benefit of their children and young people.
- Retain the best teachers who are excellent, collaborative role models for their schools and communities.
- Inspire leaders who are able to harness the power of rich learning environments for their children and young people no matter their starting points or the current circumstances.
- Ensure that all schools have a SENCO who holds the mandatory SEND qualification.
Is this programme for me?
- Yes, if you are currently working as a SENCO.
- Yes, if you are interested in developing expertise in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or undertaking a SENCO role in future.
How long will it take?
18 months followed by an 8 day open book summative case study task.
When will it start and how much will it cost?
The programme will start in October 2024. There will be an induction conference taking place in November 2024, which will be confirmed during the application process. Participants are required to attend the conference.
The cost is £1,265 for those in independent schools. British International Schools, please contact your preferred International Delivery Partner.
Are scholarships available for this programme?
Funding to cover the course fees for this NPQ is available for teachers and school leaders in many state-funded settings in England. You can find out how to check the eligibility of your workplace for Autumn 2024 here.
Programme route map
- NPQ Programme Induction (October 2024)
Watch online programme information webinars 1 hr, October 2024
Induction Conference 6hrs – November 2024
- Module 1: Culture and Ethos: School Culture | Professional Development | Implementation (October 2024 - March 2025)
Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Learning Audit: 30 mins – October 2024 / November 2024Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings: 1hr – October 2024 / November 2025*Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Online Self-directed Study: 12hrs – October 2024 / November 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Peer Learning Group 1: 2hrs – November 2024 / December 2024Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Face to Face Learning Event(s) 1 5hrs – January 2025 / February 2025*Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Formative Assessment Tasks: 1hr – January 2025 / February 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings: 1hr – February 2025 / March 2025*Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Learning Audit Review: 30 mins – February 2025 / March 2025Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Online National Forum: 2hrs – February 2025 / March 2025Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
End of Module Evaluation / Impact report: 20 mins – February 2025 / March 2025- Module 2: Module Two Learning, Teaching and Assessment: Teaching | Behaviour | Identification of Need (March 2025 – October 2025)
Self-directed Study UCL Extend
Learning Audit: 30 mins – March 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings: 1hr – March 2025*Self-directed Study UCL Extend
Online Self-directed Study: 12 hrs – March 2025 / October 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Peer Learning Group 2: 2hrs – March 2025 / April 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Face to Face Learning Event(s) 2: 5hrs – June 2025*Self-directed Study UCL Extend
Formative Assessment Tasks: 1hr – June 2025 / July 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Peer Learning Group 3: 2hrs – September 2025 Academic Year 2Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings: 1hr – October 2025*Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Learning Audit Review: 30 mins – October 2025Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
End of Module Evaluation: 20 mins – October 2025- Module 3: Module Three: Ensuring High Quality Outcomes: Statutory Framework | Leading & Manging Provision (October 2025 – March 2026)
Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Learning Audit: 30 mins – October 2025*Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings 2 1hr – October 2025 / November 2025*Self-directed Study - UCL eXtend
Online Self-directed Study: 8 hrs – October 2025 / February 2025Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Face to Face Learning Event(s) 3 5hrs – November 2025 / December 2025*Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Peer Learning Group 4: 2hrs – January 2026Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Formative Assessment Tasks: 1hr – January 2026 / February 2026Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Online Discussion Forum: 2hrs – January 2026 / February 2026Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
In-school Mentor Meetings; 1hr – March 2026*Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
Learning Audit Review: 30 mins – March 2026Self-directed Study UCL eXtend
End of Module Evaluation/Impact Report: 20 mins – March 2026Facilitated Activity / 1 to 1 meeting / virtual or live event
Consolidation Conference 6 hrs – February 2026 / March 2026*- Final Assessment Preparation (March 2026 – May 2026)
Ensure 90% engagement– March 2026
Ensure Access to Assessment Platform – March 2026
*Please note, NPQ Mentors will be asked to complete a short Programme Impact Report at the end of module 2 and 3 to gauge how engagement with the programme is supporting School / Improvement. This is separate from the Line Manager / Mentor Check-in which is more participant focused.
Runs over 18 months: Implementation Project: Work-based reflective learning, integrating research with practice and aligned to the EEF process model for school improvement (not assessed).
After 18 months: Final Summative Assessment (April 2026 – May 2026)
How to apply
To apply, please go to DfE NPQ Registration Service and choose UCL as your provider | Find out more about the application process.