First ITT NPQ in Leading Teacher Development cohort complete NASBTT programme

The first cohort on the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) National Professional Qualification in Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD), developed and led by the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, have successfully completed the programme.

The NPQLTD is a recommended qualification for lead mentors working within ITT partnerships, as set out in the Department for Education’s quality requirements for 2024. 

Working in close collaboration with the curriculum team at the Teacher Development Trust (TDT), the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT) has contextualised the learning specifically to support colleagues in ITT partnerships. 

Undertaking this qualification through NASBTT allows participants to work alongside a cohort of ITT professionals, contextualise the learning to the ITT sector, and share and build upon the extensive ITT expertise that exists across their cohort.

With a 98% pass rate, nearly 70 ITT and school-based professionals beginning the ITT NPQLTD in Autumn 2022 have benefited from three face-to-face workshops and online seminars through the 12-month programme. These were facilitated by NASBTT chief executive, Emma Hollis, and head of operations and training, James Coleman. 

Topics are:

-Implementation

-Culture

-Designing effective professional development

-Utilising well-designed frameworks – curriculum and assessment

-Delivering effective professional development

-Utilising well-designed frameworks – classroom practice

Among the first cohort on the programme was Alison Brady, head of school-centered initial teacher training (SCITT) at Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT. 

Alison said: “I deliver a generic NPQLTD for our teaching school hub, and I am very mindful when I am running it that if we are putting members of the ITT team through that programme they are not necessarily entering conversations they would be able to contextualise in the right way.

“I also felt very strongly that leaders in each of our hubs should have the qualification from the programme, even though it is not statutory, and that it was right to investigate it. 

“The thinking and reflection space it gives you is so valuable. It also tied into our accreditation, provided context to what we are developing in ITT, and relevance of appropriation. Overall, it was really, really powerful.”

Matthew Armstrong, assistant director (primary) at Ripley ITT, commented: “Myself and our assistant director (secondary), Dave Chapman, signed up to the NPQLTD because whilst our leadership team had significant experience there was nothing tangible on how to develop teachers. 

“We needed something concise on mentoring, as well as our vast qualifications, to back up our offer. Having looked at other NPQs these were aimed at teachers, and we wanted something more outside the classroom with focus on ITT. 

“Often CPD is about planning, but this was about ‘now, not the future’, so the learning was immediately useful.”

Emma added: “From NASBTT’s perspective we are delighted with our 98% pass rate for our first cohort. 

The programme has been incredibly well received, and we are investing a lot of our time into our NPQs, with our Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024 cohorts now running concurrently for around 120 participants combined. 

“We hope that we can continue to match this success going forward and, following last week’s announcement on NPQ funding, we are pleased that those who hold the role of ITT lead mentor and work with an accredited ITT provider will continue will continue to be in scope for scholarship funding for the NPQLTD for the Autumn 2024 cohort. 

“This includes ITT lead mentors working in non-school settings and in school settings that are not eligible for funding for other NPQs.”

For more information about NASBTT’s NPQLTD, click here.