About us

• Working with the National College
  • Licensing
    • Licensees
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Licensing: Chairs of Governors Development Programme

Licensing at the National College

At the National College our aim is to foster a system in which our best leaders in our best schools and academies are in the driving seat of leadership development across the system. We want to enable them, through partnership with a range of other providers, to deliver leadership development provision that meets the needs of their professional communities and raises the standard of leadership in schools nationally.

Our licensing approach

We know from our research that improving school leadership is a strategic priority for top performing systems in the world and that this improvement does not simply happen by chance. In a system that is gradually becoming more self-improving it is right that the College should work with schools, academies and children’s centres along with other partners to enable the profession to increasingly deliver its own leadership development.

That’s why we are now beginning to license our leadership development provision and move away from our more traditional, structured programmes to a new modular curriculum. Our aim is to offer choice and flexibility to individuals and schools within a framework of quality assured professional development. It’s an approach that provides licensed providers with the freedom and scope to innovate and develop provision that is responsive to needs, drawing on the College’s brand, expertise and resources.

We recognise that this is a very different approach, so we’ll be working closely with licensees, particularly at the outset, to ensure they have the support they need to be successful. We’re committed to building strong relationships that foster trust and allow creativity and innovation to flourish.

College licensees

The first 26 successful licensed providers have now been announced. They’ll deliver levels one, two and three of our new modular curriculum. This includes, from autumn 2012, the redesigned National Professional Qualification for Headship and, from January 2013, delivery of new modules and qualifications for middle and senior leaders.

Our licensees include a range of organisations and partnerships with schools and academies very much at their heart. They have demonstrated that they have the commitment, credibility, capability and capacity to deliver great leadership development that is responsive to the needs and challenges of today’s leaders – and meets the high standards that we set for National College provision.

All licensees are required to grow their partnerships and to involve other schools, so please do contact them if you wish to work closely with them.

• College licensees
• Read the licensing FAQs

Further opportunities

Two further licensing opportunities will shortly be available to deliver our new Chairs of Governors Development Programme across England and for levels one to three of the modular curriculum in the East of England, the North East and the North West.

• Register your details so we can inform you when these licensing applications start.

If you are interested in applying to become a licensee and are not registered on our e-procurement system, Redimo, please register at https://redimo.nationalcollege.org.uk/selfservice.