Frequently asked questions about licensing

1. What are the implications of the move to licensing for participants on current National College programmes?

If you’re already on a National College programme, this change won’t affect you. These licences have been awarded to deliver the our new modular curriculum, starting with the redesigned National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) from autumn 2012 and new qualifications for middle leaders and senior leaders from January 2013.

2. What is the modular curriculum?

The modular curriculum offers a modular approach to leadership development structured around five levels. Each level reflects a different stage in a leader’s professional development and career.

Level one: leading a team – focusing mainly on middle leaders
Level two: leading beyond a team – focusing mainly on senior leaders
Level three: aspiring to lead an organisation
Level four: leading an organisation
Level five: leading beyond an organisation

Each of the first three levels offers a professional qualification that will provide national recognition of your leadership development and achievement. These new qualifications have a flexible, modular structure that combine core elements (essential modules) with the freedom to specialise or develop your own professional areas of interest (elective modules). All qualifications are assessed and awarded by the National College.

In addition to offering a more flexible qualification route, the curriculum also gives you the option to study some (elective) modules on their own.

3. When will the new curriculum and qualifications be available ?

NPQH will be the first of the new modular qualifications to be offered by our licensees – this sits at level three of the modular curriculum. The application round is now open, with the first participants starting in autumn 2012. Qualifications at levels one and two of the modular curriculum, which focus on middle and senior leaders, will be available from January 2013.

4. What will happen to the College’s existing range of programmes?

Over time, the modular curriculum will replace the majority of our more traditional, structured programmes. In preparation for the introduction of levels one to three of the new curriculum, some programmes are already closed to further applications, including Leadership Pathways and Tomorrow’s Heads.

5. I’d like to offer services to a licensee – how do I do that?

All of our licensees are either led by, or operate in partnership with, schools and academies. If you’re interesting in working with them, you should contact the licensee directly. They can tell you about opportunities to support delivery of leadership development provision, including school placements.

6. We want to continue delivering the Middle Leadership Development Programme (MLDP). Can our cluster do this?

MLDP will transition to become part of level one of the modular curriculum by December 2013. We are very keen to ensure that successful clusters are included in the delivery and governance arrangements of their local licensees, and we will be working with interested parties to plan and implement this from spring 2012. If you’d like to find out more about this, please get in touch with your local licensee. You can also email us at: licensing@nationalcollege.org.uk.

7. How does my organisation apply to become a licensee?

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.