Explained: We need your input to ensure NPQs provide the skills needed in schools
We need your input to ensure NPQs provide the skills needed in schools is examined in this 2026 education briefing, which sets out the central development, the practical context for schools and the questions leaders may need to consider.
What happened?
National professional qualifications (NPQs) must evolve and the DfE’s review is seeking views on where improvements can be made, says Dr Herminder Channa In just a few years, NPQs have moved from being a niche offer to a shared language of development for the profession. Since the 2021 reforms there have been more than 144,000 NPQ starts, and 88 per cent of schools have engaged with them.
Key details from the report
- This is a sign that teachers and leaders want structured, serious professional learning, even in the most pressured of circumstances.
- When the offer is coherent, evidence-informed and properly funded, teachers and leaders will show up.
- They will carve out time they do not have, to do work they know matters.
- But professional life in schools is not standing still.
Why this matters for schools
The issue is relevant to school leaders because policy announcements, funding decisions and regulatory changes rarely operate in isolation. Their effects can reach staffing, budgets, curriculum planning, pupil support and communication with families. Leaders should distinguish confirmed requirements from proposals, check the implementation timetable and identify which decisions need action now.
For classroom and SEND teams, the practical question is how the development affects access, inclusion and day-to-day provision. Schools may wish to review existing plans, clarify responsibilities and make sure staff receive information in a form they can use. Where national details remain incomplete, recording assumptions and revisiting them as guidance changes can reduce avoidable confusion.
Questions for leaders and governing boards
- What has been formally confirmed, and what remains under consultation or development?
- Which pupils, staff or services are most likely to be affected?
- Are there financial, workforce, safeguarding or SEND implications that require early planning?
- What evidence or updated guidance should be monitored next?
- How will the school communicate any resulting change clearly to staff and families?
