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NPQLL (Leading Literacy)

Who are you?

A teacher who has, or aspires to have, responsibility for leading literacy across a year group, key stage, phase or school.


What will you learn?

  • Teaching - you will use what you learn  to support teachers at all levels in your school to develop their knowledge of literacy development and literacy learning and to improve their literacy teaching, including language, reading and writing.
  • Developing language - you will learn about the crucial role of language development in general academic success and in particular how oracy underpins literacy development. Within the context of your role, you will learn how to develop your school’s oracy teaching and provision and how to support your colleagues to maximise the opportunities to model and develop high-quality speaking and listening and to ensure high-quality talk is prioritised in the classroom.
  • School culture - you will learn how to enhance literacy teaching and to champion all aspects of literacy across a school, strengthening your ability and that of your colleagues to contribute to a school culture in which pupils can thrive and succeed.
  • Developing reading - you will learn how language development underpins reading development, you will deepen your knowledge of the key theories of reading development and explore the development of the component skills involved in reading and from the perspectives of different learners.
  • Developing writing - you will deepen your knowledge of how to develop pupils' written transcription by working with colleagues to ensure that they know how to teach, spelling, handwriting and sentence construction.
  • Professional development - you will deepen your knowledge of the best ways to provide effective professional development in literacy curriculum, pedagogy and assessment across the whole school community. You will engage in leading and developing a team of teachers focused on improving literacy attainment across your school.
  • Subject and curriculum – you will learn about the fundamental importance of literacy and recognise the impact it has on pupils’ future achievement and life chances. You will learn how to support and improve high quality teaching, learning and assessment in your subject or phase. You will acquire the essential knowledge, skills and concepts that underpin successful literacy teaching.
  • Implementation – focusing on literacy, 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.

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 the current circumstances.

Is this programme for me?

Yes, if you are responsible for leading literacy across a year group, phase or school, or aspire to do so in the future. The programme is suitable for teachers in Primary and Secondary phases..


How long will it take?

12 months followed by an 8 day open book summative case study task.

Programme Overview

Venue:   Balcarras School, Cheltenham

12 month programme comprising:

  • Induction & Consolidation Conferences - (full day - face to face)
  • Facilitated face to face Peer Learning - (4 x 4.5 hour sessions)

Supported by:

  • Online Learning
  • School based implementation project
  • Mentoring

Engagement:   There must be a minimum of 90% engagement in the programme for participants to be eligible for final assessment

Assessment:   Each NPQ is assessed using a case study approach completed within a specified eight day window at the end of the programme