Funding & Programme Costs

Fully funded programmes (no disadvantage criteria required)

The following NPQs are fully funded for all eligible schools and settings. Eligible means working in a state-funded school or relevant early years setting in England.

• NPQ for Headship (NPQH)
• NPQ for SENCOs
• NPQ for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) — newly fully funded
• NPQ for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) — fully funded for all early years settings

Early years settings

Scholarship funding for the NPQ for Early Years Leadership is available to publicly funded early years settings and maintained nursery schools, including:

• Private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) settings
• Ofsted-registered early years childminders
• Maintained nursery schools
• Those working in publicly-funded early years educational settings

Scholarship-funded programmes (disadvantage criteria required)

The following NPQs are fully funded for schools and settings that meet the disadvantage eligibility criteria. If your school does not meet the criteria, you can still pay for a place.

• Leading Teaching (NPQLT)
• Leading Behaviour and Culture (NPQLBC)
• Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD)
• Leading Literacy (NPQLL)
• Leading Primary Mathematics (NPQLPM)
• Executive Leadership (NPQEL)

Who is eligible for scholarship funding?

To qualify, your school must be among the top 50% of publicly funded schools in England with the highest proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium. Maintained nursery schools are allocated funding differently.

Check whether your school qualifies using the DfE school eligibility checker.

Read the full DfE funding guidance for further details.

Further education settings

FE scholarship funding is available for the top 50% of 16–19 settings by proportion of funded students attracting a disadvantage uplift (combining disadvantage block 1 and block 2 funding). Eligible settings are fixed for the Autumn 2026 recruitment period.

Additional funded opportunities

Early Headship Coaching Offer (EHCO)

Fully funded for headteachers in their first five years of headship who are currently undertaking, or have already completed, NPQH.

RISE scholarships

Schools in the targeted Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme are eligible for scholarship funding across all NPQs.

Check whether your school is part of the RISE programme: RISE school support guidance.

Leading Teacher Development – additional eligibility route

Scholarship funding for NPQLTD is also available if you are taking on the role of lead mentor for an ITT provider accredited to deliver initial teacher training from September 2024. This applies even if your school does not appear on the disadvantage eligibility list.

Returning teachers

Qualified primary or secondary teachers returning to teach in a state school in England may be eligible to access NPQs to refresh subject knowledge and teaching practice. Contact a return-to-teaching adviser for guidance:  Return to teaching in England

What if no funded places are available?

If funded places with Five Counties are not available to you, you have several options:

• Join the waiting list
• Self-fund your place, or ask your school to pay for it
• Contact another training provider to enquire about funded places
• Apply in the next cohort: 2027–2028 academic year

Programme costs (self-funded or school-funded)

If no funded place is available, or if your school is not eligible for funding, the following costs apply:

Ready to apply?

To register your interest and be contacted when the application window opens on 23^rd June 2026, please complete the expression of interest form now.

Already know what you want to do?  

Visit the Five Counties NPQ how-to-apply page for full application guidance.