What is the NPQEYL?

May 20, 2022
By
Jemima Rhys-Evans
|

A new academic year brings changes to NPQs - but just what is the NPQEYL?

One of the equal-part joys and tribulations of the education profession is the fact that you'll never have the same year twice. Whether it's a curriculum shakeup, new guidance on pastoral care, or a staff switch in-school, there's always something new to the world of teaching every time September rolls around once more. In the 2022-23 academic year, one of those new elements is going to be a couple of new NPQs for educators looking to take their careers to the next level to pursue. Next year, we'll be introducing the NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL), and the NPQ in Leading Literacy (NPQLL) to our NPQ offering here at the Hub, and we wanted to take some time to outline just what these new NPQs are, and who they're for.

What is the NPQEYL?

The NPQEYL is the new government qualification designed around helping educators to improve their skills in designing, implementing and leading teams of teachers specifically in the Early Years environment, where children are first being introduced to education and everything that comes with joining the schooling system. Early Years education is a unique challenge for a teacher to take on, and with the introduction of the new NPQ the government is aiming to help teachers cultivate the unique skills you need not just to succeed in that environment, but lead the work and development of other teachers in it as well.

Who is the NPQEYL for?

As with many other NPQs, the general audience for the NPQEYL is in the name - the qualification is specifically designed for educators in, or looking to move into, leadership and management roles surrounding Early Years teaching. That could be the leader of a public or private nursery, headteachers of schools that provide a nursery class, or childminders that hold leadership responsibility. If you hold a role with such responsibilities, or are looking to move into one, then the NPQEYL is for you.

What does the NPQEYL teach?

An NPQ is a wide-reaching course - it's impossible for us to cover the full breadth of what's taught on the NPQEYL in a blog; if you're interested in the full NPQEYL syllabus, we'd recommend reading the government's guidance package online. However, we can certainly provide the top-level information you need to know to understand the NPQEYL generally. The NPQEYL is taught and assessed based on a framework of seven different elements of the structure, operations and offering of an EYL organisation:

  1. Culture
  2. Child Development, Curriculum and Assessment
  3. Additional and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
  4. Professional Development
  5. Organisational Management
  6. Implementing
  7. Working in Partnership

The NPQ course goes through these various different aspects in detail, offering actionable, practical insights that you can use to build your leadership skills towards a final assessment period.

How do you apply for the NPQEYL?

We'll be opening applications for 2022-23 NPQs soon, so watch this space! In the meantime, we hope that you've found this little quick-stop guide helpful; if you have any further questions about the NPQLL, please feel free to get in touch.

Jemima Rhys-Evans
Teaching School Hub Director & Charles Dickens Research School Director

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