The national professional qualification for headship: The key to effective school leadership?

Headnote

ABSTRACT Preparation for school leadership and management has become one of the major educational issues of the late 1990s. The Teacher Training Agency's National Professional Qualification for Headship is arguably the most important initiative because it leads to a threshold qualification for headship which is intended to become mandatory. This paper will examine NPQH and contrast it with both the recent history of school management provision in England and Wales and with international practice. The paper concludes that NPQH is likely to make an important contribution to the preparation of the next generation of school leaders but requires modification to address certain weaknesses.

Introduction

Preparation for school leadership and management has become one of the major educational issues of the late 1990s. The extra demands on headteachers and senior staff imposed by the legislation of the 1980s and 1990s have produced only a belated response from government. The Teacher Training Agency's (TTA's) programme of development is intended to cater for staff at all stages of professional careers but initially is focused particularly on aspiring, new and experienced heads.

The introduction of the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is arguably the most important initiative because it leads to a threshold qualification for headship which is intended to become mandatory. If NPQH is to be compulsory, it is vital that it should provide appropriate and sufficient preparation for headship.

This paper will examine NPQH in the context of the pressures on school leadership and management arising from legislation, particularly that related to self-management. It will also relate NPQH to the recent history of school management provision in England and Wales and to international practice.

The Education Reform Act and Self-Management

The Education Reform Act (ERA) and subsequent legislation have transformed the context within which educational leaders have to operate. Some of the legislative changes increased the degree of control exerted by central government. These include a prescriptive national curriculum monitored by the Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED) inspection process. Schools are also encouraged to compete for clients in the educational market place. Formula funding ensures a direct pay-off for schools which succeed in attracting additional pupils, while falling rolls mean budget cuts with potentially serious implications for the quality of educational provision. The...