NPQML

[whatadrain]

Has anyone done one? I've been asked if I want to do it, but it sounds a bit... Dull. I've been a middle leader for a while so I'm not sure how relevant it would be.

Any advice?

If you're already ML it'll be v dull :) go for SL? I did it while a deputy, it was stuff I already knew, and the ppl getting the most out of it were all the ambitious MLs.

Thanks! Exactly what I needed to know.

I came on to say go for it! I did it when it was still Leading from the Middle and learnt a lot from it. I've just completed SL (around 6 years later) and I definitely found it easier to get my head round the course because I'd already done ML and I knew the way the national college works. You might find you know some of it already, but that will make it easier to complete.

To complete SL you have to carry out a project which has an impact across the whole school, not just 1 class or department. So, depending on what your area of responsibility as a middle leader is, it might be very difficult for you to do the project work from your current position. I became acting Deputy part way through my course and it was definitely easier to evidence how I'd met all the competencies once I was working as Deputy. This ties in with the advice of my HT before I started the course - she said her NPQH was easier because she did it once she'd been unexpectedly appointed Head, as a lot of the things she had to do were things she was doing anyway as part of her job.

I think all the stuff about knowing yourself and your strengths, mentoring/coaching and how to work with difficult people is relevant however long you've been in post, so don't dismiss ML out of hand.

Ooh. I've just been looking at the npqsl course. How time consuming was it? We're you generally assessed for things you were already doing or was it lots of extra work?

Can you explain why camel? I'm fighting to be able to do it. Don't want to waste my time if it's crap!

When I started SL, my Head told me that it's like all the National College programmes - you get out what you put in. So you could quite easily get away without doing all the background reading and activities but then you wouldn't get much from it.

I get the impression from people who did the course in the first couple of cohorts that it was quite chaotic. By the time I did it (cohort 3) they'd changed things like the assessment to make it more doable. Still chaotic to start with because they were in a period of transition between the old and new ways of doing it. But having spoken to people in cohort 4, they don't seem to have had the same issues so it seems lots of problems have been ironed out.

For me, it was well worth doing. Yes - the reading took a lot of time and when I looked over my notes at the end I'd forgotten a lot, but actually was quite surprised by how much I'd just assimilated and was doing without realising. The camaraderie of the other people on the course was fantastic. And almost all of us are now either Acting Head, Deputy or Assistant Head so well worth it from a promotion point of view too. It was really good to have a space to reflect on my practice and consider how I want to move forward in my career. As I was Acting Deputy for most of the time I was on the course, my assignment consisted principally of things I was doing in school anyway. Just having the one assignment to write up at the end, although time consuming, was OK too. I guess it's like all these things - it depends on your prior experience and where you are in your career at the time. I'd definitely recommend it,

When I started SL, my Head told me that it's like all the National College programmes - you get out what you put in. So you could quite easily get away without doing all the background reading and activities but then you wouldn't get much from it.

I get the impression from people who did the course in the first couple of cohorts that it was quite chaotic. By the time I did it (cohort 3) they'd changed things like the assessment to make it more doable. Still chaotic to start with because they were in a period of transition between the old and new ways of doing it. But having spoken to people in cohort 4, they don't seem to have had the same issues so it seems lots of problems have been ironed out.

For me, it was well worth doing. Yes - the reading took a lot of time and when I looked over my notes at the end I'd forgotten a lot, but actually was quite surprised by how much I'd just assimilated and was doing without realising. The camaraderie of the other people on the course was fantastic. And almost all of us are now either Acting Head, Deputy or Assistant Head so well worth it from a promotion point of view too. It was really good to have a space to reflect on my practice and consider how I want to move forward in my career. As I was Acting Deputy for most of the time I was on the course, my assignment consisted principally of things I was doing in school anyway. Just having the one assignment to write up at the end, although time consuming, was OK too. I guess it's like all these things - it depends on your prior experience and where you are in your career at the time. I'd definitely recommend it.

Not my experience at all camel....

Thanks TooMuch. That's great info. I'm HOD now so I guess I'll need to look for some whole school issues to take on to fit the needs if the course. Maybe Life After Levels?

Camel do you mind if I ask what part of the country you're in so I can check that's bit what I'm applying for? And TooMuch? For your good one?

South East too. Mine was run by the Thames Valley Schools Partnership.

There were quite a few secondary people who were HOD on the course (but they were mostly from the other half of the cohort in the north of the region - I was in the southern group and we were mostly primary).