1. Final Assessment

2. Aims of the assessment process
To enable you to write and submit an account of your project/s which demonstrates your ability to act with credibility as a headteacher, demonstrating how you achieved the two tasks.

3. Task 1
Lead change programme at whole-school level, lasting at least 2 terms, to improve pupil progress and attainment.
Present the plan to the Governing board prior to implementation and gather their feedback.
Submit a written account of the project to the provider for assessment, which aims to evidence the criteria indicated. This should cover the design, implementation and evaluation of the programme.
Submit supporting documents/material as evidence where indicated below. Supporting evidence must be concise and directly related to the candidate’s project and corresponding assessment criterion.
Not exceed a total word count of 4,000, excluding supporting documents or annexes

4. Task 2 – See Task 2 guidance
Undertake a placement in a contrasting school (for example, by performance, pupil profile, geography etc.), lasting at least 9 working days.
Research the placement school’s current and/or projected resource and capability challenges, and design an action plan to address these.
Present the plan to the placement school’s governing board and gather their feedback.
Submit a written account of the project to the provider for assessment, which aims to evidence the criteria indicated
Submit supporting documents/material as evidence where indicated below. Supporting evidence must be concise and directly related to the candidate’s project and corresponding assessment criterion.
Not exceed a total word count of 2,500, excluding supporting documents or annexes

5. Final Assessment documentation
NPQH Content and assessment framework
NPQH Final Assessment Handbook for participants
NPQH Final Assessment submission form for both task 1 and 2
General submission advice
Task 2 submission advice
Guidance on recording presentations
All these documents are available on the Inspiring Leaders portal – NPQH/Assessment

6. Technical Checks
Exceed the required wordcount – or less than 75% of word count
Do not include all the required supporting documents
Appendices of excessive length or number
Written in a small typeface which is not easily readable
Do not follow the assessment and submission guidance
Written in such a way that assessment is difficult
For Task 1 do not specify the 10 minutes of the recording for the assessor to focus on
Use an undated submission form or one more than 12 months old
Have not included a word count
Do not include scanned signatures

7. What about the other documents I have to include?
At NPQH this includes:
Pupil performance data
Sponsor comments
Presentation recording and feedback
Communications/ stakeholder engagement strategy
Curriculum-led budget
You may also attach other documents as appendices. Up to a maximum of two.

8. Teaching and Curriculum Excellence - Pupil performance data
NPQH (Leading a school)
Learn how to:
Learn about:
Assessment Criteria
Tested in
Support pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and particular needs in the school to achieve high standards, including Pupil Premium, SEND, EAL or the most able pupils
Research into, and examples of, whole-school improvement strategies in relation to progress, attainment and behaviour, drawn from a range of schools, including interventions targeted at disadvantaged pupils or those with particular needs (for example, the EEF’s toolkit on teaching and learning)
2.3.2 Designs, leads, implements and evaluates an evidence-based change programme that improves pupil progress and/or attainment at whole-school level
2.3.3 Evaluates, monitors and responds to the needs and performance of all pupils in a school, including through provision for groups of pupils with particular needs
Task 1
Supporting document required: Pupil performance data
The implications of the Equality Act for all pupils
The requirements on schools to publish a SEN Information Report
Best practice in planning, commissioning and monitoring Alternative Provision

9. Leading with Impact – Sponsor Comments
NPQH (Leading a school)
Learn how to:
Learn about:
Assessment Criteria
Tested in
Be an inspiring leader in a range of different situations
Examples of how different leadership models or styles have been deployed to achieve different objectives (for example, in response to different stakeholders, time pressures or priorities), drawn from a range of schools and non-school contexts
3.3.2 Adapts or tailors their leadership style to lead effectively in different situations
Task 1
Supporting document required: Sponsor comments

10. NPQH (Leading a school)
Leading with Impact – Presentation recording and feedback and Comms/Stakeholder engagement strategy
NPQH (Leading a school)
Learn how to:
Learn about:
Assessment Criteria
Tested in
Communicate and negotiate with different people effectively to make progress on objectives
Tools and techniques for gathering and analysing the perspectives, priorities and motivations of stakeholders
3.3.3 Analyses stakeholder views systematically and applies this understanding to communicate, negotiate or persuade
Task 1
Supporting document required: Presentation recording and feedback
Research into negotiation and persuasion techniques/strategies
Examples of communications/stakeholder engagement strategies, including the use of media, drawn from a range of schools and non-school contexts
3.3.4 Evaluates different communications/ stakeholder engagement strategies and applies findings to the design and implementation of own communications/ stakeholder engagement strategy
Supporting document required:Comms/
Stakeholder engagement strategy

11. Managing resources and risks – Curriculum-led budget
NPQH (Leading a school)
Learn how to:
Learn about:
Assessment Criteria
Tested in
Balance a school’s strategic or educational priorities with financial efficiency
Strategic financial planning techniques, including curriculum-led budgeting based on a 3-5 year strategy
5.3.1 Analyses school’s resourcing challenges in terms of finances, staffing, teacher workload and educational resources, and designs plans to address these
5.3.2 Formulates a curriculum-led budget aligned to plans
Task 2
Supporting document required: Curriculum-led budget
Examples of how a range of schools and other organisations have generated additional income (for example, through additional site use)

12. Communications/ stakeholder engagement plan
The plan on the next page is not an exemplar, but is used to challenge assessors during their training.
Is it sufficient in its identification of good communication?
Does it adequately identify and plan for the engagement of stakeholders?
Are the strategies identified likely to have a good impact on outcomes?
Do the actions described for engagement and communication support increased pupil progress and attainment?

13. Action plan: School Priority 1.8 Leadership
Develop and implement an effective whole-school improvement cycle which focuses on the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ learning and progress
Actions and timescales
Communication strategy highlighted in red
April – July 17
When? How? Who?
Success Criteria
Work with all leaders to collate all monitoring and evaluative activity undertaken.
Review purpose of each monitoring activity.
Consider question – ‘how does this activity impact explicitly upon teaching and learning and / or pupil progress?’
Align each activity to inform the next.
Formulate cycle and recording / monitoring systems.
Share the cycle with teachers / all staff.
Trial Pupil Progress Meetings (Key stage 2).
Share with Curriculum Governors
Extended Leadership Meeting (ELT) – 15/04/17, 22/04/17, 13/05/17, 26/05/17.
T&L – 15/05/17 (all teachers)
April 2018 (RA)
Whole staff briefing(RA)–18/5 25/5
Teachers/Deputy Head
Share with Governors 01/05/17
The SLT have a robust understanding of the monitoring activities which take place in the school and their purpose and impact upon pupil outcomes.
Each monitoring activity informs the next and forms a cycle which is understood by all school leaders and wider staff.
Sept – Dec 17
Launch 1st cycle of pupil progress.
Work with each Senior and Middle Leader to establish hypothesis and questions resulting from data outcomes July 2017.
Develop Practice Development to replace lesson observations. Share rationale and proforma.
Utilise Structured Conversation format (AfA) to develop shared targets and aspirations.
Develop individual pupil action plans with focus upon raising expectations and improving outcomes (narrowing the gap).
Feedback to Governing Body curriculum sub- committee.
INSET day 2/09/17 (PS/RA)
28/08/17, 2/9/17 (SLT) 9/09/17, 10/09/17 ELT.
T&L – 18/9/17
Oct 2017 appraisal meetings (SLT)
Oct 2017 parent/carer meetings (teachers)
Pupil Progress Meetings Sept / Oct 2017 (SLT & teachers)
Curriculum Sub Committee (Nov 2017)
The pupil progress cycle is understood by all staff and therefore launched with minimal resistance.
Teaching staff understand the changes introduced by Ofsted regarding lesson observations and a new rationale, purpose and proforma is in place.
Learning action plans focus upon pupil achievement and are inexplicitly linked to pupil progress action plans.
January – March 2018
Undertake analysis and formulate hypothesis resulting from mid-year data collection.
Trial Joint practice development following discussion with teacher to define research / development area.
Hold 2nd parent / carer meeting using a Structured Conversation approach. Agree priority areas with parent.
Hold 2nd Pupil Progress meeting to review Autumn term actions and set new actions for Spring term using information collated from data, hypothesis, parents/carers.
Introduce teacher on a page for triangulation and share at Teaching and Learning meeting.
Meeting with Governing Body Curriculum Sub Committee.
January 2018 (DHT and HoS)
January 2018 (RA/TP/AR and EYFS, KS2 and KS4 teachers)
28/01/18 – (teachers)
Feb 2-6th 2018 (SLT / teachers)
February 2018 (RA and SLT) Meeting 10/03/18, 19/03/18 March 2018
The Governing Body is able to challenge teacher performance and pupil outcomes.
A sound triangulated evidence base is available for scrutiny.
Teachers are aware of their strengths and areas for development and take responsibility for addressing these as part of individual performance plans linked to pay progression
Pupil academic outcomes are improved.
Barriers to learning are identified and personalisation is in place.

14. NPQH S and I (Strategy and Improvement) Ref : NPQH FA submission form
Key question:
How have you collaborated with the governing board to draw up plans to improve pupil progress and attainment, which take into account changes taking place in the school, an analysis of data, and ideas for the effective leadership of change drawn from your own research?

15. Strategy and Improvement
SAI Final assessment criteria
1.3.1 Analyses the implications of changes in the external and strategic environment and applies findings to own plans
1.3.2 Deploys critical thinking and statistical and/or data analysis tools, techniques and concepts during the design of own plans
1.3.3 Collaborates with the governing board during the design and implementation of plans, describing the benefits of doing so
1.3.4 Analyses research into, and examples of, the leadership of change, drawn from a range of schools and non-school contexts, and applies findings to the design and own leadership of plans
Marks
How have you collaborated with the governing board to draw up plans to improve pupil progress and attainment, which take into account changes taking place in the school, an analysis of data, and ideas for the effective leadership of change drawn from your own research?
Write your assessment submission in this box.
 Implications of change
Critical thinking and using tools
Governing board
Leadership of change
Assessor use only
SAI Questions to aid assessment
Has this participant:
Anticipated the effects of change in the external and strategic environments?
Used a range of tools, techniques and concepts to analyse available data and statistics?
Thought critically about the evidence they have found whilst drawing up their plan for improvement?
Collaborated with the governing board whilst developing and implementing their plan for improvement?
Outline the benefits of collaborating with the governing board?
Researches and finds examples of the leadership of change, which they then apply to their own leadership?