The Application Process

Before you apply for your NPQ please ensure you have carefully considered which NPQ is right for you. You can find more information about each NPQ here (overview page). NPQs are leadership qualifications and therefore not recommended for Early Career teacher.

There are a number of steps involved in the application process as detailed below.

Step 1: Church of England Application

Please complete the application form which can be found here.

We will be asking for relevant personal and work details, alongside three application questions. Please think carefully about the three questions before answering fully as these are used to mark applications and assess suitability.

Key areas to be mindful of:

• You have considered the route that works best for you and your school setting.
• Suitability of your chosen NPQ
• Please use the same email throughout the whole process
• You will require your TRN number. 

Your TRN number can be found here

Step 2: DfE Registration

The DfE registration will open in July 2024 and we will be in touch with all applicants who complete the Church of England application form up to that point, to confirm that the DfE registration service is open. You will then need to complete the mandatory DfE registration, which we will then link to your completed Church of England application.

Step 3: Funding eligibility

Upon completion of the DfE registration you will receive notification as to whether your chosen NPQ is eligible for full funding. Please note this doesn’t mean you have been successful in securing a place with the Church of England for your chosen NPQ.

Upon completion of the DfE registration you will receive notification as to whether your chosen NPQ is eligible for full funding. Please note this doesn’t mean you have been successful in securing a place with the Church of England for your chosen NPQ.

Step 4: Sponsor Form

Your sponsor is typically your headteacher(or Governor if you are a headteacher) and they will be contacted by the Church of England in July 2024 to endorse your application, via a simple electronic form. This is a mandatory element of the full application form and it's imperative that you discuss any application with a sponsor before applying to ensure you have their full support to move forward.

Step 5: Final Review and allocation of funding

The Church of England and its Delivery Partners mark all applications once we are in full receipt of the DfE registration, the Church of England application form and the sponsor endorsement form. At this stage we are assessing a participant’s suitability for the programme using the application form responses.

If your application is successful at this stage we will allocate you to a regional Delivery Partner. We will then be able to confirm whether funding has been allocated to your individual applications. Please note there is limited funding available this year across the suite of NPQs, please see DfE funding criteria here

Step 6: NPQ Agreement

If your application is successful you will receive an agreement to sign electronically, which will secure any funding and place offered.