Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers (a) started and (b) completed the National Professional Qualification in Headship in each of the last five years; and whether he made an assessment of methods for improving head teacher recruitment and retention as part of his recently published recruitment and retention strategy.

The number of participants who have (a) started and (b) completed a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is set out below. A full set of data for 2017/18 is not held by the Department at this time.

The Department funds a range of professional development programmes to strengthen school leadership in the most challenging areas and ensure there is a pipeline of talented leaders in the system. These include the reformed National Professional Qualification (NPQs) and High Potential programmes, which support aspiring and serving leaders to develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. As set out in the Recruitment and Retention Strategy, the Government is investing £20 million in scholarships to drive take-up of the reformed NPQs in the most challenging areas, doubling our initial intended investment.