Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the requirement in Scotland for head teachers to take a master's qualification; and whether they plan to implement this requirement in England.

Excellent school leadership, together with high-quality teaching and learning, is key to the Government’s plan for education. Professional development for school leaders, to support and develop excellent leadership, is therefore very important to this Government.

The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) has existed for over a decade in England. This qualification helps school leaders close to headship to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence valuable for headship. All the NPQH materials are written and delivered at master’s level and carry Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) Scheme points towards a full master’s degree. Headteachers are not required to undertake NPQH. There are no current plans to make it a mandatory qualification.

In the response to the ‘workload challenge’, the Government committed to a review of the current provision of leadership training and development opportunities for school leaders, including the current coaching and mentoring offer.