Coronavirus FAQs
We are pleased to confirm that all programmes are running smoothly during this period.
Our blended delivery model and e-learning systems mean that face-to-face days are replaced with live webinar sessions and online tutor support, while social distancing measures are in place.
Please follow the latest government guidance available from: If you are unable to attend a virtual event, contact the programme coordinator cpd@bestpracticenet.co.uk and alternative arrangements will be made. Please ensure you keep in contact with your online tutor for support in relation to your online activity. Please follow the latest government guidance available from: If you will be unable to attend or deliver an event or activity on your programme with us, please inform us on +44 (0) 117 920 9200, and/or contact cpd@bestpracticenet.co.uk so alternative arrangements can be made None. You will continue with the leadership activity online with your peers and online tutor. School closure may impact upon your final assessment submission and advice given in the assessment section of this update will apply to you.COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
You will need to include all the evidence required for assessment criteria in each content area. For sections that require evaluation of data to show the positive impact of your work, it is possible to use internal data rather than external data where examinations/assessments have not taken place. Centre Assessed Grades and Teacher Assessments/Predictions are also valid. You can also explain how you have readjusted your project to consider the changes experienced through the pandemic and the re-engagement of pupils with their education, at any level. You would need to confidently express how, what, and why your findings could and would be scaled up to support improved teaching and learning in the project area when circumstances allow. You can use internal data for the raw data (baseline) and pupil performance data (mid and end-point data). This does need to be quantitative data. All school-based data will be acceptable. If your project has started based upon your baseline data, but then interrupted, you can use any end of term data prior to the current school closures to create an endpoint for that period of time. On return to school, you could re-baseline the pupils involved in the project and continue to implement the project. When the project has run for long enough i.e., a minimum of 2 terms (in total between the two periods you have been able to implement) you would collect another set of end-point data. When you come to final submission write-up you would be able to evaluate the key findings from the first set of data and explain how you used it to inform the changes you made for the second period of implementation. You can then explain how your endpoint evaluation will inform future developments and how you had to adapt because of the barriers you faced because of closures and interruptions to pupils being in school. Final assessment submission windows will remain the same, and we strongly recommend you do not submit in the final window for your cohort. There are no later windows other than those specified in the assessment tab of the learning network. Yes, but you will still need to provide all the necessary evidence required for each of the project assessment criterion. Unfortunately, you cannot. Unless the DfE provides advice otherwise, will need to submit the sponsor comments for: NPQML 4.1.1 NPQSL 3.2.1 & 4.2.1 NPQH 3.3.2. As a minimum, the sponsor must also rate each content area on the final assessment submission form, and we recommend strongly that the sponsor also provides additional evidence in the relevant column to secure more depth. Use an electronic version. No, unfortunately, there are no further submission dates available as Autumn 20 and Spring 21 cohorts are the last iteration of the current NPQs. Autumn 20 participants (including those on the Apprenticeship route) need to submit by window 2 that is open between 10/12/2021 – 14/01/2022. Spring 21 participants (including those on the Apprenticeship route) will need to submit in window 1 that is open between 10/12/2021 – 14/01/2022. There is one more assessment window after these dates, in May, where you will be able to resubmit if you need to. This will depend upon the nature of your project and the stage it was at. If your project was close to completion and the evidence yet to be gathered relates largely to pupil outcomes and an evaluation of the project’s effectiveness, we would suggest that you contact your old school for any relevant information you require when this becomes available. A good way of evaluating your situation is to complete the whole of the Project Tracker – this will give you an indication of how much/little evidence remains to be collected. Contact cpd@bestpracticenet.co.uk if you are still unsure. Don’t worry, complete your project when you can and submit outcomes in the first available assessment window. Complete the project tracker as this will give an indication of what you will still need to follow up when you are back at school. No, but we do expect you to engage with the recorded version of the session. Updates will be made available through Canvas and on the OLP website. If you have a specific issue about the programme, please contact your online tutor or your programme coordinator cpd@bestpracticenet.co.uk No, there is not an opportunity to defer as the Autumn 20 and Spring 21 intakes are the last ones of this iteration of the NPQs. There is additional advice for apprenticeship route participants. Please contact the apprenticeship team if you have any further questions after this advice has been issued: apprenticeships@bestpracticenet.co.ukCovid-19: NPQ Assessment Submission Guidance
It is acceptable to hold the meeting virtually. You may wish to consider using Skype or a similar online communication platform. If you are not able to do this alternative acceptable evidence is a PowerPoint presentation instead of a recording (NPQH/NPQEL). This would need to be supplemented with a Transcript/Key notes that illustrate what was said and the outcomes, including answers to questions. Use the note section under each slide so it is clear what dialogue took place and the outcomes from discussion. You could also record your presentation on relevant slides if you prefer. It is acceptable to hold the meeting virtually. You may wish to consider using Skype or a similar online communication platform. The Action Plan may be distributed to governors as a document. If this is the case, you must invite governors to provide feedback. It is strongly recommended that you include the Action Plan as one of your additional supporting documents, together with feedback and responses from Governors as part of what you would have said if a formal meeting had taken place. Yes. We recommend you spend sufficient time to ensure you have the relevant evidence for each of the six-assessment criterion to be able to submit a successful assessment submission. We are waiting for guidance from the DfE. However we recommend you spend sufficient time to ensure you have the relevant evidence for each of the six-assessment criterion to be able to submit a successful assessment submission. If the placement school leader is happy to support the process earlier and you can accommodate this then that is fine. However, we recommend you leave the placement project until the later in the Summer term and/or before February half term in the Autumn if you are planning to submit in the December window. Hold your initial meeting with the Placement school leader as soon as you can so they are clear about timescales, their commitment and you can agree the focus for the action plan and your leadership work. If the placement school leader is happy to support the process earlier and you can accommodate this then that is fine. However, we recommend you leave the placement project until the later in the Summer term and/or before February half term in the Autumn if you are planning to submit in the December window. Hold your initial meeting with the Placement school leader as soon as you can so they are clear about timescales, their commitment and you can agree the focus for the action plan and your leadership work. It is acceptable to hold the meeting virtually. You may wish to consider using Skype or a similar online communication platform. The business strategy may be distributed to governors as a document. If this is the case, you must invite governors to provide feedback. It is strongly recommended that you include the business strategy as one of your additional supporting documents, together with feedback and responses from Governors as part of what you would have said if a formal meeting had taken place. It is critical that participants follow up placement school leaders to confirm the focus of the leadership action plan activity and key leadership milestones to the presentation of the action plan. Unless the school leader confirms otherwise leave this agreement and completion of the overview until after Spring half term. We recommend that the actual placement leadership activity does not take place until later in the Summer Term, when you are looking to submit final assessment submissions in the second window 01/09/21 to 22/09/21 when hopefully the landscape is a little more settled. The placement can be done virtually in 'sufficient time’ to address all 6 of the assessment criteria.Covid-19: NPQH and NPQEL Additional Assessment Submission Guidance