Professional Headship Qualification

HC Deb 05 February 2001 vol 362 cc422-3W

Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to make the NPQH mandatory for new headteachers of primary, secondary and special schools. [148682]

Ms Estelle Morris

We remain committed to requiring all first-time headteachers to hold a professional headship qualification as a benchmark of quality. Provision for that is. on the Statute Book. The first recruitment to the new strengthened and streamlined NPQH in autumn 2000 attracted a record number of candidates. The new prpgramme is now rolling out to candidates. We will consult on the necessary Regulations to bring the mandatory requirement into force in due course.