Education Minister Paul Givan has awarded a £2.15 million contract to a consortium of Northern Ireland universities to develop a new professional qualification for school principals, replacing the former Professional Qualification for Headship (PQH) programme. The announcement, made on 26 May 2026, marks a significant step in the Executive’s efforts to reshape school leadership preparation amid growing concerns about workload pressures and recruitment challenges facing headteachers.
The new 18-month programme will be developed by Queen’s University Belfast, Stranmillis University College, St Mary’s University College and Ulster University, with a pilot cohort scheduled to begin in January 2027. The initiative forms a central pillar of the TransformED NI strategy, the Department’s framework for educational reform launched in March 2025.
Programme Structure and Timeline
The replacement qualification represents a shift towards a more structured, evidence-informed approach to leadership development. Unlike the previous PQH model, which required candidates to be within 18 months of a headship post, the new programme combines two leadership modules with a practical placement experience.
Key details of the contract and programme include:
- Contract value: £2.15 million excluding VAT (£2.58 million including VAT), with potential extension from 2029 to 2031
- Development phase: May to December 2026
- Pilot delivery: January 2027 to December 2027 (excluding school holidays)
- Official launch: January 2028
- Cohort size: 40 participants for the pilot, split into two groups
- Future capacity: Up to 100 participants annually from 2028 onwards
- Duration: 18 months per cohort
The consortium will begin engaging with stakeholders during the current academic term, with further information for prospective applicants expected in autumn 2026.
Minister’s Vision for School Leadership
Announcing the award, Paul Givan emphasised the critical role of leadership in driving educational standards. The Minister said:
“Leadership is central to the success of high-performing education systems and is a key influence on pupil learning.
“In recognition of this, I prioritised the development of a comprehensive programme to support future school leaders. I am pleased to confirm that a consortium of local Higher Education Institutions, Queen’s University, Belfast, Stranmillis University College, St Mary’s University College and Ulster University, will be developing and delivering this programme on behalf of my Department and I look forward to working in partnership with them.
“The Higher Education Institutions will begin engaging with key stakeholders in the current academic term. I would encourage everyone to use this opportunity to help shape the programme.”
Givan also connected the new qualification to broader workforce reforms, stating:
“A first pilot of the new programme will launch in January 2027. Alongside the other leadership development components of TransformED and relevant actions in response to the Independent Review of Teacher Workload, this programme will support our future leaders on their professional learning journey, beginning their preparation for the challenges that the role of principal brings.”
Context: Reform Amid Workforce Pressures
The announcement arrives against a backdrop of acute concern regarding school leader wellbeing and retention. The Independent Review of Teacher Workload, whose panel submitted its final report in November 2025, identified excessive workload as a systemic issue requiring “a framework of progressive reforms” rather than single solutions.
The Review’s panel—chaired by former Permanent Secretary Paul Sweeney—noted that many senior leaders work beyond 55 hours weekly, with teaching and related tasks consuming an average of 8.7 hours per week alongside leadership duties. The report warned that without intervention, “a recruitment crisis is inevitable.”
The new principal qualification aligns with the TransformED NI strategy, which the Minister launched in March 2025. That strategy commits to “significant investment in high-quality teacher professional development” across five areas: curriculum, assessment, qualifications, school improvement and tackling educational disadvantage.
Critical Considerations and Omissions
While the consortium award advances the TransformED agenda, several questions remain regarding implementation and scope.
The procurement documents indicate the programme will run until at least 2029, with an optional extension to 2031, suggesting long-term commitment. However, the Department has not specified how the new qualification will address the specific workload concerns raised in the Independent Review, particularly regarding the “excessive workload of school leaders” cited in the panel’s findings.
Notably absent from the announcement is detail on how the 18-month programme will differ structurally from the previous PQH model, beyond the addition of a placement component. The former PQH required candidates to demonstrate readiness against the National Standards for Headteachers (NI Edition) through personalised pathways; it remains unclear whether these standards will be retained or replaced.
The consortium’s composition—bringing together Queen’s, Stranmillis, St Mary’s and Ulster—reflects renewed partnerships between these institutions. Queen’s renewed its longstanding agreements with both Stranmillis and St Mary’s in early 2025, strengthening the higher education infrastructure supporting this initiative. Yet the press release offers no detail on how the four institutions will divide delivery responsibilities or ensure consistency across the programme.
Questions for Stakeholders
- How will the new 18-month programme specifically address the workload pressures identified in the Independent Review, given that the Review found leadership roles increasingly “untenable” due to excessive hours?
- Will the qualification be mandatory for all new principals, and how will it interact with existing employment requirements for headship posts in controlled, maintained and other sectors?
- What specific measures are in place to ensure the pilot cohort reflects the diversity of Northern Ireland’s school system, including Irish-medium, integrated and special educational needs settings?
- How will the Department measure the programme’s success in improving leadership retention, given the Review’s warning of an impending recruitment crisis?
- Given the £2.15 million contract value, what provision exists for participants who may require financial support or protected time away from teaching duties to complete the placement components?
What Happens Next
The Higher Education Institutions will conduct stakeholder engagement throughout the remainder of the 2025/26 academic year, with the pilot programme opening to applicants ahead of the January 2027 start date. The Department has indicated that further details regarding application criteria and programme content will be released in autumn 2026.
The initiative represents a test of the TransformED strategy’s capacity to deliver tangible workforce reforms. With the Independent Review of Teacher Workload having established that current workloads compromise teacher wellbeing and “diminish the overall efficacy of our education system,” the success of this new qualification may depend on whether it prepares leaders to manage sustainable workloads—or merely adds another requirement to an already burdened profession.