The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), which will become a compulsory requirement for all would-be head teachers, is to be altered following consultation with education experts.

The changes to make the qualification more "attractive and streamlined" were announced on Monday by School Standards Minister, Estelle Morris. They will come into force in the autumn of 2001.

Currently, the training programme for the qualification lasts for up to three years, but the changes mean candidates will be expected to complete it in just one year.

There will be a new emphasis on school-based assessment to provide a "more focused and hands-on approach to tackling real-life leadership issues", and a greater use of information and communications technology.

Those working for the qualification will also visit successful schools so they can learn from the best existing heads.

Other changes include opportunities for candidates with existing skills and qualifications to fast-track to headship, and an access programme to prepare people for the NPQH.

'Relevant' training

Ms Morris said training for the qualification would also include a two-day residential course at the National College for School Leadership, which is due to open in September.

The college, dubbed the "schools' Sandhurst", is being set up on the campus of Nottingham University.

Ms Morris said: "Good heads are crucial to the success of our schools. We need to ensure that new heads get the best possible preparation for their first headship.

"The new NPQH will ensure that aspiring head teachers receive practical and professional training which is relevant to their school context."

John Dunford, General Secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said the changes would make the qualification more accessible.

"It will make it much easier for aspiring heads to balance their professional development with their busy roles in schools. It is better targeted at the needs of future heads."

David Hart, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, also welcomed the changes.

But he said the union was anxious that the qualification should not be made compulsory before significant numbers of candidates had completed it successfully, or many schools could be left without head teachers.

He added: "The NAHT also remains concerned about funding. Candidates must have the resources necessary to undertake the qualification without relying on their personal finance or that of their school."

As well as the NPQH for prospective head teachers, workshops for serving heads are available under the Leadership Programme for Serving Heads (LPSH), which was launched in November 1998.