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Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who entered the Tes Schools Awards 2026, reading through the achievements of those shortlisted and those who narrowly missed out was inspirational! The judges have now made their difficult decisions and you can see the shortlist for each category below.

Awards star illustration
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Category:

Lifetime Achievement Award

Nominees:
  • The winner of this award will be announced on the night.
Category:

Best use of Technology - Sponsored by Amazon Web Services

Nominees:
  • Brentwood School
    Essex
  • Denbigh High School
    Bedfordshire
  • Haileybury
    Hertfordshire
  • Lift Pioneer
    Essex
  • RGS Worcester Family of Schools
    Worcestershire
  • Teddington School
    London
  • Whitefield Primary School
    Merseyside
  • Woodland Academy Trust
    Kent
Category:

Community Engagement Initiative of the Year

Nominees:
  • Ashford School
    Kent
  • Featherstone High School
    London
  • Grace Academy Coventry
    West Midlands
  • Huntington School
    North Yorkshire
  • Sir Thomas Wharton Academy
    South Yorkshire
  • The Pennywell Fellowship
    Tyne and Wear
  • Treloar School and College
    Surrey
  • Woodbridge High School
    London
Category:

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Setting of the Year

Nominees:
  • Brighton College Prep Handcross
    Sussex
  • Handforth Grange Primary School
    Cheshire
  • Marshfield Primary School
    West Yorkshire
  • Mini Moon's Home Nursery
    London
  • Newcastle High School for Girls
    Tyne and Wear
  • Ruckleigh School
    West Midlands
  • St Neot's Prep School
    Hampshire
  • Zouch Primary Academy
    Wiltshire
Category:

Excellence in Pupil Enrichment

Nominees:
  • Avanti House Primary School
    Harrow
  • Beech Hall School
    Cheshire
  • Grange School
    Greater Manchester
  • Malvern College
    Worcestershire
  • Mulberry Academy Hastings
    East Sussex
  • Oasis Academy Hadley
    London
  • Sheffield Girls’ GDST
    South Yorkshire
  • Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School
    West Yorkshire
Category:

Headteacher of the Year (Independent)

Nominees:
  • Charles Fillingham
    Solihull School, West Midlands
  • James Priory
    Tonbridge School, Kent
  • Jane Lunnon
    Alleyn’s School, London
  • Michael Bond
    Brentwood School, Essex
  • Michelle Catterson
    Moon Hall School, Surrey
  • Rhiannon Wilkinson
    Ashville College, North Yorkshire
  • Shaun Fenton
    Reigate Grammar School, Surrey
  • Tom Carter
    St Christopher’s The Hall, London
Category:

Headteacher of the Year (State)

Nominees:
  • Anna Gillinder
    Trinity Academy Cathedral, West Yorkshire
  • David Karim
    E-ACT North Birmingham Academy, West Midlands
  • Dawn Parkinson
    Beaumont Leys School, Leicestershire
  • Geoffrey Fowler
    London Design and Engineering UTC, London
  • Jinnie Payne
    Churchtown Primary School, Merseyside
  • John Hankin
    Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Lancashire
  • Sheldon Logue
    St Damian’s R.C Science College, Lancashire
  • Zara Kearns
    Marshfield Primary School, West Yorkshire
Category:

Inclusive School of the Year - Sponsored by Prodapt

Nominees:
  • Babington Academy
    Leicestershire
  • Healing Academy
    Lincolnshire
  • Heathfield Community College
    East Sussex
  • Mulberry Academy Hastings
    East Sussex
  • Oasis Academy Hadley
    Middlesex
  • Redscope Primary School
    South Yorkshire
  • Samares School
    Jersey
  • University of Birmingham School
    West Midlands
Category:

Inclusive Trust of the Year - Sponsored by Prodapt

Nominees:
  • Compass Partnership of Schools
    London
  • Endeavour Learning Trust
    Lancashire
  • Harbour Learning Trust
    Lincolnshire
  • Keys Academies Trust
    Cambridgeshire
  • Learning Academy Partnership
    Devon
  • Oasis Community Learning
    Greater London
  • Prince Albert Community Trust
    West Midlands
  • Woodbridge Trust
    Greater Manchester
Category:

Independent Prep School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Brambletye School
    West Sussex
  • Caterham Prep School
    Surrey
  • Cottesmore School
    West Sussex
  • Dumpton School
    Dorset
  • Highfield and Brookham School
    Hampshire
  • St Christopher’s The Hall
    Kent
  • St Paul’s Prep School
    London
  • Sydenham & Dulwich Girls GDST – Junior School
    London
Category:

Independent Senior School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Charterhouse
    Surrey
  • Chetham’s School of Music
    Manchester
  • Dauntsey’s School
    Wiltshire
  • Latymer Upper School
    London
  • Queen Anne’s School
    Berkshire
  • RGS Worcester
    Worcestershire
  • Surbiton High School
    Surrey
  • Tonbridge School
    Kent
Category:

Primary Curriculum Leader of the Year

Nominees:
  • Andy Robinson
    Chantlers Primary School, Lancashire
  • Ellie Crawshaw-Prince
    The Learning Federation Partnership of Schools, Hampshire
  • James Watson
    Heathfield Junior School, Middlesex
  • Julia Grunill
    Ringstead Church of England Primary School, Greater Manchester
  • Katherine Prowse
    Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire
  • Laura Carter
    Elmridge Primary School, Manchester
  • Lee Mullen
    Co-op Academies Trust, South Yorkshire
  • Pooja Patel
    Crosfields School, Berkshire
Category:

Primary School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Ark Tindal Primary Academy
    West Midlands
  • Ernesettle Community School
    Devon
  • Lanchester E.P. Primary School
    County Durham
  • Rush Green Primary School
    Essex
  • South Morningside Primary
    Lothian
  • St Barnabas CE Primary School
    Worcestershire
  • Thorpe Primary School
    West Yorkshire
  • Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili
    Caerphilly
Category:

Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year

Nominees:
  • Ark Franklin Primary Academy
    London
  • Babington Academy
    Leicestershire
  • Grange School
    Greater Manchester
  • Hybrid@London Park Schools
    London
  • Mulberry Academy Hastings
    East Sussex
  • Pilgrim School
    Lincolnshire
  • Sir Thomas Wharton Academy
    South Yorkshire
  • Thorns Collegiate Academy
    West Midlands
Category:

Secondary School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Ark Isaac Newton Academy
    London
  • Corpus Christi Catholic High School
    Lancashire
  • Heartlands Academy
    Birmingham
  • Lyndon School
    West Midlands
  • Q3 Academy Langley
    West Midlands
  • Ridgeway Secondary School
    West Midlands
  • Sedgefield Community College
    County Durham
  • St Damian’s RC Science College
    Greater Manchester
Category:

Specialist Provision School Leader of the Year

Nominees:
  • Chantelle Altham
    Highfurlong School, Lancashire
  • Co-heads: Steve Jackson & Joseph Phillips
    Tregonwell Specialist Academy, Dorset
  • Jennifer Blake
    Kingsdale Foundation School, London
  • Launa Randles
    The Children's Trust School, Surrey
  • Melissa Hendry
    Red Gates School, Surrey
  • Michelle Catterson
    Moon Hall School, Surrey
  • Tamsin Bickley
    Burlington House School, London
  • Therapist Team
    LVS Hassocks, West Sussex
Category:

Specialist Provision School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Bensham Manor School
    Surrey
  • Evelina Hospital School
    London
  • Grange School
    Greater Manchester
  • Highfurlong School
    Lancashire
  • King’s Academy Lord Wilson
    Hampshire
  • North Herts Education Support Centre
    Hertfordshire
  • The Cavendish School
    Cambridgeshire
  • Tudor Lodge Therapeutic School
    Lincolnshire
Category:

Staff Wellbeing School of the Year

Nominees:
  • Clarion School
    London
  • Grange School
    Greater Manchester
  • Mulberry Academy Hastings
    East Sussex
  • Q3 Academy Langley
    West Midlands
  • Queen’s School
    Hertfordshire
  • Rickmansworth School
    Hertfordshire
  • Seaton Academy
    Cumbria
  • St Peter’s Catholic School
    West Midlands
Category:

Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary)

Nominees:
  • Abbey Tune
    OneSchool Global Kenley Campus, Surrey
  • Andrew McMurray
    Leicester High School for Girls, Leicestershire
  • Annie Wright
    Barking Abbey, London
  • Edwin Money
    Mulberry Academy Hastings, East Sussex
  • Hannah Rome
    Mulberry Academy Hastings, East Sussex
  • Jane Finney
    The Winston Churchill School, Surrey
  • Joanne Hamer
    Oakwood Academy, Greater Manchester
  • Komal Kawa
    Northwood College for Girls GDST, Middlesex
Category:

Teacher Development Initiative of the Year - Supported by Tes Institute

Nominees:
  • Cornwall Education Learning Trust
    Cornwall
  • Forest Gate Community School
    London
  • Hornchurch High School
    Greater London
  • Mulberry Academy Hastings
    East Sussex
  • Reddon Court School
    Essex
  • Shaw Education Trust
    Staffordshire
  • Shrewsbury School
    Shropshire
  • Withington Girls’ School
    Greater Manchester
Category:

Teaching Assistant of the Year

Nominees:
  • Andy Haywood
    Rushcliffe Spencer Academy, Nottinghamshire
  • Gaynor Elliott
    Rushbrook Primary Academy, Manchester
  • Jessica Helman
    The Pendlebury Centre, Greater Manchester
  • John Shell
    Washington Academy, Tyne and Wear
  • Leanne Tomlin
    Wantage CE Primary School, Oxfordshire
  • Pauline Elder
    Calderglen High School, Scotland
  • Rob Howell
    Oswestry School, Shropshire
  • Sian Wells
    Totnes Independent School, Devon
Category:

Trust Team of the Year - 9 schools or less

Nominees:
  • Albany Learning Trust
    Lancashire
  • HEARTS Academy Trust
    Essex
  • Matrix Academy Trust
    West Midlands
  • The Eden Academy Trust (EAT)
    London
  • The People’s Learning Trust
    Merseyside
Category:

Trust Team of the Year - 10 or more schools

Nominees:
  • Ark Schools
    London
  • Bohunt Education Trust
    Hampshire
  • E-ACT
    Northamptonshire
  • Endeavour Learning Trust
    Lancashire
  • Nexus Multi Academy Trust
    South Yorkshire
  • Outwood Grange Academies Trust
    West Yorkshire
  • The White Horse Federation
    Wiltshire
  • Trinity Multi Academy Trust
    West Yorkshire