School House Awards 2026

The School House Awards are back for 2026! We always want to celebrate the very best of what we are lucky enough to see and find on our travels through independent education. Last year, winning schools ranged from London single-sex senior schools to coed country prep schools, and all were delighted to be named winners. But for us, the awards aren’t just about the winners – they’re also about having the opportunity to be wowed by the breadth and depth of amazing work going on in independent schools across the country, often under the radar.

Entries are now open and will close on 6 July, with the winners announced in a four-page feature in our Autumn/Winter issue, out on 4 September.

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How To Enter The School House Awards

As usual, we welcome entries from independent schools all across the UK, from nurseries to sixth forms. Schools can enter as many categories as they like; there are eight categories to choose from, ranging from Sustainability Champion to Alumni Relationships Champion.

The Categories

Sustainability Champion

• Our champion in this category will be a school where environmental awareness is a verb, not a noun. With an astonishing range of eco endeavours underway, the winning school will have to impress the judges with a really innovative plan that puts sustainability and green concepts at the heart of the operation.

Local Partnerships & Community Champion

• Independent schools are rightly collaborating more often with local state schools, sharing resources of all kinds to justify their place in the community. This trend is a powerful signifier of change in the sector and we know that many independent schools are justly proud of how much they have achieved
  and their plans to widen their charitable purpose. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever before.

Charitable Work Champion

• Students at many schools enjoy working in and supporting settings that take them out of their comfort zone – be it an orphanage in Cape Town or an inner-city care provider. We’re interested in exploring the concept of service – what it means to do good for others and to serve your community, and to see the results that it has on students, staff and everyone around them.

Animal Support Champion

• We believe animals of all shapes and sizes belong in our schools – from the headmaster’s dog who’s always available for cuddles, to classroom pets or farm animals that support children’s wellbeing and teach them about responsibility. For this award, we are looking for stories of how animals are used in the most interesting educational ways, and how creatures great and small enhance the communities of which they are part.

Alumni Relationships Champion

• The power of the school network is celebrated in this award and we’re looking for schools that have built a devoted base of former pupils. The winning school’s alumni scheme will have led to a valued working relationship between current and former pupils that supports young people as they enter the world of work, as well as celebrating a good dollop of community spirit and shared memories.

Pastoral Care Champion

• Raising confident young people ready to live up to their potential requires attention to more than their education. We’re looking for entries from schools whose pastoral care system exceeds expectations – whether it’s a one-to-one tutoring system that can spot problems like bullying before they develop, or a network of support that wraps around students to make sure they are thoroughly supported in mind, body and spirit.

Social Mobility Champion

• This award goes to the school doing genuinely transformational work for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom an independent school education would otherwise have been unattainable. This isn’t about exam results, but the life-changing power of a rounded and supportive education. We want to celebrate schools really going the extra mile in this area for the betterment of society and for their communities in and outside of the school gates.

Mind Champion

• Most parents’ number one concern is whether their child is feeling OK. The pressures of the modern world and social media are leading to worrying increases in the amount of children reporting anxiety and depression. We’d like to hear about brilliant systems that ensure students who are struggling get the best possible support, and how these work from every perspective.

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The Prizes