Talk Education Awards
for Innovation in Education

Talk Education’s Awards will soon be back for 2024! We’re using our in-depth, insider knowledge of the independent schools world to celebrate those who have impressed us the most over the past year.
There are a lot of awards out there in the world of independent education, so we wanted to make ours different.

Following on from last year’s incredibly successful awards, we are hugely excited to launch Talk Education’s Awards for Innovation in Education 2024 later this spring.

We’re rewarding schools who are forging boldly ahead with new, revolutionary ideas which are changing the face of independent education. Schools who are not just thinking outside the box, but setting fire to it and then building something new, cleverer, better. We want to sing the praises of schools who are doing inspiring work in a particular field, whether it's a new approach to community engagement or an inspiring programme to help prepare pupils for life beyond school.

We were blown away by the number and quality of entries from hundreds of schools all across the globe in 2023, and our team of dedicated informers and judges – experienced researchers and educational experts, former heads, teachers and advisors, all with their eyes and ears to the ground – spent the summer locked away in very heated discussion! 

No school had to pay or subscribe to TE to enter our Awards, so it was a completely open playing field. In fact, schools didn't have to do anything at all to enter. The last thing we wanted to do was make more work for overloaded marketing departments; and more importantly we already know schools inside and out. 

We will be repeating it all - with some fresh new categories added - in 2024! Our Awards will launch in the spring, and we will give you plenty of notice with announcements on our site, in our newsletter and across socials.

Our awards are a celebration of you: the trailblazers doing things differently.

See you soon!

2023 Categories

This could be a new catering team, a change in dining facilities, a revised menu to encourage pupils to eat more healthily or a new approach to monitor pupils at risk of eating disorders.
For inspiring and encouraging eco-awareness in pupils or creating an eco-innovative learning space or building (everything from farms to carbon neutral classrooms).
For a school which has found a new way to open its doors to the wider community, or pioneered a new approach to raise money for charities at home or overseas.
This could be the launch of an ambitious new foundation or a successful new approach to publicising a school's bursaries scheme, resulting in an increased number of candidates.
We're less interested in how much schools have spent or how many shiny Macs they have, but in how effectively they use tech to enhance pupils' learning.

From encouraging members of the F-team to nurturing future Olympians, we’re interested in achievements and initiatives related to anything that gets pupils active: be it sailing or squash, cricket or CCF.
All schools tell us that their pastoral care is top-notch – we're interested in the initiatives schools have introduced to guarantee that theirs is unparalleled.
How do schools inspire pupils to think beyond the core and challenge themselves to take their interest in a subject further?

We want to celebrate schools' innovation in the teaching of music, art, drama, dance, photography, D&T and anything else that gets pupils’ creative juices flowing.

Instead of telling us how many pupils got into their first-choice university, we want to know what your school is doing to help ensure pupils are fully prepared to bid goodbye to their school bubble and tackle an increasingly competitive further education market head on.

Lip-service doesn’t cut it: we want to hear how your school is going above and beyond to make a genuine impact and ensure every single member of the school community feels included, represented and celebrated.

Today’s pupils need to be prepared for jobs that don’t currently exist –how are you coaching and empowering the leaders of tomorrow?

The important bits

What is the timeline for the Awards?

We wlll announce the timeline of our Awards in early spring 2024. 

Remember, schools don't need to enter our Awards. With our on-the-ground knowledge, we know what amazing things lots of schools are doing, and so all schools are automatically entered. If you’re a school and you’re on our site then we considered you, especially where we’ve seen that you're doing something amazing.

Which schools can enter?

Any independent prep or senior school in the UK or across the globe can enter. However, schools don’t have to enter our Awards. With our on-the-ground knowledge, we know what amazing things lots of schools are doing, and so all schools are automatically entered. If you’re a school and you’re on our site then we considered you, especially where we’ve seen that you're doing something amazing.

Who is doing the judging?

The shortlist and winners will be chosen by our editorial panel, who between them boast over 300 years of visiting independent schools up and down the country and across the globe. Our panel of Talk Education professionals comprises an experienced team of researchers and educational experts, former heads, teachers and advisors, all with their eyes and ears to the ground, constantly involved with schools changing and growing, and always at the forefront of what's new in the world of education. For those schools we haven't visited in person this year, we have done virtual visits; for those we haven’t virtually visited don’t worry, we know about you! 

The judges will select the shortlist and finalists. If any judge has a conflict of interest with any particular school, they will not be able to vote on the entry. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

What do I need to do to enter and what can I send in?

For the moment, all you have to do is watch this space. We will be in touch when the Awards officially open. 

How many categories can I enter and how much does it cost?

It’s completely FREE to enter and you can enter as many as you like - just complete the form once the Awards open. But if you don't have time, don't worry - we will already be considering you, especially where we’ve seen that you're doing something amazing. We don’t want to add to your marketing pressures and budgets, and we want to celebrate every school - big and small.

How do I know I’ve won?

We will contact all of our shortlisted schools personally and tell them the good news. We’ll also send them some social media artwork so that they can tell their followers and fans that their amazing work has been recognised by educational professionals with an in-depth knowledge of education and schools the world over. We will also be celebrating our winners on our social media channels and on our website.

How can I get advice or help on my entry, and information about Talk Education's Awards for Innovation in Education 2024?

Please email katharine@talkeducation.com who will be more than happy to help.
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