ISA Awards 2026

*ages 0-13

ISA Junior and Prep schools are among the best in the country, and this award celebrates excellence in its many forms. It is not about buildings, budgets, or resources, it is about the real difference a school makes to the lives and outcomes of the children in its care, across mainstream, specialist, and SEND settings.

Applicants should demonstrate how their school creates positive, meaningful, and measurable impact for pupils aged 0–13. These outcomes may be shown in many different ways and can reflect the unique priorities and context of the school.

Evidence may relate to any area of school life, such as:

• Special educational needs and disabilities provision, including personalised pathways, inclusive practice, or exceptional support for individual learners.
• Sport, performing arts, visual arts, outdoor learning, or the wider curriculum, especially where opportunities are adapted to be accessible and ambitious for all.
• Academic or personal development, whether through sustained excellence over time or notable progress made by groups of learners.
• Transformative success for individual pupils, including achievements that exceed expectations or reflect significant personal growth.

The winner of this prestigious award will show a clear and compelling link between the choices, strategies, or innovations made by the school and the outstanding outcomes achieved, whether across a whole cohort or through tailored support for specific children.

Schools do not need to enter any other award category to be eligible for this one. Submissions from mainstream, specialist, SEND, hybrid and online settings are equally welcomed and encouraged.

Applications are welcomed from all ISA schools offering Early Years, Pre-Prep or Nursery provision (including Reception), across mainstream, specialist, and SEND settings. We recognise that excellence can look different depending on the needs of your learners, and we encourage schools to celebrate the strengths and unique approaches within their own context.

Schools should demonstrate the exceptional quality of their Early Years provision. Evidence may be varied and could include EYFS inspection outcomes, progress or value-added measures, or examples of innovative practice tailored to the needs of your learners, whether mainstream, SEND, or both.

Additional criteria for this award could include:

• Nurturing a love of learning through engaging, developmentally appropriate and inclusive approaches that support every child’s communication, independence, and joy in learning.
• Developing confident, curious, and resilient young individuals, recognising that progress may be shown in many ways and celebrating each child’s personal achievements.
• Leading the way in fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, ensuring that learning opportunities are accessible, meaningful, and responsive to diverse learning profiles.
• Making a positive and lasting impact on the lives of your youngest learners, including through supportive transitions, family partnerships, multi‑disciplinary collaboration, and personalised provision.

We welcome submissions that reflect the richness and diversity of Early Years education, whether in specialist SEND environments, inclusive mainstream classrooms, or mixed settings.

*ages 11-18

ISA Senior schools offer an exceptional standard of education, but, as with the Junior Award, this recognition is not about buildings, facilities, or financial investment. Instead, it celebrates the real impact a school makes on the lives and outcomes of the young people it serves, across mainstream, specialist, and SEND contexts.

Applicants should demonstrate how their school creates positive, transformative, and measurable outcomes for pupils aged 11–18. These outcomes can take many forms and may reflect the unique ethos, priorities, or learner profile of the school.

Evidence may include achievements in any area of school life, such as:

• Special educational needs and disabilities provision, including personalised pathways, tailored support strategies, or innovative inclusive practice that enables learners to flourish.
• Sport, performing arts, creative arts, outdoor learning, and co‑curricular opportunities, particularly where the school has ensured accessibility, participation, and ambition for all pupils.
• Academic or personal development, whether through long-term excellence, strong progress over time, or notable success for specific groups or individuals.
• Significant achievements by individual pupils, especially where progress exceeds expectations, reflects remarkable growth, or demonstrates the school’s ability to support unique strengths and needs.

The winner of this award will clearly show the cause-and-effect relationship between the school’s decisions, strategic, pastoral, academic, or cultural, and the exceptional outcomes that pupils go on to achieve.

Schools do not need to enter any other award category to be considered for this one. Submissions are warmly welcomed from mainstream, specialist, SEND, hybrid and online senior settings.

To achieve the Specialist Provision of the Year Award, applicants should demonstrate how their setting recognises, celebrates, and champions inclusive practice while empowering every learner to thrive. This award is open to specialist settings, SEND schools, specialist provisions within mainstream settings, and hybrid or integrated models.

Schools applying for this award are encouraged to highlight how they:

• Recognise and respond to each pupil’s unique needs, strengths, interests, and communication styles, ensuring that provision is truly personalised.
• Provide imaginative, flexible, and needs led support, whether through bespoke interventions, therapeutic approaches, adaptive technologies, multidisciplinary collaboration, or innovative curriculum design.
• Monitor and celebrate progress, acknowledging that achievement can take many forms, academic, social, emotional, sensory, behavioural, physical, or independence based.
• Empower all staff to play an active role in each child’s development by fostering a culture of expertise, shared responsibility, and ongoing professional learning.
• Create an environment where pupils feel valued, confident, and capable, with opportunities that stretch, motivate, and honour their individual pathways.

Entrants are encouraged to demonstrate clear, meaningful outcomes for pupils, showing the impact of their tailored practice. Success stories, whether individual or collective, are welcomed and may illustrate creative or pioneering approaches to supporting learners. These achievements do not need to be linked to exam results, as progress and success for SEND learners are broad, diverse, and deeply personal.

This award celebrates the exceptional, holistic impact that SEND and specialist settings make in transforming the lives of children and young people.

(For SEND or specialist provision within a mainstream school)

This award celebrates mainstream schools that deliver exceptional, inclusive, and impactful SEND provision. It recognises schools that ensure pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are not just supported, but truly empowered to flourish as individuals, with access to ambitious opportunities, meaningful progress, and a strong sense of belonging.

Applicants should demonstrate how their mainstream setting provides high quality, needs led support within an inclusive environment, ensuring that pupils with SEND benefit from the full richness of school life.

Schools applying for this award are encouraged to show how they:

• Recognise and understand the diverse needs of SEND learners through robust identification, pupil voice, and strong partnerships with families and professionals.
• Adapt teaching, curriculum, and environments to ensure accessibility, participation, and personalised challenge, whether through adaptive teaching, targeted interventions, in-class support, therapeutic input, or creative use of resources, or by developing specialist spaces within mainstream settings that provide structured, inclusive, and tailored support for pupils with SEND
• Embed inclusive practice across the whole school, ensuring all staff feel confident, knowledgeable, and responsible for supporting SEND pupils to succeed.
• Monitor and celebrate progress in all its forms, including academic, social, emotional, communication, sensory, physical, and independence milestones.
• Promote positive attitudes towards SEND, fostering a culture where difference is valued, achievements are recognised, and pupils feel respected and safe.
• Provide innovative or imaginative approaches, either school-wide or for individual learners, that demonstrate the school’s commitment to removing barriers and unlocking potential.
• Ensure full access to co‑curricular life, such as sports, arts, enrichment, trips, and leadership opportunities, with reasonable adjustments that enable every child to participate meaningfully.

Applicants are encouraged to share clear evidence of impact, including success stories that illustrate the difference their provision makes. These may involve individual pupil journeys, group outcomes, or broader inclusion initiatives. Achievements do not need to be linked to exam results; holistic progress is equally valued

The ISA Award for International Provision celebrates schools that offer exceptional opportunities, experiences, and support with a global dimension. This award is open to all ISA schools, not only international schools, and recognises a broad range of international practice that enriches pupils’ learning, personal development, and world understanding.

Applicants should demonstrate how their school stands out in an international context, showing both the intention behind their global provision and the impact it has on learners.

Schools may wish to highlight how they:

• Provide meaningful international experiences, such as overseas trips, cultural exchanges, international partnerships, virtual collaborations, or global service projects.
• Embed a global perspective within teaching and learning, through curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, or specialist pathways such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) or globally focused accredited programmes.
• Support and celebrate existing international pupils, ensuring that families feel welcomed, valued, and included, and that pupils’ languages, cultures, strengths, and identities are recognised across school life.
• Offer rich Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) provision, enabling pupils to explore global communication, cultural understanding, and linguistic diversity.
• Promote internationalism across the wider curriculum, including arts, sport, co‑curricular activities, leadership opportunities, and community engagement projects with a global dimension.
• Develop globally minded young people who show empathy, curiosity, cultural awareness, social responsibility, and the ability to collaborate across differences.

Schools are encouraged to demonstrate clear cause and effect between international opportunities and the outstanding outcomes achieved. Evidence may include:

• Case studies showing how pupils’ lives or perspectives have been positively transformed
• Examples of whole school impact, such as broadened cultural awareness, language proficiency, or global citizenship
• Quantitative measures, where appropriate, including participation data, academic results in global programmes, or long term progression indicators

This award recognises schools that successfully integrate internationalism into their ethos and practice, schools that open up the world for their pupils and empower them to thrive as confident, compassionate global citizens.

(Under 100 pupils, or under 200 with single‑form entry; nursery pupils excluded)

This award celebrates small schools of all types, including SEND schools, specialist provision settings, mainstream schools with small cohorts, hybrid models, and online schools with active physical education programmes. It recognises schools that deliver exceptional sporting opportunities through creativity, adaptability, and a strong sense of community.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school:

• Provides inclusive and accessible PE and sport, ensuring that every pupil, across mainstream, SEND, specialist provision, or online learning, can participate meaningfully and confidently.
• Makes innovative use of limited space, staffing, or resources, highlighting the unique strengths of small settings (e.g. flexible timetables, personalised coaching, community partnerships, adaptive sports provision).
• Promotes high participation levels, encouraging enjoyment, resilience, teamwork, and a lifelong love of physical activity.
• Recognises both personal and team achievement, celebrating progress, determination, leadership, and individual confidence, not just competitive outcomes.
• Offers a diverse and creative range of sports or physical activities, using external coaches, local facilities, digital PE solutions, or adapted activities to broaden pupil experiences.

Schools are encouraged to include success stories, participation data, or examples of innovative inclusive practice, particularly where small-school creativity has enabled pupils to thrive.

Small/large criteria are guidelines; SEND schools, specialist settings, and online schools with atypical structures are invited to contact ISA for placement.

(Over 200 pupils, or over 100 with multiple‑form entry; nursery pupils excluded)

This award celebrates large schools across all types, mainstream, SEND, specialist provision within mainstream, multi-campus schools, and online schools with extensive PE and co‑curricular programmes. It recognises settings that use their scale and resources to deliver a rich, inclusive, and varied sporting experience for all pupils.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school:

• Offers a wide-ranging, ambitious, and accessible sports programme, with clear pathways for participation, competition, adaptive sport, and individual development.
• Ensures inclusive practice is embedded across all sport and PE, supporting SEND learners, pupils requiring adapted activities, and those who are building confidence or developing early-stage physical literacy.
• Utilises specialist facilities, staff expertise, or broader resources to benefit all pupils, not just elite athletes or representative teams.
• Develops excellence across multiple disciplines, showcasing team achievements, individual success, representative honours, and strong engagement across year groups.
• Promotes leadership and personal development, offering opportunities for pupils to become sports leaders, coaches-in-training, referees, ambassadors, or peer mentors.
• Fosters a thriving sporting culture, where wellbeing, teamwork, resilience, and enjoyment sit alongside competitive accomplishment.

Schools are encouraged to include evidence of whole-school impact, case studies, or innovative inclusive sports approaches, particularly where large-scale provision has supported diverse learners.

Small/large criteria are guidelines; SEND schools, specialist provisions, hybrid models, and online schools with non‑traditional structures are encouraged to contact ISA for clarification.

 

In this context, we refer to Visual Arts as anything distinct from performing arts, including but not limited to the mediums and disciplines mentioned below.

This award recognises schools that deliver exceptional, imaginative, and inclusive provision inclusive provision in painting, poetry, sculpture, drawing, film, photography, textiles or other, or other related creative disciplines. It is open to all ISA schools, including mainstream, SEND schools, specialist provisions, alternative settings, and online schools that maintain strong creative practice.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school

• Go the extra mile to nurture creativity and artistic skill, providing accessible, supportive environments where every pupil can explore materials, techniques, and visual expression.
• Use innovative teaching approaches, such as adaptive tools, digital platforms, collaborative projects, sensory led practice, or cross-curricular creative integration.
• Provide extraordinary artistic opportunities, including exhibitions, public installations, community partnerships, digital showcases, or participation in regional/national (including ISA) competitions.
• Demonstrate the impact of art and design on pupils’ learning and development, showing improvements in confidence, problem-solving, visual literacy, communication, or emotional expression.
• Celebrate originality and personal voice, ensuring that pupils of all abilities, including those with SEND or those accessing remote learning, can create, contribute, and have their work valued.

Applicants may showcase excellence in one or multiple fine art and design disciplines, and can include case studies or examples of pupil work.

In this context, we refer to Visual Arts as anything distinct from performing arts, including the mediums and disciplines mentioned below.

This award recognises schools that deliver exceptional, imaginative, and inclusive provision inclusive provision in painting, poetry, sculpture, drawing, film, photography, textiles or other,or other related creative disciplines. It is open to all ISA schools, including mainstream, SEND schools, specialist provisions, alternative settings, and online schools that maintain strong creative practice.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school

• Go the extra mile to nurture creativity and artistic skill, providing accessible, supportive environments where every pupil can explore materials, techniques, and visual expression.
• Use innovative teaching approaches, such as adaptive tools, digital platforms, collaborative projects, sensory led practice, or cross-curricular creative integration.
• Provide extraordinary artistic opportunities, including exhibitions, public installations, community partnerships, digital showcases, or participation in regional/national (including ISA) competitions.
• Demonstrate the impact of art and design on pupils’ learning and development, showing improvements in confidence, problem-solving, visual literacy, communication, or emotional expression.
• Celebrate originality and personal voice, ensuring that pupils of all abilities, including those with SEND or those accessing remote learning, can create, contribute, and have their work valued.

Applicants may showcase excellence in one or multiple fine art and design disciplines, and can include case studies or examples of pupil work.

Applications are sought from schools that can evidence an outstanding contribution to the wider community, and the positive impact it has on all those involved. This could include local community projects, partnerships with state schools, sharing best practice or facilities, initiatives with schools and communities overseas and whole-school charitable work.

 Applicants could demonstrate how their school

• Extend and share knowledge and best practice, as well as opening up facilities, such as sport or libraries to state schools or other settings (particularly, but not exclusively free of charge), for the benefit of the local community and its learners.

 

• Collaborate with overseas communities, such as through virtual and in-person exchanges or direct partnerships.

 

• Partner and collaborate with state schools, including supporting their pupils with careers advice and university applications.

 

• Show a general commitment to social responsibility such as offering means-tested bursaries and scholarships, encouraging student-volunteering, such as through local charity-support.

 

This award recognises a school that is actively preparing for the future, demonstrating vision, adaptability, and innovation. The winning school might be able to demonstrate a strategic and financial plan to transform itself for future success, a pupil programme to prepare them for life in a changing world, or a plan for an innovative and forward-looking curriculum. This award is open to all phases.

 

Applicants could demonstrate how their school demonstrates:

 

• Preparation pupils for life in a changing world — for example, through programmes that develop critical thinking, creativity, digital literacy, and global awareness

 

• Careers education reflecting emerging industries or pupil-led enterprise initiatives that form part of a future-focused approach.

 

• Cross-curricular projects, integration of technology such as coding or robotics, STEAM initiatives, or evolving approaches to assessment that value collaboration and real-world problem-solving

 

Above all, this award celebrates schools that are not only responding to change, but confidently shaping their future and equipping pupils for lifelong success.

Applications are sought from schools that can evidence a commitment to promote equality, diversity and inclusion for all pupils and staff, regardless of any protected characteristics (including age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or background). Judges will be looking for innovative ways that schools celebrate diversity and promote inclusion throughout the whole school community. This may be through initiatives such as transforming staff recruitment and retention, a whole school focus on a culture of inclusion, pupil-led projects, diversifying the curriculum, or increasing diversity on the governing body.

 

Applicants could demonstrate how their school:

 

• Uses innovative and embedded approaches that shape culture, policy, and practice across the community.

 

• Transforms recruitment and retention practices to widen representation, embedding a culture of inclusion through staff training and pupil voice, diversifying the curriculum to reflect a broad range of perspectives,

 

• Initiatives that ensure the wellbeing and safety of members of the whole school community in relation to the protected characteristics.

 

• This award celebrates schools where inclusion is not solely an initiative, but a lived value at the heart of the school community.

 

This Award welcomes applications from schools with forward-thinking methods of ensuring pupil and staff wellbeing. Judges will be looking for innovative projects that schools have implemented to support pupils and staff with mental health issues, as well as evidence of how the school promotes a whole-school positive culture. This may include projects involving mindfulness or resilience, or initiatives that help with prevention and enhance student and staff welfare, self-esteem and inclusion within the school.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school

• Uses Pupil-focused programmes: mindfulness, resilience training, emotional literacy, peer mentoring, or student-led wellbeing initiatives that encourage self-awareness, empathy, and coping skills.
• Has developed Staff wellbeing initiatives: professional support, training, flexible working, and wellbeing programmes that ensure teachers and staff feel valued, supported, and equipped to manage stress.
• Uses Preventative approaches: early intervention strategies, pastoral care systems, or counselling services that identify and support pupils at risk of mental health difficulties.
• Has successfully embedded wellbeing into lessons, assemblies, house systems, or extra-curricular activities to create a seamless, school-wide approach.

 

 

ISA Award for Excellence in Sustainability

This Award encourages applications from schools that have engaged with environmental education within the curriculum or have demonstrated their green credentials in reducing their carbon footprint or working in the community or further afield to improve habitats and encourage biodiversity. Schools should demonstrate how they are inspiring the next generation, to make the changes necessary to avoid the irreversible impact that global warming will have on our planet.

Applicants could demonstrate how their school:

• Has developed curriculum initiatives which embed environmental education across subjects, or project-based learning focused on sustainability challenges, or STEAM projects addressing issues such as renewable energy, water conservation, or biodiversity.

 

•  Has used biodiversity and habitat projects: creating wildlife gardens, supporting local conservation initiatives, restoring habitats, or collaborating with community or environmental organisations.

 

• Has developed Pupil-led projects : encouraging student leadership in sustainability initiatives or awareness-raising events

 

• This award celebrates schools that are equipping pupils with the understanding, skills, and motivation to make positive environmental change — inspiring the next generation to safeguard the planet for the future.

Independence gives ISA Members the opportunity to do things differently where it will be in the best interests of their pupils. It means they can tailor what they offer to the young people in their care and provide a personalised and high-quality education for them. This award is designed to celebrate the different ways that schools across our membership have been able to offer innovative approaches to education.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate ways in which their school is developing and implementing innovative approaches to education. Judges will be happy to consider innovation in the broadest sense. They will be looking for evidence of both innovative approaches and the positive impact on pupils.

This award is not necessarily about technological innovation, and could include initiatives based on educating pupils on issues beyond the curriculum in societally significant subject areas

Schools may wish to mention in their submission:

• Curriculum innovation: introducing flexible or interdisciplinary programmes, project-based learning, or new subject areas that respond to emerging skills and knowledge.
• Teaching and learning approaches: using innovative technology, blended learning, or personalised learning pathways to engage pupils more effectively.
• Extra-curricular innovation: offering unique clubs, leadership opportunities, or enrichment activities that extend learning beyond the classroom.
• This award celebrates schools that embrace creativity, experimentation, and forward-thinking strategies to shape the future of education.