ISA Awards
The ISA Awards is an annual event that celebrates success in our Members’ schools, and recognises the breadth of quality and provision in independent education across the UK.
They offer an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your school’s high quality provision, and to celebrate your success with staff and fellow ISA Members. The Awards also allow you to promote your achievements both to existing and prospective parents, and the wider community, by providing schools with national publicity and the chance to proudly promote this via their own marketing platforms.
ISA Awards 2022
Now open for entries!
The deadline for entries is Friday 29 July 2022.
Only schools whose Head is in ISA Membership are eligible to enter. We welcome entries from all ISA Members and are happy to receive entries from previous winners and shortlisted schools. Schools may enter up to four award categories.
Highly commended entries will be announced in September and will receive a certificate and logo to use for their marketing purposes.
Our three finalists per award will also be announced in September. The winners are announced at our Awards Ceremony, which is held at the Autumn Study Conference in November.
Click here for the entry form and to view the full entering guidelines.
This year’s categories are as follows:
ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Early Years
*ISA Junior School of the Year Award
ISA Junior or Prep schools are among the best in the country, but this award isn’t about resources or buildings. To be ISA Junior School of the Year, applicants will be able to demonstrate how their school makes a positive difference to the educational outcomes of the children in its care. Those outcomes can be in any/multiple areas of a school’s operation, such as special educational needs, sport, the arts, curriculum or the co-curriculum. It could be sustained excellence in personal or academic outcomes, or even the success of an individual child over and above expectations. The winner of this prestigious award will be able to demonstrate the clear cause-and-effect between decisions made by the school and the exceptional outcomes achieved. You don’t have to enter other awards categories to be eligible for this award.
*ages 0-13
*ISA Senior School of the Year Award
ISA Senior schools are among the best in the country, but as in the Junior Award, this isn’t about investment in resources or buildings. To be ISA Senior School of the Year, applicants will be able to demonstrate how the school makes a positive difference to the educational outcomes of the children in its care. Those outcomes can be in any/multiple areas of a school’s operation, such as special educational needs, sport, the arts, curriculum or the co-curriculum. It could be sustained excellence in personal or academic outcomes, or even the success of an individual child over and above expectations. The winner of this prestigious award will be able to demonstrate the clear cause-and-effect between decisions made by the school and the exceptional outcomes achieved. You don’t have to enter other awards categories to be eligible for this award.
*ages 11-18
ISA Award for Outstanding Sport (*Small School)
Applications are sought from small schools that demonstrate evidence of their outstanding sporting provision in relation to opportunities offered to pupils. Judges are looking for schools that have successfully implemented an all-round approach to sport, and applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their school encourages a culture of participation and inclusivity in sport, as well as outlining individual sporting achievements.
*1 class per year group
ISA Award for Outstanding Sport (*Large School)
Applications are sought from large schools that demonstrate evidence of their outstanding sporting provision in relation to opportunities offered to pupils. Judges are looking for schools that have successfully implemented an all-round approach to sport, and entrants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their school encourages a culture of participation and inclusivity in sport, as well as outlining individual sporting achievements.
*more than 1 class per year group
ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Performing Arts
ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Art and Design
ISA Award for Outstanding Provision for Learning Support
ISA Award for Excellence in Pupil Personal Development
ISA Award for Outstanding Engagement in the Community
ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Mental Health and Wellbeing
ISA Award for Excellence in Sustainability (returning for 2022)
ISA Award for Innovation in Independent Education (new for 2022)
Independence from the state system 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.