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OUR 2026 AWARDS

Welcome to the
Milton Keynes Education Awards

Given the wealth of talent in the Milton Keynes education sector, it seems only right that we recognise the achievements of the schools and teachers who provide children across the city with the learning experiences they need. And it’s not just teaching staff and schools – the Milton Keynes Education Awards also celebrates personnel and teams, from headteachers to subject-specialist individuals and teams, and those working with children with individual needs.

All Things Business holds an Outstanding rating from the Awards Trust Mark Scheme, which was established with the aim of encouraging more award programmes to focus on their own ethics and transparency. The scheme scrutinises everything from criteria, scoring, feedback, transparency and judging. This means that all entries are scored against set criteria and marked through a bespoke software-based scoring system before finalists are selected. The finalists will then be considered by the independent judges to choose a winner.

Any individual or school in education in Milton Keynes can enter the awards, and nominations are also welcome from friends, family, colleagues, parents and students. So, what are you waiting for? We’d love to hear from you.

Award Categories

2025 Winners

E-Act Ousedale School

Overall School of the Year

The winner of this award has an outstanding list of accolades, and they have dedicated themselves to make a real difference to students, colleagues and the wider community. Their approachable nature has cultivated an inclusive environment by prioritising students and teaching excellence.

Finlay Douglas – Whitespire School

Lifetime Achievement Award

When it came to this deciding the winner of this category, this school stood out above the rest. The winner of this award came very close to winning other categories and the judges felt this school really deserves this award and the recognition for their incredible efforts.

Sir Herbert Leon Academy

Secondary School of the Year

Over the past 12 months, the winner of this award has demonstrated phenomenal results and achievements, as well as improving the overall culture and wellbeing that exists across the whole school.

Brooksward School

Primary School of the Year

The judges were impressed by this school’s exceptional achievements, and for the unity the have shown within their school and community. The judges thought this school has created a very inclusive and nurturing environment.

Zoë Baines – Slate Row School

Headteacher of the Year

This winner has, according to the judges, met all the criteria. They have proven they are a fantastic leader, demonstrated their dedication to staff development and shown that they are committed to improving student and staff wellbeing.

Emily Garratt

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion

Firstly, the judges wanted to highlight that they found this category very difficult to judge as they thought all the finalists’ entries were strong. But they could only choose one winner, and the winner of this award is someone who doesn’t just inspire the students but the entire school community.

Claire Tierney – E-Act Ousedale School

Unsung Hero

The entry for this winner nearly made one of the judges cry! The award goes to someone the judges thought was a true unsung hero. They have shown that they are making a real difference to not only the school, but to the entire community.

STEAM Team – Brooksward School

STEM Award

The winner of this award shows an extraordinary commitment to STEM in school and the wider community. They are dedicated to inspiring children through innovative teaching and highlighting the importance of STEM, as well as including the study of art.

Whitespire School

SEND Team/School of the Year

The judges were torn between two finalists as they thought they both stood out from the competition. The winner provided powerful evidence in their entry, including a strong parent testimonial which showed the impact the school has had on their child.

Denbigh School

Environmental and Sustainability Award

The winner of this award has demonstrated passion and goals for making a real difference to the environment whilst at the same time influencing and educating students. They maintain a clear vision on what else they’d like to achieve to help save the planet.

Duncan Macdonall – Brooksward School

IT Champion

The judges were impressed how the winner has inspired not only students, but also colleagues to foster technology to provide a better educational outcome for all. The winner has shown an overall enthusiasm about the use of technology.

Jake Savillle – Two Mile Ash School

Sports Award

The judges were blown away by the winners’ commitment to the school, going above and beyond their normal duties. The winner has exceeded all the criteria for this award and demonstrated a real passion for providing inspiration through sports.

English Faculty – Denbigh School

English Team/Teacher of the Year

The award goes to a team that has demonstrated an infectious enthusiasm amongst students and colleagues about the study of English throughout the entire school. The judges were impressed with the excellent results the winners have produced excellent results.

Lewis Kaye & The Maths Team – Lord Grey Academy

Maths Team/Teacher of the Year

The panel found this category difficult to judge, but they could only choose one winner, and that winner stood out for a combination of great results and for demonstrating an unwavering commitment to students’ development.

I was pleased to be asked to judge this year's MKEA. The calibre and quality of the applications was outstanding and it was challenging to pick winners out of all the worthy finalists. The event itself was an inspirational evening which showcased the immense talent the MK education sector has. I am proud of the achievements and equally proud that both my children were educated in this great city!

Ranjt Singh

I feel very inspired by the amazing nominations. I am so impressed by the dedication, passion and talent of educators across Milton Keynes.

Dr. Julie Mills OBE DL

Thank you for hosting us on Friday, your team did a fantastic job. It was such a wonderful event, and it feels great for the school to be recognised for the work and dedication. It was particularly great to be able to form relationships with some great organisations and businesses based in Milton Keynes.

Congratulations on a wonderful evening. It was a privilege to join the celebrations of so many amazing educationalists and I hope you are all rightly proud of the impact you are having promoting connections between business and education, it is so important.

Thank you for a wonderful evening; the team and I really enjoyed it. Well done for another amazing event!”

Previous Hosts

MATTHEW BURTON
2025

Louie Spence
2024

EAMONN HOLMES
2023

The 2025 Independent Judges

Sally Alexander

Sally Alexander became Chief Executive at Milton Keynes College Group in October 2022. Sally started her career in Education as a teacher, supporting disadvantaged adults to develop both their skills and confidence to better engage with their communities and the world of work. Since then, Sally has worked across the College in a variety of roles.

The College is a driving force within Milton Keynes, and across its many geographies, driving growth through an inclusive approach and stakeholder engagement, and providing exceptional learning experiences to produce the skills needed to drive the City and the college’s communities forwards.

Shazna Muzammil-Cook

Shazna Muzammil-Cook is a councillor and community leader in Milton Keynes, committed to education as a driver of opportunity and social mobility. Having fought for her own education, Shazna has become a strong champion for young people and lifelong learning.

She works at The Open University, where she has spent eight years supporting students across multiple faculties and gaining a deep understanding of inclusive education.

As a councillor, she focuses on practical outcomes, including leading a motion to secure work placements for looked-after children. In 2023, Shazna received a Global Award for Leadership in Social and Women’s Empowerment for her work supporting underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka.

Mark Homans

Mark Homans is Head of Social Impact at Santander UK, leading the bank’s community and financial inclusion agenda. His work focuses on improving customers’ financial health, inclusion and resilience, building skills in communities, and advancing social mobility in the workplace.

He leads Santander’s charity partnerships and flagship programmes, embedding social impact across the organisation. He brings an ESG-led perspective, championing profit through purpose and demonstrating how inclusive growth drives long-term value for society and the business.

Earlier in his career, Mark worked closely with the higher education sector on skills and employability initiatives and is a governor at Milton Keynes College Group.

Carol Tuncel – Department Manager Development, Communication and Democracy at John Lewis Distribution

Carol Tuncel has worked with the John Lewis Partnership for 25 years, across three divisions: Waitrose branches, John Lewis branches, and, for the past 11 years, in various roles within John Lewis Distribution. The John Lewis Partnership aims to create a kinder, fairer future for Partners, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which it operates. Carol’s role focuses on Partner wellbeing, Partner engagement, and social impact initiatives in both Milton Keynes and Northampton.

One of the Partnership’s key social impact priorities is education and work, supporting people to access learning opportunities and employment in the communities where the business operates. It is through this work and the relationships Carol has developed that she became involved in the Education Awards. Carol is passionate about businesses and educational institutions working together to create experiences that help students thrive when they enter the world of work. These early relationships benefit businesses as they consider their future workforce and help students identify opportunities that support their aspirations for the future.