Friday 4th December 2026
The County Cricket Ground, Northampton
The deadline for nominations is 11/09/2026
HEADLINE SPONSOR
Welcome to the
Northamptonshire Education Awards
This year’s
charity partner
This year’s
Drinks reception
sponsor
All Things Business created the Northampton Education Awards to recognise the outstanding achievements of schools and teachers providing children with the support and learning environment they need to thrive.
As well as awards for entire schools, such as the Secondary School of the Year award, our education awards for Northampton also celebrate personnel and teams, such as with our Headteacher of the Year award, Unsung Hero award, or English Team of the Year award.
With an education award, you can display your school’s achievements and success to prospective students, and demonstrate your commitment to providing a quality education for your students.
Any individual or school in education in Northampton can enter the awards, and nominations are also welcome from friends, family, colleagues, parents and students. If you would like to get involved in the awards as a nominee, sponsor, or guest, please get in touch.
Award Categories
Sponsored by Brioche Pasquier
The Maths Team or Teacher of the Year will go to the entry that has shown a commitment not only to exceptional results but to making maths fun, relatable and relevant. Both students and colleagues will have benefited from learning from those with a passion for their subject.
Sponsored by University of Northampton
The English Team or Teacher of the Year will go to the entry that has shown a commitment not only to exceptional results but to making English fun, relatable and relevant. Both students and colleagues will have benefited from learning from those with a passion for their subject.
Sponsored by Freefoam Building Products
Sustainability and the environment is at the heart of everything we do today. This award will go to an individual or team that is on a mission to engage students and colleagues in helping protect our planet. The winner will be inspiring positive change in the classroom and beyond.
Sponsored by Easipc
Technology plays an enormous part within education. This award will recognise an individual or team that has embraced technology to open up new possibilities. It will recognise creativity and innovation whether in delivering learning, increasing efficiency or transforming school life.
Sponsored by Croyland
STEM skills run throughout learning and our day-to-day lives, and this award is looking for examples of how STEM subjects are applied across the curriculum in an innovative and engaging way, demonstrating measured successes and giving students the tools they need now and in the future.
Sponsored by Crysalys Foundation
This award recognises an Alternative Provision (AP) provider in Northamptonshire that demonstrates outstanding commitment to supporting learners who require education outside of mainstream settings. The winning provider will show excellence in improving outcomes, engagement, and life chances for vulnerable or hard-to-reach young people.
Sponsored by Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
This award will go to a team or individual that brings passion and enthusiasm to sport and games, either in school time or extra-curricular. The winner will have shown a dedication to inspiring a love of sport and games, and to encouraging students of all abilities to lead active lives.
Sponsored by Delapre Abbey
A thriving, healthy and supportive environment for students, staff and the wider community is essential and this award will celebrate a whole-school approach to wellbeing. That might include physical health, mental and emotional resilience, social connection, and innovative projects that have a lasting and positive impact.
Sponsored by Corby Sixthform/College
In choosing the Primary School of the Year, the judges will want to see more than academic achievement and will be looking for entries that show innovation and imagination as well as teaching excellence. The winning school will have helped develop children in ways that go beyond the league tables.
Sponsored by Simply Techspace
In choosing the Secondary School of the Year, the judges will want to see more than academic achievement and will be looking for entries that show innovation and imagination as well as teaching excellence. The winning school will have helped develop children in ways that go beyond the league tables.
Sponsored by Northampton Saints Foundation
The SEND School of the Year will be one where the staff and children are at the heart of everything it does. It will be a school that is dedicated to helping children with special needs achieve their full potential through caring, knowledgeable and passionate staff who show excellence in all aspects of life.
Sponsored by Apertus Group
There are always individuals in schools and colleges that make a significant difference but whose efforts may seem to go unnoticed. The Unsung Hero could be a teacher, teaching assistant, caretaker or administrator – anyone who regularly goes beyond what is expected of them for the good of the organisation as a whole.
Sponsored by FormFive
The Headteacher of the Year will be a successful and truly inspirational leader. It will go to someone who has not only achieved the school’s goals in terms of academic results, but who has a focus om staff development and wellbeing, pastoral care and student safety and happiness, as well as community engagement.
Sponsored by All Things Business
This award will go to an outstanding individual within the education sector – someone the judges feel has dedicated their life to improving outcomes whether in the classroom or beyond. The winner will be someone whose long-term efforts, dedication and sustained commitment has made a difference to their school, college or organisation, and to the students.
Sponsored by Simply Education
Once the judges have finished their deliberations on all the other categories, they will choose one school that stands out from the rest of the finalists. This might be a school that has won, or come close to winning, a number of different awards, or it might simply be one that has had an outstanding year and deserves special recognition. The Overall School of the year will be based entirely on the judges’ decision and isn’t open for entry or nominations.
We are OUTSTANDING!
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.
2026 Sponsors
Our 2025 Winners
Paul Hamblin – Tresham College
Hackleton CEVA Primary School
Wrenn School
Eastfield Academy
Will Hazell – Wootton Park School
Daniel York – Hunsbury Park Primary School
Melanie Cooper – Northampton College
Wren Spinney School
Shona McFadyen – The Corby Sixthform
Paul Coram – Elizabeth Woodville School
Billling Brook School
Simone Gray & Stephanie Geller – Eastfield Academy
Olympic Primary School – PE Team
On Track Education – English Team
Sarah Heavens – East Hunsbury Primary School
Previous Hosts
GAIl
EMMS MBE
2025
IAIN
STERLING
2024
EAMONN
HOLMES
2023
LOUIE
SPENCE
2022
Matthew
Burton
2021
Ben
Thomas
2020
Matthew
Burton
2019
The Independent Judges
Nigel Anderson – Learning Team, Chester House Estate
Nigel Anderson began working in education in 2019 as an Extended Services Manager with NCC, supporting schools in the Nene Lakes area and contributing to initiatives such as Children’s University, UFA, Study Support, and Get Set 2012. He previously worked extensively within the National Citizen Service (NCS) from 2012, holding roles including Northants Project Manager, Regional Business Development Manager, NCS Lead, and Project Coordinator Consultant. He later volunteered at The Chester House Estate, where his transferable skills were recognised. He now works in the Learning Team, developing and delivering history workshops, supporting over 4,000 annual student visits and engaging more than 150 schools since April 2022.
Lucy Westley – Senior Lecturer and course lead for the PGCE 5–11 with QTS at the University of Northampton
With extensive experience in primary teaching and leadership across Northamptonshire, she is an Advanced Skills Teacher in mathematics and previously an SLE and mastery specialist for the NCETM. She holds a BEd with QTS and an MA in Education and is completing her PhD in 2026. Her research explores mathematical self-efficacy, anxiety, and dyscalculia in preservice teachers. She is a member of several professional organisations and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Eunice Lumsden – Emeritus Professor of Child Advocacy at the University of Northampton and the former Head of Childhood Youth and Families.
Eunice Lumsden is Emeritus Professor of Child Advocacy at the University of Northampton and the former Head of Childhood Youth and Families. Professor Lumsden has served on several government advisory groups and is a member of the Education and Early Years Route Panel advising Skills England on technical qualifications. She also led the development of the Early Childhood Graduate Competencies for the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network and is the Editor of the International Journal of Birth and Parent Education. She has received several awards for her work, including a Lifetime Achievement award for services to Early Childhood.
See the Judging Process CLICK HERE
2025 Awards Gallery
