Sixteen teachers, leaders, schools, and colleges have been honoured for excellence in education at the 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards.
Dubbed “the Oscars of the teaching profession,” eight ‘gold awards’ were announced for the first time on Saturday at a glitzy ceremony in London, with the rest revealed during the week on the BBC’s The One Show and in The Sunday Times.
Categories awarded individuals and institutions from early years, primary, secondary and further education that go above and beyond for their learners, having a lasting impact on their lives, on the profession and in their local communities.
Judges selected the winners from thousands of nominations, revealing 93 shortlisted ‘silver award’ winners in June.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Teachers and school staff are the heart of our education system, inspiring young people and helping them to achieve and thrive. These awards are a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact great educators have, because the path to national renewal runs through our schools.
“My warmest congratulations to all of this year’s winners and nominees – your hard work, care, and commitment shape futures, and I’m proud to work with you to break down barriers to opportunity.”
Sharon Hague, managing director of school assessment and qualifications at Pearson UK, added: “Behind every confident student or changed life, there’s an educator who made it possible.
“The Pearson National Teaching Awards shines a spotlight on the inspiring individuals whose influence has gone far beyond the classroom. This is a celebration of excellence at the highest level, and we are thrilled to be able to recognise these achievements. Congratulations to all of this year’s Gold Winners!”
Nominations for the 2026 awards are now open – you can submit your entry here.
Category: The Award for FE Lecturer of the Year
Winner: Lisa Charles, North East Surrey College of Technology
What the judges said: Lisa Charles is not just a lecturer – she is a life-changer.
A hairdressing lecturer at Nescot, Lisa uses her own educational challenges to bring empathy and lived experience to her teaching. For over 13 years, she has inspired learners from all backgrounds, from helping a young woman from a traveller community with no prior education achieve top academic and vocational results, to supporting a brain injury survivor re-learn basic skills and regain independence through her studies after being rejected from other colleges.
Alongside her teaching, Lisa ensures that she and her students are giving back to the community. She has built partnerships with organisations like the Royal Marsden, Toni & Guy, L’Oréal, and the Salvation Army, giving students real-world experience while instilling a sense of purpose. From organising pop-up salons for young cancer patients to driving sustainability through the Green Salon Collective, Lisa leads by example and changes lives along the way.
Outstanding New Teacher of The Year
Shona McFayden, Bedford College, Bedfordshire
Diagnosed with liver failure and cancer at a young age, Shona lived for years shadowed by uncertainty, balancing her studies with the knowledge that she needed a life-saving transplant. Her determination for a teaching career was a motivator and incentive to chase a full recovery, and this personal journey gives her teaching a unique depth and authenticity.
Shona champions innovative approaches, from using interactive VR in science investigations to adapting lessons so they support students facing difficult personal circumstances. Beyond the classroom, she founded the Impact Makers programme, a student-led charity that has raised hundreds of pounds for local care homes and hospices.
Shona teaches students first-hand the value of perseverance, goal-setting and gratitude for opportunity.
FE Team of the Year
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College – Filton Campus, Bristol
This Bristol College ESOL provision offers a lifeline to migrants settling in the UK, helping them learn a new language, find their voice, and connect with their new community and country.
The programme is about equipping learners with the language and social skills they need to live confidently and independently. From role-play scenarios like GP appointments, job interviews, and school-gate conversations with other parents, to navigating housing and healthcare systems, the ESOL curriculum is built around real-life situations that empower learners to engage fully in society. The team also supports with housing issues, signposting services, and developing trauma-informed approaches for those carrying the weight of past experiences, including war and displacement.
Success stories include a Ukrainian nurse now working as a phlebotomist in the NHS; a former learner running her own donut business; a parent finally able to speak English with her child after school; and countless others who’ve gone on to further qualifications, employment, and full participation in British life.
The tutors themselves reflect the communities they serve. Many have refugee or migrant connections, which helps foster trust and understanding with their learners.
Over the past eight years, this programme has grown from just four classes a week to over 28, reflecting the increasing demand from learners determined to thrive in their new home.
Transformational Use of Digital Technology
The Oaks Specialist College, Kent
At The Oaks Specialist College, the Accessibility Team has reimagined how everyday technologies, from smartphones to AI tools, can unlock opportunities where young people with learning difficulties often struggle to progress.
By embedding built-in accessibility features into daily learning, students can now participate where once they were passive. Louis now uses text-to-speech to enjoy books and prepare for work; Ethan was given the confidence and tools to travel independently to Leeds; and another student, James accesses his favourite comics through new digital tools.
The Oaks is now recognised as a Microsoft Showcase College, and its Accessibility Team is shaping practice across the country. The team deliver workshops to other education provisions and to larger commercial businesses. Companies such as Balfour Beatty, Tesco and Mitie have benefited from ‘lightbulb moment’ sessions to make their workplaces more inclusive and supportive of those using everyday technology for accessibility.
Seventy-two per cent of learners from Oaks progress into paid employment, compared to a national average of just 4.8 per cent for those with learning disabilities in the general population.
SEND and Inclusive Practice
Winner: Abbot’s Lea School, North West
What the judges said: No pupil is turned away from Abbot’s Lea. Its zero-exclusion policy and pioneering ASD model – combining academic progress, specialist therapeutic support, and life skills development – ensures students with Autism and complex needs are supported to thrive.
Their inclusive approach includes an in-house ADHD clinic, helping to reduce missed NHS appointments and school absences by making sure students get the health services support they need without missing class. To keep families closely involved, the school holds weekly open-house assemblies and coffee mornings.
The school’s approach has challenged students to become the best versions of themselves. Graduates leave Abbot’s Lea confident, resilient, and work-ready, with many moving into employment, some even joining the school’s own staff team.
School or College Partnership of the Year
Shetland School/College Partnership Programme for S5/6 students. UHI Shetland, Scotland
In Shetland – a remote group of islands north of mainland Scotland – education is truly unique, with a focus on real-life practice and community. With a population of around 22,900 and key industries like fishing, farming, health and social care, energy, and construction, the local economy relies on skilled, adaptable people.
The Shetland School/College Partnership Programme is helping young people step into those roles with real-world experience. This isn’t just about filling skills gaps, it’s about making education more relevant and inclusive, giving young people a stronger connection to the place they live.
Designed for S5 and S6 students (aged 16–18), the programme connects school learning with hands-on training in local industries. Whether it’s maritime courses, NHS placements, or working alongside local trades, students are gaining skills that offer practical routes into work or study, in a rural island setting where opportunities can feel limited.
Unsung Hero
Lee Smith, Hethersett Academy, Norfolk
Lee Smith is a school site manager, whose compassion and consideration for others helped him literally save a life. When a vulnerable colleague didn’t show up to work one day, Lee followed his instincts and did a welfare check. After breaking down a front door, he found his colleague slipping into a diabetic coma. His quick thinking made all the difference, but the incident resulted in his colleague having to undergo an amputation.
Lee went on to help renovate the colleague’s home and garden to make it more accessible. He also bought a golf buggy and reshuffled responsibilities so his colleague could still stay involved in the school and return to work.
However for Lee, empathy isn’t a one-off act, but a way of life. Whether it’s building bird tables for terminally ill colleagues or finding the perfect spot to plant a memorial tree for the school’s pregnancy loss group, Lee has consistently demonstrated genuine selflessness, making him truly an unsung hero at Hethersett Academy.
Early Years Team of the Year
Best Family Childcare Nursery Early Years Team, West Yorkshire
Togetherness is central to Best Childcare Nursery. The early years team has devoted itself to creating a community where children and families feel a true sense of belonging. Open 51 weeks of the year, their ethos of “Rewilding Childhood,” inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, celebrates children’s voices and nurtures wellbeing in a safe environment.
Traditions such as “Fika” create moments of sharing food and conversation, helping to foster connection across children, families and staff. Their Family Tree groups help siblings stay together, easing transitions and strengthening bonds.
With everything they do, the Best Childcare Nursery Early Years Team ensures that every child is supported not only to learn, but to grow into a confident, compassionate member of society.
Headteacher of the Year in Primary School
James Parkinson, De Lacy Primary School, West Yorkshire
When James Parkinson became headteacher of De Lacy Primary School, it was among the lowest-performing schools in the country.
Today under his leadership, De Lacy offers a varied curriculum incorporating unique initiatives to ‘future proof’ pupils and better equip them to cope with life in modern Britain. This incudes Future Fridays, where professionals inspire pupils with their career journeys, and “50 learning experiences” which range from first aid, enterprise, and ecological projects, helping young students tick off valuable life experiences at an earlier age.
Known as a “deeply human” leader, James builds trust through genuine connections with children and families. Before James joined the school, it was once described to him as “a school you wouldn’t want to work in”. Now, that couldn’t be any further from the case. Today, De Lacy is judged Outstanding in every category by Ofsted, with outcomes placing it in the top 13 per cent nationally.
Making a Difference – Primary School of the Year
Sprites Primary Academy, Suffolk
Sprites Primary is living proof that with belief and compassion, every school and child can thrive. Once placed in special measures following two successive ‘inadequate’ Ofsted judgments, Sprites now stands as a beacon of excellence.
Sprites’ vision is to provide the full curriculum so that every child can engage their interests, and the experiences offered by the school go way beyond the classroom. Children sing at the O2, camp under the stars, and walk the grounds of Cambridge University, often experiencing life beyond their neighbourhoods for the first time. The school has transformed old rooms into a Kids’ Kitchen, Live Lounge, and Art Studio to deliver a full, inspiring curriculum.
The school’s SEND provision, once heavily criticised, is a model of best practice, attracting families from across the region. Pupils with complex needs are not just supported but championed, such as Oscar, a pupil with ASD who with the right support became head boy and gained the opportunity to represent the trust at the House of Lords.
Secondary School of the Year
Moor End Academy, West Yorkshire
Moor End Academy is the definition of inclusivity, turning what could be a challenge of a highly diverse student body into a source of strength. With nearly 90 per cent of students from minority ethnic groups, many of whom do not have English as their first language, the school brings together young people from over 35 different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
While this diversity could present barriers, Moor End has adapted by embedding language support across the curriculum, offering translators, tailored learning resources, and opportunities for students to share their own cultures, ensuring every child can participate fully and feel valued.
Student voice and leadership are at the heart of the school’s culture. From the student council, praised by Ofsted for genuinely making a difference to school life, to culture days where pupils showcase their heritage through food, music and traditions, students are empowered to take ownership of their community and learn from one another’s experiences.
The academy’s outreach extends beyond the school gates. Parents are welcomed in for family baking sessions, safeguarding workshops, and other opportunities to connect.
Teacher of the Year in a Primary School
Gosia Watts, Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill, West Yorkshire
Originally from Poland, Gosia began her life in the UK working in factories and offices before realising her dream of becoming a teacher. Now assistant principal at Outwood Primary Academy Park Hill, she draws on her passions for sustainability and the arts to shape a vibrant, inclusive education.
Gosia has created green spaces across the school, embedding sustainability into daily life. From the forest school to the sensory garden, her projects have provided calming, therapeutic environments that particularly support children with SEN.
Gosia champions the arts, directing Shakespeare productions and guiding whole-school creative projects – including one that saw her class’ artwork accepted into the National Gallery.
Gosia also works closely with the local community centre, leading events and celebrations, and has inspired families to join in initiatives such as the school pantry, where children and parents donate essential items to support others.
Teaching Assistant of The Year
Shagufta Mirza, Carlton Junior and Infant School, West Yorkshire
For more than 25 years, Shagufta Mirza has played a key part at Carlton Junior and Infant School, deeply invested in family and community wellbeing.
She leads the breakfast club, giving children a nourishing and positive start to the day. As a nurture lead and attendance officer, she works closely with families to remove barriers to education, always approaching issues with empathy and understanding. Beyond this, she organises parent workshops on wellbeing and resilience, helping families support both themselves and their children.
Shagufta is equally committed to broadening students’ horizons. From cultural visits to Amsterdam, to inspiring trips to Oxford University, to excursions to the Houses of Parliament, Shagufta has provided students with experiences that expand their understanding of the wider world.
Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School
Jolie Bartley, Varndean School, Brighton
Jolie Bartley has transformed drama into one of the most popular and successful subjects in Varndean School. She sees drama not just as a subject, but as a way to achieve greater inclusion, confidence and personal growth.
Her productions encourage anyone who wants to be involved to participate, while supporting performers with additional needs. This year’s cast included students who were partially sighted, autistic, and even one usually electively mute. Jolie is known for her unwavering care, whether stepping out of rehearsals to administer vital medication or patiently supporting a troubled Year 7 until he found his place within the group.
From Les Misérables to Little Shop of Horrors, each show involves more than 250 students across acting, music, choreography, stage management, lighting, sound, and make-up and costume. For Jolie, the true triumph lies not in the show itself but in the way it makes every student feels valued, regardless of their role.
Lifetime Achievement
Lynn Griffiths, Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili, Wales
Lynn Griffiths is an inspirational educational leader who has dedicated his entire career to Ysgol Gyfun Caerffili. He has championed bilingualism through innovative language immersion techniques, ensuring hundreds of pupils leave as confident Welsh speakers.
Equally passionate about staff development, Lynn has created a culture of professional learning where teachers are supported and encouraged to progress in their careers.
Lynn’s work has been recognised regionally and nationally, with Estyn, EAS, and Welsh Government drawing on his expertise in leadership, language development, and professional learning. His influence extends far beyond the classroom, making him a transformative force in Welsh education.
Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School
Lucy Harrison, Archer Academy, London
Lucy Harrison has transformed the Archer Academy into a thriving, inclusive community not just for students, but for staff too. During ten years of leadership, she has pioneered flexible working, staff wellbeing initiatives, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
As part of this, Lucy reshaped the school day significantly to improve engagement and behaviour. Through her consultation with staff, students and parents, a newly introduced timetable promotes consistency, reduces stress points, and maximises learning time. She complements these changes with a strong focus on student voice, creating leadership roles, societies and feedback forums that give young people a real say in their school experience.
By embedding careers education and extracurricular opportunities, Lucy ensures every young person leaves Archer with both outstanding qualifications and the skills to succeed in life.
Under Lucy’s guidance, Archer Academy continues to rank among the top schools nationally and is recognised as a model of best practice in wellbeing, inclusion and flexible working. Staff retention and morale are now among the highest in the borough, with surveys showing 96 per cent of colleagues are proud to work at Archer.
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