Commended 2026


Independent School Parent magazine is delighted to announce the commended schools for Independent Schools of the Year 2026. Now in its ninth year, the awards campaign continues to thrive with hundreds of schools from across the country submitting entries in all 25 categories.

Once again, the judges of the Independent Schools of the Year awards have been overwhelmed with entries from schools across the UK of all shapes and sizes. With a record number of entries received, it has been harder than ever to reach a decision on which schools to commend and put forward to the next stage of the campaign.

Dr Helen Wright, chair of the judging panel, said: “Well done to all the schools who have entered this year’s Independent Schools of the Year awards! Already, it is clear that the independent sector remains strong in spirit and outcomes, and as the judging process moves into its next phase, the judges look forward enormously to selecting and celebrating extraordinary practice.”

With many new names appearing in the list of schools which have entered the awards this year, it is going to be extremely tough to settle on the eventual winners. We wish all of you the best of luck going forward and, in the meantime, are delighted to commend the rich collection of entries being announced today.

Finalists will be announced on Thursday 10 September and the winners, chosen by our independent panel of expert judges, will be revealed at the awards ceremony on 14 October.

Many congratulations to all schools that have been commended.

Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year


Amesbury School

Ashford Prep School

Beechwood Park School

Brighton College Bangkok

The Dulwich School Cranbrook

Dumpton School

Edgeborough School

Exeter Pre-Prep School

Felsted

Fettes College Preparatory School

Great Walstead School

Grimsdell, Mill Hill Pre-Prep

Hampton Pre-Prep

Hurlingham School

The Prebendal School

RGS The Grange

Rokeby School

Rowan Preparatory School

Somerhill

South Lee Prep School & Nursery

St Neot's Prep School

The Villa School and Nursery

Walhampton School

Westbourne House School

Wetherby School Kensington

Windlesham House School

Independent Prep School of the Year


Abingdon Prep School

Aldwickbury School

Belmont, Mill Hill Prep

Bickley Park School

Bilton Grange Prep School

Blackheath High School GDST

Brighton College Prep Handcross

Cargilfield School

Caterham Prep School

Cheam School

Chigwell School

Cottesmore School

Cumnor House Sussex

Dean Close Preparatory School

Duchy College Prep

Eaton House The Manor Girls' Prep School

Edge Grove School

Francis Holland Preparatory School

Hazelwood

Holmewood House School

Kensington Wade

King's College Prep School

King's Hawford

The Kingsley Preparatory School

Langley Prep School

Latymer Prep School

Maltman's Green School

Manor Lodge

Millfield Preparatory School

The New Beacon

Newcastle-under-Lyme

Newton Prep

Notting Hill & Ealing High School GDST: Junior School

Orchard House School

Pinewood School

Saint Ronan's School

Sherborne Prep

Spratton Hall School

St George's School Windsor Castle

Sunningdale

Thomas's Battersea

Town Close School

Tranby Independent School

Twickenham Prep School

Warwick Junior School

Warwick Prep School

Co-ed Independent School of the Year


Ardvreck School

Arnold Lodge School

Ashford School

Bedford Modern School

The Blue Coat School Birmingham

Boundary Oak School

Brighton College

Charterhouse

Claremont Fan Court School

Cundall Manor School

Kingswood School

Latymer Upper School

Leighton Park School

Radnor House Twickenham

RGS Worcester

Sevenoaks School

Shiplake College

St Bede's College, Manchester

St Edmund's

Wellington College

Independent Girls’ School of the Year


Bute House Preparatory School

Channing School

Croydon High School GDST

Eaton House The Manor Girls' School

Francis Holland Regent's Park

Guildford High School

James Allen's Girls' School (JAGS)

King's High School, Warwick

The Marist School

Pembridge Hall

Prior's Field

Putney High School

Queen Anne's School

Queenswood School

RGS Dodderhill

RMS for Girls

Roedean School

Sherborne Girls

St Albans High School for Girls

St Helen and St Katharine

St Swithun's School

Sydenham & Dulwich Girls GDST

Truro High School for Girls

Walthamstow Hall

Independent Boys’ School of the Year


Davenies School

Dulwich Prep & Senior

Eaton House The Manor Boys' Prep School

Hampton School

King Edward's School

Lockers Park School

Radley College

Shrewsbury House School

St Paul's School

Tonbridge School

Tower House School

Warwick School

Regional Independent School of the Year: Central


Bosworth Independent School

Christ College Brecon

Derby High School

Framlingham College

Lincoln Minster School

Lucton School

St Edmund's College and Prep School

Winterfold House School

Regional Independent School of the Year: South


Ballard School

Barrow Hills School

Bradfield College

Brighton Girls GDST

Chandlings Prep School

Claremont

Headington Rye Oxford

King Edward VI School

King Edward's School, Bath

King's College, Taunton

Lord Wandsworth College

The Oratory Prep School

Seaford College

St Edward's School, Cheltenham

TASIS England

Regional Independent School of the Year: North


Duchy College, Harrogate

Giggleswick School

Gordonstoun

The King's School in Macclesfield

Lomond School

Merchant Taylors Schools', Crosby

Morrison's Academy

The Mount School

Newcastle High School for Girls GDST

Rossall School

The Royal Grammar School Newcastle

Scarborough College

St Bede's College

London Independent School of the Year


Alleyn's School

Bancroft's School

Brighton College Prep Kensington

City of London School for Girls

Donhead Prep School

Francis Holland Sloane Square

Hampton Court House School

Ibstock Place School

Knightsbridge School

Liberty Woodland School

North London Collegiate School

Notting Hill Prep School

Radnor House School Twickenham

Ravenscourt Park Prep School

South Hampstead High School GDST

St Augustine's Priory

St Dunstan's College

St Paul's Cathedral School

Wetherby Senior School

Whitgift School

Independent Boarding School of the Year


Ardingly College

Aysgarth School

Benenden School

Bootham School

Caldicott School

Cobham Hall School

Elstree School

Hazlegrove Prep School

Lancing College

Old Buckenham Hall School

Port Regis School

RGS Surrey Hills

Sedbergh School

Worth School

The British International School of the Year


Alice Smith School

Brighton College (Singapore)

The British School of Bahrain

Durham International School

GEMS Wellington International School

King's College International School Bangkok

Marlborough College Malaysia

Reigate Grammar School Kuala Lumpur

Rugby School Thailand

Small Independent School of the Year


Beeston Hall School

Bronte School

Broomfield House School

Cothill

Dair House school

Dorset House School

Duncombe School

Eaton House Belgravia

The Firs School, Chester

Great Ballard

Hanford Prep

Kew College Prep

Lancing Prep Worthing

London Park School Clapham

Ludgrove School

Merchiston Castle School

Milton Abbey School

Moor Park

The Mount School York

Mowden Hall School

Old Vicarage School

Prospect House School

Shebbear College

St Christopher's The Hall

St George's Ascot

St Hugh's Woodhall Spa

St Ives School

St John's Beaumont School

St Mary's School, Hampstead

Stratford Preparatory School

Thorpe House School

Unicorn School

Webber Independent School

Westminster Abbey Choir School

Yarlet School

Independent School of the Year for Outstanding Fundraising Achievement


Embley

Homefield Preparatory School

Kellett School Association Ltd

Oswestry School

Shrewsbury School

St Leonards

St Michael's C of E Prep School

St Paul's Girls' School

Trinity School Croydon

Wells Cathedral School

Independent School of the Year for Best Use of Education Technology


Barnard Castle School

Beachborough School

Berkhamsted School

Brentwood School

Charterhouse Square School

Danes Hill School

Edgbaston High School For Girls

Haileybury

Northwood College for Girls GDST

Thornton College School

Independent School of the Year for Student Careers


AKS Lytham

Amnuay Silpa

The British School of Brussels

Cardiff Sixth Form College

City of London School

Dulwich College

Durlston School

Exeter School

Farringtons School

Haberdashers' Monmouth School

Halliford School

North London Grammar School

Queen Ethelburga's

Radnor House Sevenoaks

St Mary's School, Cambridge

St Mary's School, Gerrards Cross

St Teresa's School / Effingham Sixth Form

Tormead School

Wellington School

Wimbledon High School GDST

Independent School of the Year for Outstanding Educational Partnerships


Abbot's Hill School

Abingdon

Brighton College Abu Dhabi

Emanuel School

Erskine Stewart Melville

Gresham's School

Hulme Grammar School

King's College School, Wimbledon

Kingshott

Magdalen College School Oxford

The Mead School

The Portsmouth Grammar School

St Benedict's School Ealing

University College School

Independent School of the Year for Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ)


Blundell's School

Bury Grammar School

Chinthurst School

Clifton College

Greenbank Preparatory School and Day Nursery

Jersey College for Girls

The King's School, Chester

Manchester High School for Girls

The Manor Prep

The Perse

Ratcliffe College

Wycombe Abbey

Independent School of the Year for Sporting Achievement


Cheltenham College

Edgbaston High School for Girls (Preparatory School)

Finborough School

Holme Grange School

Howell's School, Llandaff GDST

King Edward's Witley

King's Bruton

King's St Alban's

King's Worcester

Millfield School

Notting Hill & Ealing High School GDST

Oakham School

Oakhyrst Grange School

Plymouth College

Rugby School

St Joseph's College Ipswich

St Mary's School

Uppingham School

Westbrook Hay School

Independent School of the Year for Performing Arts


Ackworth School

The Beacon

Bournemouth Collegiate School

Brackenfield School

Dame Allan's Schools

Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation

Eastbourne College

Godolphin and Latymer

The King's School, Canterbury

Norwich School

Park School

Read School

Redmaids' High Junior School

Reigate St Mary's

St Hugh's School

St John's College School

St John's College, Cardiff

Stafford Grammar School

Surbiton High School

Thomas's Kensington

Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Westholme School

Independent School of the Year for Student Wellbeing


Aberdour School

Brighton College Al Ain

Bromley High School GDST

Danes Hill Prep School

Fettes College

High School of Dundee

Highfield and Brookham School

Howe Green House School

Kingsley Devon

The Leys School, Cambridge

Lyonsdown School

Mayfield

Micklefield School and Nursery

New Hall School

Norwich High School for Girls GDST

Notre Dame School, Cobham

Prince's Mead

Reigate Grammar School

St Columba's School

Thames Christian School

Tudor Hall School

University College School Hampstead (UCS)

Wellingborough School

Worksop College and Ranby House

Independent School of the Year for International Student Experience


Ampleforth College

Bishop's Stortford College

Brighton College Dubai

Dean Close School

ICS London

Kent College Canterbury

Mill Hill International

Sidcot School

Strathallan School

Taunton School

The Worthgate School

Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility


Bryanston School

Hill House School

Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood

UWC Atlantic

Woodbridge School

The Marketing Award for Brand Communication


The Abbey School

City of London Freemen's School

Collegiate School, Bristol

Edgbaston High School

Ipswich School

Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire

Loughborough Schools Foundation

Mill Hill Education Group

The National Mathematics & Science College

Nottingham High School

S. Anselm's Prep School

St Aloysius' College

Twyford School

Independent School of the Year for SEND provision


Adcote School for Girls

Bedford Girls' School

Bligh House

Gosfield School

Hybrid @ London Park Schools

Kingswood House School

Leicester High School for Girls

Leweston School

London Park School Mayfair

LVS Ascot

Moon Hall School, Reigate

Oakwood School

Sir William Perkins's School

Slindon College

St Elizabeth's Specialist School

St Mary's College Preparatory School

Streatham & Clapham High School GDST

Westfield School

Rising Star of the Year Award


Cherwell College Oxford

Haberdashers' Monmouth School

Haileybury

Lord Wandsworth College

Redmaids' High School

Sherborne Boys

UWC Atlantic

2026 Awards Timeline

Nominations
open

24th March

Nominations
close

11th June

Commended
announced

3rd July

Finalists
announced

10th September

Judges
meet

September

Awards
ceremony

14th October