Buckinghamshire Council are pleased to be hosting the fourth annual Buckinghamshire School Awards, celebrating the wonderful work our teachers, school staff, governors and volunteers deliver across the county.

To help celebrate, we are asked all staff and governors across Buckinghamshire to nominate their heroes in one of eleven award categories. Whether you wanted to celebrate a fantastic teaching colleague, an inspirational headteacher or an unsung hero in your school, school staff have nominated and told us all about the difference that they make to the children and young people across Buckinghamshire.

Nominations have now closed for 2026

We are delighted to have received over 150 nominations for 2026.

We are pleased to announce that this year’s awards will be sponsored by Wycombe Swan, Leap, Supply Desk, Sounds-Write, Buckinghamshire New University, National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE) and The Rothschild Foundation and Waddesdon Manor.

The categories for 2026 are:

• New Teacher of the Year Awards - Sponsored by National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE)
• Teacher of the Year Award - Sponsored by The Rothschild Foundation and Waddesdon Manor
• Teaching Assistant of the Year Award
• Headteacher of the Year - Sponsored by Supply Desk 
• Inclusion Award - Sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University 
• Great Governance Award
• Innovation in Education Award - Sponsored by Sounds-Write
• Health and Wellbeing Award - Sponsored by Leap
• School with Excellence in Early Years Award
• Unsung Heroes Award - Sponsored by Wycombe Swan
• Volunteer of the Year Award

Shortlisted nominees will be invited to attend the awards ceremony at the Wycombe Swan on 9 July 2026.

Award timeline:

1. Nominations open week commencing 19 January 2026
2. Nominations close: 13 March 2026
3. Judging and shortlisting panels: April 2026
4. Shortlisted nominees invited to the Award Ceremony: May 2026
5. Award ceremony for shortlisted nominees – 9 July 2026