Five London schools have been named the best in Britain
It can be tricky sometimes knowing where the best schools are, but some of them stand out as so great that they actually win awards. That's what Tes is all about.
The annual Tes awards, which have been going for 17 years, seek to '[highlight] the outstanding efforts and achievements in state and independent schools', with a focus on 'bringing independent and state schools together to celebrate excellence across the whole education sector in one inclusive national event.'
The 2025 awards took place last Friday (June 20), and winners were named in several categories from big ones like 'Inclusive School of the Year' to individual awards such as 'Teaching Assistant of the Year'. It gets pretty competitive, but five London schools managed to come out on top at the ceremony.
The biggest win went to Oasis Academy South Bank, which was named Secondary School of the Year. The school was praised for its high teacher-retention, overwhelmingly positive outcomes for students, and for fostering an atmosphere that is 'calm, focused and filled with love'.
Tes described the academy, which is free to attend, as providing 'pupils a warm, inclusive and supportive learning community that sets them up for life', adding that 'attendance is the second highest in the borough, despite the challenging circumstances of many pupils'. Pretty impressive stuff.
Rosemead Preparatory School and Nursery was named independent prep school of the year, with judges impressed by its forward thinking approach to education such as 'AI-enhanced learning and assessment, robotics on the curriculum' and more. Based in Dulwich, one expert described this school as 'one to watch'.
Other wins included Trust of the Year (10 schools or more) for the Harris Federation, for its high attainment levels and Ofsted reports, Best Use of Technology for the special needs school Abingdon House, which uses specialised tech to help its neurodiverse student body thrive, and Subject Lead of the Year, which went to William McWhirter, the head of PE at Kingsdale Foundation School. Each of these wins was well-earned, and you can see the complete judges comments on the Tes website here.
Congrats – and thanks! – to all the schools and teachers keeping London's children well-educated and well-looked after.
Get schooled with Time Out
We've reported on a lot of school-related news. Here are the best private prep schools near London, and the best for getting students Oxbridge offers. Plus, this is the London university that is officially better than Oxford and Cambridge for 2026.
Private schools aren't the only ones serving exceptional education, though. See which comprehensive state schools ranked highly on the Sunday Times Power Guide here, and the best selective and grammar schools, according to the same guide. If you want to check out other league tables, these are the UK's best state secondary schools based on 2024 GCSE results, according to Which School Advisor.
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Five London schools have been named the best in Britain
Children spend a lot of their lives at school. That's where they learn, it's probably where their friends are, and it's where they're being set up with skills and knowledge that'll benefit them for the rest of their lives. So, where your children go to school is pretty important. It can be tricky sometimes knowing where the best schools are, but some of them stand out as so great that they actually win awards. That's what Tes is all about. The annual Tes awards, which have been going for 17 years, seek to '[highlight] the outstanding efforts and achievements in state and independent schools', with a focus on 'bringing independent and state schools together to celebrate excellence across the whole education sector in one inclusive national event.' The 2025 awards took place last Friday (June 20), and winners were named in several categories from big ones like 'Inclusive School of the Year' to individual awards such as 'Teaching Assistant of the Year'. It gets pretty competitive, but five London schools managed to come out on top at the ceremony. The biggest win went to Oasis Academy South Bank, which was named Secondary School of the Year. The school was praised for its high teacher-retention, overwhelmingly positive outcomes for students, and for fostering an atmosphere that is 'calm, focused and filled with love'. Tes described the academy, which is free to attend, as providing 'pupils a warm, inclusive and supportive learning community that sets them up for life', adding that 'attendance is the second highest in the borough, despite the challenging circumstances of many pupils'. Pretty impressive stuff. Rosemead Preparatory School and Nursery was named independent prep school of the year, with judges impressed by its forward thinking approach to education such as 'AI-enhanced learning and assessment, robotics on the curriculum' and more. Based in Dulwich, one expert described this school as 'one to watch'. Other wins included Trust of the Year (10 schools or more) for the Harris Federation, for its high attainment levels and Ofsted reports, Best Use of Technology for the special needs school Abingdon House, which uses specialised tech to help its neurodiverse student body thrive, and Subject Lead of the Year, which went to William McWhirter, the head of PE at Kingsdale Foundation School. Each of these wins was well-earned, and you can see the complete judges comments on the Tes website here. Congrats – and thanks! – to all the schools and teachers keeping London's children well-educated and well-looked after. Get schooled with Time Out We've reported on a lot of school-related news. Here are the best private prep schools near London, and the best for getting students Oxbridge offers. Plus, this is the London university that is officially better than Oxford and Cambridge for 2026. Private schools aren't the only ones serving exceptional education, though. See which comprehensive state schools ranked highly on the Sunday Times Power Guide here, and the best selective and grammar schools, according to the same guide. If you want to check out other league tables, these are the UK's best state secondary schools based on 2024 GCSE results, according to Which School Advisor.
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