1. ELIGIBILITY
1.1 The Independent Schools of the Year 2024 awards (“the Awards”) is open to all independent schools which are members of an association in membership of the Independent Schools Council. This includes any British international school which is a member of COBIS or of a constituent association of the Independent Schools Council situated anywhere in the world other than the UK.
1.2 The Awards are free to enter and the nominations process is simple. All entrants must be an authorised representative and complete the entry form located here.
1.3 All information detailing how to enter the Awards forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the entrant agrees to abide by these rules. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.
1.4 The Awards are void where prohibited by local law and entrants from these countries will not be eligible to win an award. It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable local laws.
1.5 Entry to the Awards will open at 14:00 GMT on 14 March 2024 and close at 23:59 BST on 4 June 2024.
2. HOW TO ENTER
2.1 All entries must relate to activity primarily undertaken in the 2023-24 academic year and entrants must be able to verify the validity of the claims made in their application and the facts provided in their entry form(s).
2.2 Entrants may enter more than one award category and each entry must be submitted using a separate entry form. Entrants must clearly set out in the entry form which category they are entering and should tailor their entry to address the criteria set out for the appropriate category.
2.3 Entrants must upload a school logo with their entry form. Where an entrant provides images in support of their entry (maximum of three), they must be supplied as a vector file (EPS/AI) or a high-resolution image (3MB+). Video may also be used to support an entry by providing a link to an online hosting platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo. Any image or video provided as part of an entry must be in accordance with clause 3 below.
2.4 Entrants must confirm the current inspection status of their school at the time they submit their entry and advise if this changes during the course of the awards process. Entrants must also proactively advise the Promoter if any material challenges to the good reputation of their school emerge during the course of the awards process.
2.5 Entries must not contain any confidential information.
2.6 Entries must be received by 23:59 BST on 4 June 2024. Once submitted, the Promoter cannot accept any changes to any part of an entry.
2.7 Late, illegible, incomplete, defaced, corrupt entries or entries which do not comply with these terms and conditions will not be accepted. No responsibility can be accepted for lost entries and proof of transmission or posting will not be accepted as proof of receipt. Entries must not be sent through agencies or third parties.
3. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
3.1 It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure that their entry does not infringe the copyright, intellectual property rights or any other rights of any third party.
3.2 Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in all entries submitted for the Awards remains with the respective entrants. However, each entrant grants the Promoter with a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to feature any or all of the submitted entries in any of their publications, their websites and/or in any promotional material connected to the Awards.
3.3 Entrants are on notice that:
(a) The Promoter accepts no responsibility for protecting the entrant’s submission from disclosure, copying or infringement;
(b) An entrant may withdraw their permission for the Promoter to use information provided in, and in support of, the entry form, by emailing isoty@chelseamagazines.com.
4. AWARDS CATEGORIES
4.1 The Awards Categories are: Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year, Independent Prep School of the Year, Co-educational Independent School of the Year, Independent Girls’ School of the Year, Independent Boys’ School of the Year, Independent Boarding School of the Year, The British International School of the Year, Small Independent School of the Year, London Independent School of the Year, Independent School of the Year for Best Use of Education Technology, Independent School of the Year for Student Careers, Independent School of the Year for Outstanding Educational Partnerships, Independent School of the Year for Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ), Independent School of the Year for Sporting Achievement, Independent School of the Year for Performing Arts, Independent School of the Year for Environmental Achievement, Independent School of the Year for Student Wellbeing, Independent School of the Year for International Student Experience, Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility, The Marketing Award for Brand Communication Development Award for an Outstanding Fundraising Achievement, The School Travel Award for the Best School Trip of the Year, Rising Star of the Year Award, Unsung Hero of the Year Award.
4.2 The Independent School of the Year Award cannot be entered as a standalone category; it will be selected from one of the winners of the other categories (excluding the Rising Star of the Year and the Unsung Hero of the Year awards).
4.3 The Promoter reserves the right to cancel or merge categories if there are fewer than five entries that meet the award criteria as set out in these Entry Rules (entrants will be notified of any changes in advance) and also to make awards to joint winners at the discretion of the judging panel.
5. JUDGING PANEL
5.1 The judging panel comprises representatives from membership associations and independent schools in the UK and overseas.
5.2 The winner of The Rising Star of the Year award will be decided by the Promoter’s editorial and publishing team and the Unsung Hero of the Year award by the Promoter’s senior management team.
6. JUDGING PROCESS
6.1 The decision of the judges will be at their sole discretion, are final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to the decision of the judges.
6.2 The judges will base their decision on the criteria that is given with each category which can be found on the entry form.
6.3 The judging process timeline can be viewed here.
7. GENERAL
7.1 The Promoter reserves the right to refuse to accept any entry which in its opinion does not comply with these terms and conditions or which contravenes the spirit of the Awards.
7.2 All winning entrants will be announced at the Awards ceremony which will be held in October 2024.
7.3 The Promoter’s decision in all Awards-related matters shall be final.
7.4 All winning entrants may be required to take part in reasonable publicity on behalf of the Promoter.
7.5 Entrants’ data will be used for the purpose of administration of the Awards and in accordance with the permissions granted or withheld at the point of entry.
7.6 Events may occur that render the Awards impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the Promoter and accordingly the Promoter may at its absolute discretion vary, amend or waive the Entry Rules and the entrant agrees that no liability shall attach to the Promoter as a result thereof.
7.7 These Terms and Conditions are to be interpreted in accordance with English law and any dispute arising out of these Terms or their subject matter is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
Promoter: The Chelsea Magazine Company with its registered office at: 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DT.
