Our judges want to hear the story of your school in 2025–26 – in your own words. Tell them why you’re proud of your community, what makes your school tick, how you are building resilience into your operation, and why the children in your care enjoy such a brilliant, all-round experience.

Bring your entry to life with real examples and a bit of hard evidence where you can (but please, no dry lists). Above all, try to capture what school life actually feels like – as if the judges were strolling through the gates, peeking into classrooms and chatting to pupils in the playground.

Resilience is very much the watchword of the moment in our sector, prompting a clear-eyed focus on the future amongst leadership teams up and down the country. So please weave an explanation of how your school is taking sensible, forward-thinking steps to shore up its long-term stability into your answers.

These are the key areas we’d like you to cover. Do keep the focus firmly on what makes you a great pre-prep, not just a good school in general:

• What makes your school special?
  What sets your community apart from other pre-preps? What are you most proud of, and what would you say are your standout achievements this year? In short, why should your school be seen as best in class and deserving of this award? (Around 200 words)
• How have you met the needs of your pre-prep pupils?
  Tell us how your pre-prep provision really delivered for children in 2025–26. Were there any particular projects, innovations or initiatives that made a real difference and which our judges should know about? (Around 150 words)
• What values shape your school?
  How have you built resilience into your school operation? What are the core principles that run through everything you do, and how do they influence your pupils day to day? How do you help children grow in confidence and prepare them for the next step in their education? (Around 150 words)

In short: be honest, be engaging, and show us the heart and soul of your school.