School of the Year Nomination Form – 2026

News Posted on by Alex Price
School of the Year is awarded to the school who goes the extra mile to inspire their students to consider apprenticeships as a positive alternative to other education routes.

 

Schools can nominate themselves for the Worcestershire School of the Year award or be nominated from someone external to the school (e.g. an employer, training organisation or apprentice).

If nominated by someone else, we would recommend that the school has some input too the nomination to ensure the questions are fully answered.

What are the judges looking for?

We are looking for a school that can show how well they engage with Gatsby benchmark 7 – Encounters with further and higher education with an emphasis on how the Career’s Leader promotes Apprenticeships and engages Training Providers within the school.

We are looking for a school who have Apprenticeships embedded in their Careers programme that delivers a stable, structured programme that helps students make informed decisions about their future. It should include a variety of activities and classes around Apprenticeships, and be tailored to the needs of each student.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 17th JULY 2026
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To apply for this award the school must be a Worcestershire based school.

School of the Year

School of the Year

Is this a self nomination?
Does this school know they have been nominated?
We are looking for inspirational schools so consider this question as the opportunity to grab the attention of the judges and stand out from the others. • The Career Programme should be a whole organisation approach and supported by senior management • The Career Programme should be clear and transparent, and available to all students at every age and should provide opportunities for advice and support that are tailored to the needs of each student • The Career Programme should provide students with access to high-quality information about apprenticeships and labour market opportunities • Details of how the school is a pro-active ambassador for Apprenticeships (score 5 points) • How does the school help to increase the number, quality and impact of Apprenticeships in Worcestershire? (score 5 points) • How does the school raise the profile and prestige of Apprenticeships amongst their students, for example, description of how the school promotes Apprenticeships and the types of activities they offer, what year groups are targeted, how many students are engaged each year (score 5 points) • How the Career Lead goes above and beyond the job role to support students with Careers Guidance around Apprenticeships? (score 5 points) • Examples of strong partnerships with other organisations such as CEC/Worcestershire Apprenticeships, partner organisations etc. What activities are the school undertaking to meet the PAL legislation and how does this directly relate to Apprenticeships (score 5 points)