2026 Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award

Sponsored by Liverpool John Moores University
Winner 2026

Professor Caroline Dive

University of the Year

Winner 2026

University of Leeds

Further Education College of the Year

Sponsored by The University of Manchester
Winner 2026

Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College

Highly Commended 2026

Pure College

Medical School of the Year

Winner 2026

University of Sunderland School of Medicine

Business School of the Year

Sponsored by Mindful Education
Winner 2026

University of Lancashire Business School

Law School of the Year

Winner 2026

Liverpool John Moores University - School of Law and Justice Studies

Highly Commended 2026

Northumbria Law School

Leadership and Innovation Award

Winner 2026

Professor Hannah Holmes

— Manchester Metropolitan University

Mental Health and Wellbeing Award

Sponsored by Smooth Radio North East & Smooth Radio North West
Winner 2026

University of Lancashire School of Veterinary Medicine

— How to Thrive in Veterinary Education

Apprenticeship Award - HE/FE Sector

Sponsored by The University of Manchester
Winner 2026

Wigan & Leigh College

Highly Commended 2026

Warrington & Vale Royal College

— Advanced Automation Build Programme

Apprenticeship Award - University Sector

Sponsored by The University of Manchester
Winner 2026

University of Salford

— Apprenticeships

Business Engagement Award - HE/FE Sector

Winner 2026

Trafford and Stockport College Group

— Manchester Airport Skills Hub
Highly Commended 2026

Hull College

— AI Academy

Business Engagement Award - University Sector

Winner 2026

University of Huddersfield's Institute of Railway Research

— Driving the Future of our Railways

Campaign of the Year

Sponsored by John Kennedy CBE
Winner 2026

Northumbria University

— Unlock Your Potential Campaign
Highly Commended 2026

The Sheffield College on behalf of the South Yorkshire Colleges Partnership

— South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub

College or FE Student Achievement of the Year

Sponsored by Smooth Radio North East & Smooth Radio North West
Winner 2026

Mia Goodall

— St Helens College

University Student Achievement of the Year

Winner 2026

Lamin Gibba

— Newcastle College University Centre
Highly Commended 2026

Ramitha Nittore Ramnath

— University of Chester

PHD Student Achievement of the Year

Sponsored by Esharelife Foundation
Winner 2026

Rand Abdulhussain

— University of Huddersfield
Highly Commended 2026

Caroline Biddle & Tom Mitchell

— Manchester Metropolitan University

Student Experience Award - HE/FE Sector

Sponsored by Communicorp UK
Winner 2026

Askham Bryan College

— Aspire Mentoring Programme

Student Experience Award - University Sector

Winner 2026

University of Chester

— Chester Credentials Nano-credentials
Highly Commended 2026

Leeds Beckett University - Embedding Employability and Belonging through Integrated Assessment & Teesside University - Law Employability Innovation Team

Charity/Third Sector Award

Winner 2026

Northumbria Students' Union

— An Outstanding Year
Highly Commended 2026

Swarthmore Education Centre

Community Engagement Award - HE/FE Sector

Winner 2026

Newcastle College (& EPNE, Children North East, King's Trust, Winnovation, The Key, NUF, Groundworks)

— Open Doors: Beyond Barriers
Highly Commended 2026

Sunderland College

— Hate2Riot Project

Community Engagement Award - University Sector

Winner 2026

Newcastle University & RISE

— Community Physical Activity Clinical Champions
Highly Commended 2026

York St John University

— Counselling CPD and Communities Centre: Supporting Mental Health across the Community

Digital and AI Innovation Award - HE/FE Sector

Sponsored by Liverpool John Moores University
Winner 2026

Bishop Burton College

— Inclusive, Immersive and AI Driven Learning Transformation

Digital and AI Innovation Award - University Sector

Winner 2026

University of Cumbria

— The Clarence Project' Rehumanising Nursing Education

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Award

Winner 2026

Leeds Beckett University Business School

— #WECAN Programme

Game-Changing Education Award

Winner 2026

University of Lancashire

— Transforming Medical Education with Playful Learning

Heart Creative Arts Award

Sponsored by Heart Yorkshire
Winner 2026

Wakefield College

— Reclaim the Night: Demanding Justice through Art
Highly Commended 2026

Wirral Met College

— Creative Arts Impact

Liverpool Hope Prize; Outstanding Achievement for Social Mobility

Sponsored by Liverpool Hope University
Winner 2026

Cheshire College - South & West

— Crewe 42

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Initiative Award

Sponsored by IT Capital
Winner 2026

The University of Manchester (Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub)

— Great Science Share for Schools

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Initiative Award

Sponsored by IT Capital
Winner 2026

University of York

— GenerationResearch

Innovation Award

Winner 2026

University of Leeds

— NewsdayVR

Sustainable Green Initiative - HE/FE Sector

Winner 2026

Bishop Burton College

— Decarbonising our Campus

Sustainable Green Initiative - University Sector

Winner 2026

The University of Manchester and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust KTP

— PeatFix: To Support and Improve Peatland Restoration and Revegetation

UEG

Sponsored by In Professional Development
Winner 2026

Ellie Brown, Recondition

CCUK Outstanding Contribution Awards - Outstanding School, College or University

Sponsored by Smooth Radio North East & Smooth Radio North West
Winner 2026

Teesside University

CCUK Outstanding Contribution Awards - Outstanding Teacher

Sponsored by Smooth Radio North East & Smooth Radio North West
Winner 2026

Anthony Gascoigne

— East Riding College, TEC Partnership

CCUK Outstanding Contribution Awards - Outstanding Head Teacher

Sponsored by Heart Yorkshire
Winner 2026

Andrew Miller

— Mowbray Primary School

Our Event Sponsors & Partners

RM Communications
Liverpool John Moores University
The University of Manchester
John Kennedy CBE
Communicorp UK
Esharelife Foundation
Heart Yorkshire
IT Capital
Liverpool Hope University
Mindful Education
Smooth Radio North East & Smooth Radio North West
In Professional Development

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Testimonials

The Educate North Awards represent both an important high-point and aspiration for the North’s academics, institutions and indeed students. It provides a platform for sharing excellence and achievement. More importantly it encourages, promotes, and nurtures the sector and talent. Congratulations on reaching 10. Here’s to the next ten celebrations of what the education sector achieves. DR JOHN CATER CBE DL, FORMER VICE-CHANCELLOR
EDGE-HILL UNIVERSITY
I was overwhelmed to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Educate North Awards. It’s inspiring to see so many dedicated people being recognised for their important work across the educational sector and across so many disciplines. I hope the creators will build upon their own success and create more opportunities to showcase what education really means in the North of this country. PROFESSOR NICOLA CURTIN
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
Seeing the Educate North Awards live for the first time was a wonderful experience. To bring an often disparate sector together is wonderful, to share best-practice is fulfilling and to see the superb standards from Sixth-Forms, Further Education and then HE in one room is often, breathtaking. We should embrace the ENAs more and drive it forward beyond this special 10th ceremony. SIR JOHN JONES
EDUCATIONALIST
The idea sounded complex but exciting in 2015. Could the North create a showpiece which would harness the best of the talents we have in our educational sector? Would anyone even enter? Would we create a respected and highly motivated judging panel and find expert leadership for it? Would we also find room, as we did in the first 3 years, to debate the future direction and resources needed to increase social mobility and opportunities for all? Would we find new business ideas and young entrepreneurs as well with a willingness to test their ideas? The answer was yes, and the result is a wonderful parade of superb nominees who are helping shape and change the worlds they occupy. Long may Educate North continue. DR JOHN KENNEDY CBE, KSG, KMCO, DL.
PATRON OF EDUCATE NORTH AWARDS
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