Awards

Caterham provides an education that opens doors of opportunity. Our results continue to place us in the top schools in the country and summer 2024 saw pupils secure a full scholarship place at Princeton, an unconditional offer at fellow Ivy League University of Pennsylvania and an offer from Columbia University in addition to Oxbridge places and a 100 per cent success rate for our young medics for the second year running.

We are proud of our school’s achievements and the innovations across school life which positively impact our young people, our community and make our school a global educational leader. In addition to being named as the Times Educational Supplement’s Best UK Independent School, Caterham’s commitment to wellbeing, to innovation and digital, and to excellence across co-curricular and sport continue to receive significant recognition. 

The most important recognition comes from our own pupils and families. Caterham was inspected by the Independent School’s Inspectorate in 2024 and under the new framework, significant weight is placed on pupils’ achievement and daily experience. Caterham is currently the only HMC through school to receive three Key Areas of Strength in an ISI inspection, awarded for teaching, learning and ambition for our young people, for wellbeing and for technological skills.
To read our ISI inspection report click here.

• Tes Best Independent Senior School 

Caterham School was named Best Independent Senior School in the Times Educational Supplement Awards. The Tes Schools Awards are recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the education world and bring together the very best teachers and schools from UK state and independent settings. The award recognised excellence across every area of school life, including Caterham’s commitment to improving educational opportunity locally and nationally. 

• WINNER – INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR AWARD

Caterham was named winner in The Independent Schools of the Year Awards for the best use of education technology. The shortlisting is in recognition of Caterham’s Digital and Innovation curriculum EDGE, followed by pupils from Reception in the Prep School and from First Year to Upper Sixth in the senior school, and its development and deployment of groundbreaking ed tech, including RileyBot. RileyBot is the first purpose built AI learning and teaching bot for use across all age ranges, adapting to the age and learning needs of each child.

Best Head of a Public School

We were delighted to learn that our very own Mr Ceri Jones has been shortlisted for Best Head of a Public School, in the Tatler Schools Awards 2025.  Nominations for the Tatler Schools Awards are based solely on votes from pupils, parents and staff. The Best Head of a Public School category is for Heads who go above and beyond, and the shortlist recognises the top five heads in the UK.  

The Tatler Schools Guide is based on school visits, conversations with parents, pupils, teachers and heads in addition to a comprehensive annual survey. The updated review of Caterham School in the 2025 guide says: “This seems to be the school for strengthening whatever your child’s interest and talents might be.”

• WINNER – Innovative Technology-Led Teaching

  Caterham School was announced as a winner in the national Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Awards 2023 in recognition of the school’s dedication to preparing young people for the fast changing world they are stepping into. The award win noted the digital, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills which are integral to pupils’ experience at Caterham.  

• ed tech 50 award

In recognition of our pioneering use of education technology, Caterham is one of a handful of UK schools to receive an EdTEch award. The ‘Edtech Oscars’, supported by Intel, were chosen by an independent judging panel made up of educators and edtech experts.

Caterham School was named as part of the prestigious Edtech 50 awards and features in a national publication that showcases imaginative uses of technology to support teaching and learning across the UK. The Edtech 50 report includes details of the schools’ work and has contributions from Ministers of Education from Wales, Scotland and England.  See more here: https://www.caterhamschool.co.uk/news/caterham-wins-edtech-oscar/

• NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BUREAU WELLBEING AWARD

Wellbeing and pastoral care at Caterham School has been given the UK’s highest accolade after the school was awarded the National Children’s Bureau backed Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS). Following a rigorous 16-month-long assessment, which included input from pupils, parents and staff, Caterham’s pioneering approach to Wellbeing was endorsed by the WAS inspector who commented: “Wellbeing is embedded in the curriculum and across the whole school. Pupils and staff have incredibly positive things to say about the climate of the school and how they have been personally supported.” Click here to read more..  

• APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL

Caterham School has once again been recognised as a leading school for its application of technology in teaching and learning with the extension of the school’s Apple Distinguished status. The School is one of only a handful of UK schools be formally accredited as an Apple Distinguished School.

The extension of Caterham’s Apple status follows the execution of a best practice programme to integrate the use of iPads alongside traditional teaching methods. Since the full roll-out of the programme in September 2015, students have used iPads in a range of innovative ways, including receiving instructive and interactive verbal marking and feedback on homework via their iPads.

Since the launch of the programme, the school has received interest and visitors from across the globe, keen to learn from Caterham’s experience and success. Click here to read more…

 

• TES BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY AWARD

Caterham School proudly accepted the award for ‘Best Use of Technology’ Award at the Times Educational Supplement Independent School Awards. This award recognises “measureable excellence in the use of education technology by a school”. In September 2016, Caterham opened a new Innovation Centre that includes a robotics centre, a virtual-reality room, a green screen/editing room, animation pods, a video conferencing room and the base for a drone that films in high definition. Of the Innovation Centre, the TES Independent School Awards judges said, “Caterham’s innovation centre has done that, bringing together technology and opportunity, and allowing pupils to thrive as a result.” Click here to read more..

APPLE regional TRAINING CENTRE

Caterham School was named an Apple Regional Training Centre (RTC) following a number of years as an Apple Distinguished School. As an RTC we offer training on making the most of Apple technology in the classroom to the local community, our feeder schools and our own staff. In addition to this, Caterham has been delivering the Apple Digital Leadership Academy program; a one day course for senior leaders, which gives them the skills and tools through which to successfully lead an iPad programme in their own schools. This has been a hugely successful initiative which saw the school deliver training to over 100 different schools last year.

• WELLBEING, STRATEGIC INITIATIVE & CREATIVITY RECOGNISED BY TES

Caterham School was shortlisted in no less than three categories in the 2021 Times Educational Supplement Independent School Awards. These awards recognise the very best work and achievements across UK independent schools with a judging panel of the most experienced leaders in the sector.

Wellbeing Initiative of the Year – recognising the provision and effort from across the school, the community and indeed across the globe, to support each other, our partners and beyond during the recent lockdowns.

Strategic Initiative of the Year – for the development of our Shadow Board of young alumni who work alongside the Board of Trustees. The Shadow Board will help ensure Caterham’s focus remains on preparing young people for the rapidly changing world of work they are graduating into, and ensure that the voice of our young people from BAME communities are heard at the highest level of decision-making.

Creativity Award – for the Academic Shorts series that was another huge hit during lockdown. Led by Mathew Owen and embraced by staff and pupils, Academic Shorts demonstrated the breadth of interests, knowledge and the shear enthusiasm for academic subjects. It was a brilliant way to connect whilst virtual schooling, and has begun an enduring video library packed full of inspiration.