Reach Academy Feltham has been named in the top 50 shortlist for the Global Schools Prize 2026, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful schools
that are reimagining education for the future.
Reach Academy Feltham was selected in the Teacher Development category from almost 3,000 nominations and applications from 113 countries around the world.
Founded by renowned education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the $1 million Global Schools Prize is the largest prize of its kind. Today’s top 50 announcement recognises outstanding
schools worldwide that demonstrate exceptional drive and ambition for their students, regardless of circumstance, ensuring every learner has the chance to thrive.
The top 50 shortlisted schools are awarded a Global Schools Prize Badge, symbolising world-class impact and achievement in areas ranging from AI transformation to teacher development. These schools are also welcomed into the Global Schools Network, gaining access to partnerships, professional development, and global collaboration opportunities with other leading institutions.
Reach Academy Feltham is a pioneering all-through state school in West London serving 1,000 pupils aged 2–18, with a bold vision that no child’s background should define their future. Since 2012, Reach Academy Feltham has delivered outcomes in the top 1-2% nationally – in 2025, 90% of pupils met expected standards at Key Stage 2 versus 62% nationally and 97% of alumni progress to top universities, compared with 20% locally.
The school’s secret is relentless investment in teacher development. Every staff member receives weekly instructional coaching and bespoke CPD grounded in cognitive science. Reach Academy Feltham’s own Reach Teacher Training programme has trained 63 teachers since 2020 with a 100% employment rate, recruiting parents, teaching assistants and local graduates – 22% from minority ethnic backgrounds, through means-tested bursaries and Foundation Degrees.
Reach Academy Feltham helped pioneer Oak National Academy during Covid, hosted 570 international visitors last autumn through its Reach Out programme, and inspired 70+ cradle-to-career clusters nationally via The Reach Foundation. A DfE Flexible Working Ambassador School, 97% of staff report being content at work.
Led by CEO Rebecca Cramer, Global Teacher Prize nominee 2019, Reach Academy Feltham is a shining light in education. Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Schools Prize, and GEMS Education,
said:
“Congratulations Reach Academy Feltham. Your approach to teaching and learning powerfully demonstrates how schools play a defining role in equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to shape our rapidly evolving world. By highlighting your achievement, we hope to inspire a global movement to reimagine learning and turn bold ideas into real-world impact. This is more than an award – it’s a platform to spark a global conversation about scaling the best ideas in education and advancing action far beyond the classroom.”
The Top 50 will be narrowed down to 10 category winners, who will each be awarded $50,000. Of those, one extraordinary school will receive the Global Schools Prize and $500,000 to scale its impact.
The categories are:
● AI Transformation
● Arts, Culture and Creativity
● Character and Values Driven Education
● Global Citizenship and Peacebuilding
● Health and Wellbeing
● Overcoming Adversity
● SEND/Inclusive Education
● STEM Education
● Sustainability
● Teacher Development
The winner is expected to be announced at the Education World Forum in London in May.
Global Schools Prize Council
A Global Schools Prize Council, made up of some of the most respected and influential figures in global education, technology, and philanthropy, is guiding the prize and providing strategic insight.
It is co-chaired by Stefania Giannini, former Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, and Dame Christine Ryan, former Chair of the Ofsted Board. Its members include Rosalia Arteaga, former President and Vice-President of Ecuador, Nuno Crato, Portugal’s former Education Minister, Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills at the OECD, Dina Ghobashy, Director of Education Transformation, Microsoft, Lasse Leponiemi, Co-Founder and Chairman, HundrED Foundation,
Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner, GSV Ventures and co-founder of the ASU+GSV Summit, Heekyung (Jo) Min, Executive Vice President, CJ CheilJedang, Giuseppina Cannizzaro, Director, Dolce
& Gabbana, Jonnie Noakes, Director of The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning, Eton, 2019 Global Teacher Prize winner Peter Tabichi, 2023 Global Student Prize winner
Nhial Deng, and Global Student Prize finalists Kenisha Arora and Kekhashan Basu.
The Council is part of a wider Global Schools Prize Academy, which will choose the winner. The Global Schools Prize joins the Global Teacher Prize and Global Student Prize, completing a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and now schools as institutions of innovation and change. Together, the three prizes spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence – while rethinking
the future of learning for generations to come.
Interested schools were able to apply for the Global Schools Prize at
www.globalteacherprize.org/global-schools-prize before the closing date.
