AWARDS
International School
Awards
Let’s celebrate good practice in international schools!
ABOUT
2023 International School Awards
The International School Awards are hosted by ISC Research. They aim to identify and disseminate innovative practice across a range of contemporary priorities that are being initiated and implemented by the international schools community. Judging is based upon an individual initiative within a specific category, conducted by an independent and diverse panel of expert judges, and the awards do not suggest broader quality standards for any shortlisted school.
Winners were announced during a live streamed ceremony on Tuesday 24th January 2023.
The International School Awards are hosted by ISC Research with the support of International School Leader Magazine.
CATEGORIES
2023 Award categories
Community partnership
This award will recognise a school initiative that involves students as community partners, working in collaboration with an external group to develop impact in the community.
Digital technology in learning
This award will recognise a school initiative that involves digital technology to support student learning in a way that includes the development of digital responsibility as part of the initiative.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice
This award will recognise an initiative being implemented as part of a school’s strategic journey towards developing DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion and justice).
Ethical values education
This award will recognise how a school initiative is supporting students in their development of ethical values which encourage them to think and act as global citizens.
Future pathways
This award will recognise how a school initiative is preparing students with the skills and/or values to support their future pathways.
Innovation and creativity in learning
This award will recognise a school initiative that supports students in future thinking and creative innovation.
Safeguarding
This award will recognise a school initiative that supports safeguarding within a school community. This may include the prevention of radicalisation.
Strategic leadership
This award will recognise an initiative that has been collectively spearheaded by a leadership team, senior leadership team or governing body.
Sustainability
This award will recognise an initiative being implemented as part of a school’s sustainability ethos.
Wellbeing
This award will recognise a school initiative that supports the wellbeing of a school’s stakeholders, including the pastoral care of students.
International school of the year
This award is selected by the judges from one of the winners of the 10 individual categories.
Also included in last year's awards
International impact
This award recognised a school initiative that demonstrated how international education and the school ethos had had a positive impact within the locality and/or on a global scale.
Teaching and learning
This award recognised a subject-specific or whole-school initiative that had supported teaching and learning to the benefit of the students.
PEOPLE
Judges
A panel of independent judges select all shortlisted and winning schools.
Polly Akhurst
Job title - Co-founder and Co-Executive Director, Amala
Polly Akhurst is the Co-founder and Co Executive Director of Amala, a not for profit organisation which uses the power of education to transform the lives of refugees, their communities and the world. Amala has developed the first high school ... View profile
Dr Samia Al Farra
Job title - International Education Consultant
Dr Samia Al Farra works as a consultant in school improvement and excellence in education K-12. Currently she serves on three boards of international schools in Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait. She was the Chief Education Officer of Taaleem Management ... View profile
John Bastable
Job title - Director of Bastable School Solutions
After graduating from Cambridge in 1975, John left the UK for a two-year teaching post overseas and returned 38 years later having gained extensive international experience, spending 35 years in leadership positions. John is now semi-retired ... View profile
Judith Fabian
Job title - Former Chief Academic Officer of the International Baccalaureate
Judith taught English and Drama in secondary schools in London for 10 years, followed by 15 years as department head and principal in international schools in Jordan, Tanzania and Germany. She joined the International Baccalaureate (IB) in ... View profile
Jeremy Lewis
Job title - Head of School, ACS Egham International School, UK
Jeremy Lewis served as Head of School at ACS Egham International School in the UK for 12 years. Prior to joining ACS Egham, Jeremy held leadership roles in Turkey, Vietnam, Hungary, Japan and Kuwait. During his 38 years in international ... View profile
Kristina Madsen
Job title - International Coordinator of Education, Foundation for Environmental Education
Kristina Madsen is the International Coordinator of Education responsible for the Eco-Schools programme at Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Recognised by UNESCO and UN Environment as a world-leader ... View profile
Anu Monga
Job title - Founder and Chair of TAISI
Anu Monga has a distinguished career within education in India and the international schools market. She has more than thirty years of senior leadership experience and has worked in different leadership capacities with leading schools in Delhi, ... View profile
Ango Mwakisu
Job title - Senior Assistant Director of Admissions
Ango Mwakisu has been working in international higher education for more than 10 years. Originally from the land of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ango is an alumnus of Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany where he earned both his ... View profile
Mónica Pérez-Bedmar
Job title - Professor, Department of Natural Sciences, Saint Louis University, Madrid, Spain
Mónica Pérez-Bedmar is a double national Spanish-American. Upon completion of primary and secondary school in her hometown of Madrid, she received a scholarship to study in Florida Tech University, where she completed a BS in Oceanography and ... View profile
Paul Regan
Job title - Former Principal of Oaktree International School, Kolkata, India
Paul has worked in the field of education as teacher, head teacher and principal for over thirty years, fifteen of them in international education. He has run schools in Kenya, the Ukraine, Bosnia and India and, as founding head, he has started ... View profile
Trevor Rowell
Job title - Chairman of COBIS
Trevor has extensive international experience with 20 years overseas. Educated at Oxford and Cambridge, after headships in England he was then Head of an international school and CEO of a leading schools group. He has been Chairman of COBIS, ... View profile
Kevin Ruth
Job title - President, Moreland University
Kevin is the President of Moreland University, the TEACH-NOW Graduate School of Education, and the former Executive Director of ECIS. In addition to two decades in education as a teacher, advisor, department head, and deputy head, he has given ... View profile
Dr Helen Wright
Job title - International Education Advisor
Helen has an energetic career spanning 25 years to date in the UK and international education sector, including 13 years leading schools as Head, as well as a number of national and international roles, including as Vice-Chair of the ... View profile
OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsorship
Raise further awareness of your brand by sponsoring the International School of the Year award or an award category of your choice.
AWARD NEWS
Stay informed
Read our news to keep informed of the International School Awards. View all ISC Research news.
How can international schools prepare for a crisis?
We recently hosted an online panel discussion addressing the challenge of crises management in international schools. Our panel of experts share advice on how to approach the stakeholder communication flow at a time of crisis, the importance of the whole school community’s wellbeing and much more. Read more
International School Awards 2023 Winners Revealed
The winners of the International School Awards 2023 were announced during a live online event on Tuesday 24th of January. 291 applications were received this year from international schools in 61 countries including schools in Poland, the United States of America, Thailand, Belgium and China. Read more
Submitting a quality application: Advice from the International School Awards judges
The aim of the International School Awards is to share some of the outstanding initiatives that address common needs for learning and for community action that are being implemented by international schools. Here is some advice from the International School Awards judging panel to guide schools when preparing their awards application. Read more
