As the academic year draws to a close, so too has the Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Awards, in association with leading school consultants Debrett’s Education – and we have a raft of worthy 2024 winners.

This year’s awards couldn’t have taken place without the support of our sponsor Debrett’s Education. It’s important to us that we partner with like-minded businesses and we love Debrett’s Education belief in progressive, holistic, modern education and the importance of putting the child first. Also, Founder Sioban O’Connor is a former head teacher herself, so she knows her stuff! (If you’re looking for advice on the best school fit for your child, email her and she can help).

After much deliberation our A list judging panel of headteachers and educational experts – Sioban O’Connor of Debrett’s Education, Patrick Derham OBE, Kieran McLaughlin, Mark Semmence, Emma Goldsmith, Lucy Elphinstone, Will Phelps, Sophie Green, Dr Guy Schady-Beckett, Stefan Anderson, Toby Garbett, Dr Jess Wade – have crowned Muddy’s Best Schools Awards winners of 2024.

So the time has come to hand out the gold stars and trophies to the schools below. But also a heartfelt thank you to all schools that entered the Awards this year, making it such an exciting competition and showing how committed you are to an outward-looking education.

AWESOME SIXTH FORM

WINNER

Wellington College, Crowthorne

FINALISTS 

• Notting Hill and Ealing High School, Ealing
• Queen Margaret’s School for Girls, York
• St Swithun’s School, Winchester 
• The Abbey, Reading

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Dauntsey’s School, West Lavington; King’s Ely, Ely; Stamford School, Stamford; The Mount School, York; The Royal Masonic School for Girls, Rickmansworth.

BEST EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (PREP)

WINNER

Aberdour School, Tadworth

FINALISTS 

• Brighton College Prep School, Brighton
• Hazelwood School, Oxted
• Hendon Prep School, Hendon
• Notting Hill Prep School, Notting Hill

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Bishop’s Stortford College, Bishop’s Stortford; Clayesmore School, Blandford; Faraday School, Poplar; St Mary’s School, Gerrards Cross; Thorngrove School, Highclere.

BEST EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (SENIOR)

WINNER

New Hall School, Boreham, Chelmsford

FINALISTS 

• Christ College, Brecon
• Giggleswick School, Settle
• Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, York
• Surbiton High School, Kingston Upon Thames

HIGHLY COMMENDED

King’s InterHigh, London; Malvern College, Malvern; Notting Hill and Ealing High School & Harrow School, London; St David’s College, Llandudno; Truro High School, Truro.

BEST LEARNING SUPPORT

WINNER

Oswestry School, Oswestry

FINALISTS

• Aysgarth School, Bedale
• Blundell’s Prep School, Tiverton
• Reigate Grammar School, Reigate
• The Oratory Prep School, Goring Heath

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Cranleigh School, Cranleigh; Pembridge Hall School, Notting Hill; Queen Margaret’s School for Girls, York; St David’s College, Llandudno; Tonbridge School, Tonbridge.

BRILLIANT BOARDING SCHOOL

WINNER

Roedean School, Brighton

FINALISTS

• Cottesmore School, Pease Pottage
• Sandroyd, Salisbury
• St George’s School Windsor Castle, Windsor
• Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe 

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Benenden School, Cranbrook; Cheltenham College, Cheltenham; Lockers Park, Hemel Hempstead; Ludgrove School, Wokingham; The Downs Malvern, Malvern.

CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABILITY

WINNER

Port Regis, Shaftesbury

FINALISTS 

• Notting Hill and Ealing High School, Ealing
• Radnor House Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks
• Reigate St Mary’s Prep and Choir School, Reigate
• West Buckland School, Barnstaple

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Bootham School, York; Brighton College Prep School, Brighton; Eaton House The Manor, Clapham; Holme Grange School, Wokingham; St Lawrence College, Ramsgate.

DYNAMIC PERFORMING ARTS (PREP)

WINNER

Wells Cathedral School, Wells

FINALISTS 

• Bickley Park School, Bromley
• Cumnor House Sussex, Danehill
• Edge Grove School, Watford
• Moulsford School, Moulsford

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Culford School, Bury St Edmunds; Heath Mount School, Hertford; King’s Ely, Ely; Solefield School, Sevenoaks, The Oratory Prep School, Goring Heath.

DYNAMIC PERFORMING ARTS (SENIOR)

WINNER

Bryanston School, Blandford

FINALISTS 

• Croydon High School GDST, Croydon
• Farringtons School, Chislehurst
• Wellington College, Crowthorne
• Wellington School, Wellington

HIGHLY COMMENDED

ACS Cobham International School, Cobham; Hurtwood House, Dorking; St Edmund’s School Canterbury, Canterbury; St Mary’s School, Gerrards Cross; Stafford Grammar School, Stafford.

EXCELLENCE IN STEM (PREP)

WINNER

Kingswood Prep School, Bath

FINALISTS

• Beachborough School, Westbury 
• Eaton Square Prep School, Pimlico
• Solefield School, Sevenoaks
• Windlesham House School, Pulborough

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Aberdour School, Tadworth; Crosfields School, Reading; Duncombe School, Hertford; Port Regis, Shaftesbury; Prince’s Mead School, Winchester.

EXCELLENCE IN STEM (SENIOR)

WINNER

Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park

FINALISTS

• Benenden School, Cranbrook
• Oxford High School GDST, Oxford
• St Edmund’s School, Canterbury
• St Helen and St Katharine, Abingdon

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Haileybury, Hertford; Northampton High School, Northampton; Stonar, Atworth; The Marist School, Ascot; The National Mathematics and Science College, Coventry.

GIVING SOMETHING BACK

WINNER

Wimbledon High School, Wimbledon

FINALISTS

• Downside School, Bath
• Dumpton School, Wimborne
• King’s High School, Warwick
• Tonbridge School, Tonbridge

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Brentwood School, Brentwood; Bryanston School, Blandford; Caterham School, Caterham; Leighton Park School, Reading; Queen’s Gate School, Kensington .

MOST CREATIVE LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

WINNER

Bilton Grange, Rugby

FINALISTS

• Godstowe Prep School, High Wycombe 
• King’s Ely Acremont & Nursery, Ely
• St George’s School Windsor Castle, Windsor
• Westbourne House School, Chichester

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Chinthurst School, Tadworth; Eagle House School, Sandhurst; Handcross Park School, Handcross; Knightsbridge School, Knightsbridge; Walhampton School, Lymington.

MOST INCLUSIVE SCHOOL (PREP)

WINNER

Walhampton School, Lymington 

FINALISTS

• Cumnor House School for Girls, Purley
• Faraday Prep School, Poplar
• Old Vicarage School, Richmond
• Perrott Hill School, Crewkerne

MOST INCLUSIVE SCHOOL (SENIOR)

WINNER

Bedford Girls’ School, Bedford

FINALISTS

• ACS Egham International School, Egham
• DLD College London, Westminster
• Eastbourne College, Eastbourne
• Leighton Park School, Reading

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Abbey College, Cambridge; Norwich High School for Girls GDST, Norwich; Shiplake College, Henley-on-Thames; St George’s School, Ascot; Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks.

PASSIONATE ABOUT SPORT (PREP)

WINNER

St Michael’s Prep School, Sevenoaks

FINALISTS 

• Handcross Park School, Handcross
• Holmewood House School, Tunbridge Wells
• Summer Fields, Oxford 
• Surbiton High Boys’ Prep School, Kingston

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Broomwood, Wandsworth; Cumnor House School for Girls, Purley; Dulwich Cranbrook, Cranbrook; Prospect House School, Putney; St George’s School Windsor Castle, Windsor.

PASSIONATE ABOUT SPORT (SENIOR)

WINNER

The Abbey, Reading

FINALISTS 

• Finborough School, Stowmarket
• King’s Ely, Ely
• Millfield School, Street
• Milton Abbey School, Blandford Forum

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Cheltenham College, Cheltenham; Culford School, Bury St Edmunds; Norwich High School for Girls GDST, Norwich; St Helen and St Katharine, Abingdon; Stamford School, Stamford.

PREPARED FOR LIFE AWARD

WINNER

Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe 

FINALISTS 

• Benenden School, Cranbrook
• Berkhamsted School, Berkhamsted
• Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
• Oxford High School GDST, Oxford 

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Cobham Hall School, Gravesend; Downe House School, Thatcham; Exeter School, Exeter; Headington School, Oxford; Wellington School, Wellington.

THE DEBRETT’S EDUCATION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PASTORAL CARE

WINNER

Sevenoaks Prep School, Sevenoaks

FINALISTS 

• Aysgarth School, Bedale
• Dame Allan’s School, Fenham
• Eltham College, Mottingham
• St Benedict’s School, Ealing

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Bruern Abbey School, Chesterton; Dumpton School, Wimborne; Lambrook, Bracknell; Lancing College, Lancing; Pinewood School, Shrivenham.