The IHE Awards are our annual celebration of excellence in independent higher education, recognising the quality, innovation and diversity that exists across the IHE community. Each year, we honour member institutions and individual members.

We were delighted to receive over 60 nominations across all categories, making this year's awards the most competitive yet. We received some truly outstanding entries that reflect IHE Members' dedication to delivering exceptional educational experiences and commitment to continuous improvement.

We would like to express our gratitude to our awards sponsors — Coole Insight, SEER and UCAS — for their partnership and support in championing the achievements of our members.

We also give thanks to our awards judges — an independent panel formed of 12 individuals from across the higher education community and supporting organisations.

IHE Awards 2025

Award categories: Member institutions

EMPOWERING STUDENT VOICE

Recognising IHE Members who are empowering students to use their voice to effect change and make a positive difference in their institution.

SHORTLISTED

  • AD Education UK 
    We keep the voices and interests of our students at the heart of our management and governance structures. This has been exemplified over the last two years with the founding and formal recognition of a UK-wide cross-institutional Students' Union that protects the interests of our students and gives students autonomous collective power. We are immensely proud to see a longstanding ambition come to life with the establishment of a formal Students' Union that will bring lasting benefits to the lives of our students and alumni.

  • ASU London
    The student voice is embedded at every level of strategy, policy, and practice. Students are recognised as co-developers of their education, influencing curriculum design, assessment, wellbeing initiatives, and institutional priorities. Representation is supported through both formal structures and informal mechanisms, ensuring accessible, responsive, and equitable participation. Through compassionate partnership, we are building a culture where lived experience informs decision-making, feedback leads to visible change, and policies are co-owned by staff and students.

  • Bloomsbury Institute 
    Bloomsbury Radio’s innovative training and podcast production is a powerful platform for students to share their experiences and influence change. Through compassionate partnership with students, we transform storytelling into a process of empowerment, especially for those who may feel excluded from the traditional student voice. By embedding co-production into both creative practice and policy development, this initiative exemplifies what it means to empower students as partners, storytellers, and changemakers in higher education.

Kindly sponsored by Coole Insight

INSPIRING COURSE

Recognising IHE Members who are transforming the learning experience of students and delivering impact through innovative course design, content and delivery

SHORTLISTED

  • University of Buckingham – Medical School
    The Student Selected Component (SSC) in Clinical Innovation and Enterprise sees third-year MB ChB Medicine students engage with NHS staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to uncover genuine challenges and explore practical solutions. A collaboration between the University (the Medical School and Buckingham Enterprise and Innovation Unit), Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s Research and Innovation Centre, and other external partners, SSC supports the need for tomorrow’s doctors to develop innovation and enterprise skills.

  • University of Buckingham – BSc Computing
    The Skills and Professional Development module is designed to educate students to be agile future professionals and leaders in their field. It emphasises self-reflection as a tool to aid the continued development of the skills and competencies necessary to thrive as AI is reshaping the labour market. Lasting the entirety of the BSc Computing degree, sessions are run every term with a focus on personal, academic and transferable skills in year one, and commercial and transition skills in year two to help students take their next professional steps.

  • ESCP Business School – Art Thinking
    The Art Thinking course reimagines business education and learning experiences in an improbable world. Instead of optimising existing solutions, students are challenged to push the boundaries of their imagination and create pathways to radical innovation. The course is delivered as an immersive three-day workshop in collaboration with artists and creative practitioners. As AI and technological, socio-economic and environmental disruptions reshape industries, Art Thinking equips graduates with creativity, resilience and critical thinking to drive innovation.

TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING

Recognising IHE Members who are evolving their use of technology to enhance the learner experience.

SHORTLISTED

  • David Game Higher Education
    Digital literacy and learner analytics are at the heart of our approach to teaching and support. We run AI literacy workshops for all staff, with tailored sessions for academic and professional services staff. Digital skills self-assessments provide personalised reports and action plans, helping to build confidence and encourage new approaches to digital practice. We have developed our use of learner analytics, reviewing engagement data at course and programme level, and using this to feed into quality assurance, decision-making, and to provide targeted support to students at risk.

  • SP Jain London School of Management
    Our pioneering AI-Tutor ecosystem delivers personalised learning and career-readiness across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Created as a closed system, it combines adaptive text-based and verbal tutoring in response to learner performance and feedback. A Job Preparation Tool and Role-Play Simulators allow students to practise negotiation, pitching, and workplace communication in a safe environment. Faculty staff access learner analytics dashboards to track participation, diagnose gaps, and provide early interventions for at-risk students.

  • ThinkSpace Education
    As the world’s first online postgraduate provider in music composition, orchestration, and sound design for film, games, and television, we place technology at the heart of everything we do. The digital skills our students acquire extend far beyond music composition and subject-specific knowledge. Our bespoke VLE, developed in-house, delivers a seamless, interactive, digital experience and also prepares students to work and collaborate remotely, reflecting the real working conditions of the industry they will enter after graduation.

SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS

Recognising IHE Members who are taking a proactive approach to supporting students throughout the student journey. 

SHORTLISTED

  • ACM
    Ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive — academically, personally, and professionally — is at the heart of everything we do. Through our Access and Participation Plan, we deliver integrated strategies combining holistic support, inclusive curriculum, and financial assistance. Our Equality and Inclusion Impact Assessment ensures that every module is reviewed for inclusivity, embedding belonging and accessibility into the curriculum. Our pioneering Digital Credentialing Platform enables students to build a portfolio of industry-recognised micro-credentials, complementing their degrees and enhancing employability.

  • ThinkSpace Education
    From entry to graduation and beyond, we deliver personalised support and continuous professional development opportunities. Our bespoke VLE ensures seamless delivery of interactive courses, one-to-one tutoring, and live lectures accessible across time zones. Students are supported throughout their career journey, with lifetime access to all courses — past, present, and future. They also have access to the Employment Support Programme, a free 12-week course co-created with students to address the challenges of building careers in competitive creative industries. 

  • NMITE
    Increasing participation and student success is not a strategy or an add-on – it is the institution. Our location, curriculum, entry requirements, support systems, partnerships, pedagogy, and funding model all reflect this. Our small size is a strength: every student is known by name, and staff are deeply bought into student success. Our curriculum and spaces were co-designed with students and will continue to be so. We deliver extensive individual and cohort-based support through our Student Services and through the ASK Centre, which helps students build core academic skills while fostering peer learning and community.

Kindly sponsored by UCAS

OUTSTANDING COLLABORATION

Recognising IHE Members who are taking innovative approaches to building and maintaining links with industry and/or in the local community. 

SHORTLISTED

  • LCK Academy
    Our collaboration with London’s Community Kitchen helps to tackle food insecurity and widen access to higher education. Students gain practical experience in food surplus logistics, culinary skills, and sustainable practices and engage in industry-led workshops. The Urban Farmer Project (UFP) has transformed unused urban space in the City of London into a zero-mile, no-soil food hub. In partnership with seven organisations, UFP distributed 20,000 meals to homeless people in London in 2024. The project offers a replicable model, bridging sustainable food production, education, and community engagement.

  • ACM
    We are proud to be the first independent specialist provider to receive Higher Education Innovation Funding, recognising the depth and impact of our knowledge exchange activity. Central to this work is a unique collaboration with our commercial arm, Metropolis Studios, and a wide network of industry partners. The Revive Live project exemplifies this collaboration, bringing together ACM, Metropolis, and high-profile stakeholders to revitalise the UK’s grassroots music scene. This partnership also powers ACM’s in-house research centre, where academic and technical teams collaborate to develop new technologies.

  • ESCP Business School
    We integrate industry, research, and community engagement across our programmes to bridge academia and practice. High-profile partnerships with Chanel and Cartier embed co-created modules and consultancy projects into the curriculum, enabling students to develop industry-ready frameworks and solutions. Our Small Business Charter accreditation formalises SME engagement. Blue Factory projects connect students with community challenges, including Brent Cross Town regeneration and collaborations with Camden Council and One Kilburn, addressing business, sustainability, and social impact needs.

Kindly sponsored by SEER

ADVANCING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Recognising IHE Members who are implementing initiatives to enhance the international student experience, promote the benefits of internationalisation, and develop their international offer.

SHORTLISTED

  • Study Group
    Bellerbys Global is redefining international education by combining the UK’s legacy of academic excellence with a forward-thinking, decentralised model tailored to globally ambitious students. To adapt to post-pandemic student trends, Bellerbys Global was reimagined in 2024 to meet evolving student needs. Our innovative multi-progression model retains the academic rigour of the original brand while expanding access through delivery centres in China, South Korea and Singapore. Students benefit from UK-regulated curricula, academic support, and progression routes to over 50 international universities.

  • Global Institute of Sport
    Through our Global Summits in London, Miami, New York, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne, students are immersed in local sports markets, helping them connect with peers from around the world, network with local organisations, and gain insights from regional industry leaders. GIS’s Live Lab in Jamaica offers fully funded internships at Mount Pleasant Football Academy where students work across coaching, performance analysis, and academy operations. Recent campus expansions to Sydney, Miami and Brussels deliver programmes from world-class sporting venues, creating a truly global student experience.

  • NCUK University Pathways
    We lead the way in advancing international education, empowering 50,000+ students from 120+ nationalities to transform their futures. NCUK’s pathway programmes, offered through 125+ Study Centres in 35+ countries, prepare students for study with a choice of over 65 university partners worldwide. In the past year, we have added 15 new Study Centres in 11 new countries, as well as 20 new university study options across the UK, Canada, US and Australia, broadening opportunities for students to study overseas and expanding into ‘first on the ground’ markets such as Ethiopia and countries of conflict such as Myanmar. 

Kindly sponsored by UCAS

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE IHE COMMUNITY (PROVIDER)

This award recognises an IHE member institution for their commitment to the IHE community and for the active role they have played in supporting our work as a representative body.

There is no shortlist for this category. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony. 

Award categories: Individual

RISING STAR

Recognising individuals who are making a difference in the IHE community through their sustained and growing contribution to the work of IHE. 

SHORTLISTED

  • Rob Pennell | Visa Compliance Manager, Sotheby’s Institute of Art

  • Emily Lynch | Student Support & Experience Officer, Academy of Live Technology

  • Christie Beauchamp | Academic Registrar, pointblank Music School

This award recognises an individual whose personal efforts and dedication have significantly enriched and uplifted the IHE community, leaving a lasting and meaningful imprint on the work of IHE. 

There is no shortlist for this category. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony. 

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE IHE COMMUNITY (INDIVIDUAL)