The best schools in the world
The World Class Schools Quality Mark was established in 2018, accrediting students using a framework of skills and competencies young people need to flourish in the rapidly developing economy. Having achieved its original goals, we reorganised as a formal network of schools in 2023 – the World Class Education Network – with the aim of giving member schools greater control over the organisation itself.
In a national educational climate where state schools can sometimes be seen as second best, the charity’s mission has been to establish a network of state schools which we know are some of the best in the world, and which parents can be confident sending their children to for a fantastic education.
Unique assessment process
WCEN has a unique assessment framework which assesses the students, not the school, for their demonstration of World Class skills and competencies. Our rationale is that if a school is truly World Class, then its students should be able to demonstrate this in whatever context they find themselves.
Leveling up
As a network WCEN has succeeded at leveling up, supporting its schools to deliver on equal opportunities so that every student can develop World Class characteristics both in and out of the classroom, regardless of their circumstances or background, to help them achieve their potential.
Established network
Not all schools can be World Class. The status is hard earned and treasured by its recipients. Therefore, after five years of rigorous assessment the charity has now concluded its recruitment process, and has established a redoubtable network of just over 140 schools (listed below) in the UK, consisting of
- 40 primary schools
- 97 secondary schools
- 8 special schools
- 6 World Class MATs
- 2 lead schools
Future proofing
In the face of AI and a rapidly evolving employment sector, WCEN has assessed characteristics rather than academic achievements to determine what constitutes a World Class student. It has developed a framework of World Class skills and competencies, as a benchmark for all its assessment processes. The framework highlights characteristics across individual areas including leadership, community, learning and workplace for secondary students, and ‘I learn’, ‘I am’ and ‘I feel’ for primary students. Over time students have had to demonstrate how they meet each characteristic, either at school, at home or in their local community, uploading evidence and a summary for each completed characteristic via the BeWorldClass platform.
Once a significant number of students are demonstrating World Class characteristics, WCEN assesses the students’ completed portfolios via a student-led assessment process.
BeWorldClass
Alongside the World Class Education Network will be the BeWorldClass program, for all students from Key Stage 2 – 5, which centres around an updated cutting-edge app, which supports students to develop skills and competencies that they will need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
WCEN media contact details
Media contact: Charlie Jenkinson
Director: WCEN
charlie@worldclass-education.org
BeWorldClass Program
Media contact: James Kaye.
WCEN network
Secondary
| Alexandra Park School |
| Attleborough Academy |
| Babington Academy |
| Beal High School |
| Beckfoot School |
| Bluecoat Wollaton Academy |
| Bosworth Academy |
| Cardinal Hume Catholic School |
| Carlton Bolling |
| Carlton Keighley |
| Carmel College, Darlington |
| Challney High School for Girls |
| Clapton Girls’ Academy |
| Claremont High School |
| Cranford Community College |
| Cumberland Community School |
| Darrick Wood School |
| Derby Moor Spencer Academy |
| Featherstone High School |
| Feversham Academy |
| Finham Park School |
| Five Acres High School |
| Forest Gate Community School |
| Fulford School |
| George Spencer Academy |
| Gumley House School FCJ |
| Harris Academy Battersea |
| Harris Academy Beckenham |
| Harris Academy Morden |
| Harris Academy, Chafford Hundred |
| Harris Academy, Greenwich |
| Harris City Academy Crystal Palace |
| Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley |
| Hayes School |
| Hele’s School |
| Higham Lane School and Sixth Form |
| Hitchin Girls’ School |
| Hollingworth Academy |
| Houlton School |
| Humberston Academy |
| Hungerhill School |
| Ivybridge Community College |
| John Port Spencer Academy |
| King Ecgbert School |
| King Edward VI Handsworth Girls Academy |
| Kingswood Academy |
| Langley Park School for Boys |
| Lymm High School |
| Lyng Hall School |
| Moor End Academy |
| Nene Park Academy |
| Nower Hill High School |
| Painsley Catholic College |
| Parkside Academy, Crook |
| President Kennedy School |
| Roundhay School |
| Rushcliffe Spencer Academy |
| Sacred Heart RC High School |
| Sandringham School |
| Sedgefield Community College |
| Seven Kings School |
| Sidney Stringer Academy |
| Southam College |
| Southfield School, Kettering |
| St Albans Girls School |
| St Andrew’s Catholic School, Leatherhead |
| St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls |
| St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, Sunderland |
| St Clement Danes School |
| St Mary’s College, Hull |
| St Marylebone CE School |
| St Thomas More School, London |
| St Wilfrids RC College |
| Swavesey Village College |
| The Bishop of Llandaff CiW High School |
| The Charter School North Dulwich |
| The Co-op Academy Stoke |
| The Hertfordshire and Essex High School & Science College |
| The Holy Cross School |
| The Morley Academy |
| The Ruth Gorse Academy |
| Thomas Mills High School |
| Tolworth Girls’ School |
| Trinity Academy Cathedral |
| Trinity Academy Grammar |
| Trinity Academy Halifax |
| Trinity Academy Leeds |
| Trinity Academy St Edward’s |
| Trinity Sixth Form Academy |
| Tudor Grange Academy |
| Waldegrave School |
| Weatherhead High School |
| Weydon School |
| Whitworth Park Academy |
| Wren Academy |
| Wymondham College |
| Yate Academy |
Primary
| Berkeley Academy |
| Carlton Mills Primary School |
| Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School |
| Chetwynd Spencer Academy |
| Dunnington Church of England Primary School |
| Escrick Primary School |
| Fairfield Spencer Academy |
| Finham Primary School |
| Harris Primary Academy Philip Lane |
| Harris Primary Coleraine Park |
| Hillcrest Academy |
| Kentmere Academy and Nursery |
| Marshfield Primary School |
| Morley Newlands Academy |
| Nant-y Parc Primary School |
| Portland Spencer Academy |
| Sacred Heart R.C. Primary School, Bolton |
| Seething and Mundham Primary School |
| Sneinton C of E Primary School |
| South Wilford Endowed Primary School |
| Southdale CE VC Junior School |
| St Andrew’s CE Primary School and Nursery |
| St Michael’s Primary, Durham |
| St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School, Bexley |
| Sunnyside Spencer Academy |
| The Glebe Academy |
| Thomas Jones Primary School |
| Thorpe Primary School |
| Three Bridges Primary School |
| Trinity Academy St Chad’s |
| Wheldrake with Thorganby CE Primary School |
| Whitefield Primary School |
| Wyndham Primary Academy |
| Yerbury Primary School |
| Zaytouna Primary School |
Special
| The Ashley School |
| Churchill Special Free School |
| Hazelbeck School |
| Stormont House School |
| Piper Hill High School |
| Riverbank Academy |
| Sherbourne Fields School |
| St Giles’ School, Retford |
World Class lead schools
Bluecoat Wollaton Academy
Sandringham School
Multi Academy Trusts accredited as World Class 2023
Finham Park Multi Academy Trust
South York Multi Academy Trust
Schools accredited as World Class 2022/23
| Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School |
| Attleborough Academy |
| Carlton Keighley |
| Carlton Mills Primary School |
| Challney High School for Girls |
| Chetwynd Spencer Academy |
| Cumberland Community School |
| Derby Moor Spencer Academy |
| Dunnington Church of England Primary School |
| Escrick Primary School |
| Fairfield Spencer Academy |
| Finham Primary School |
| Fulford School |
| Glebe Academy |
| Gumley House School FCJ |
| Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley |
| Harris Primary Academy Philip Lane |
| Heanor Gate Spencer Academy |
| Hele’s School |
| Hollingworth Academy |
| Houlton School |
| John Port Spencer Academy |
| Lyng Hall School |
| Nant-y Parc Primary School |
| Nene Park Academy |
| Portland Spencer Academy |
| South Wilford CofE Primary School |
| Southdale CE VC Junior School |
| St Andrew’s CE Primary School and Nursery |
| St Thomas More Catholic School |
| Sunnyside Spencer Academy |
| The Co-op Academy Stoke -on – Trent |
| Thorpe Primary School |
| Trinity Academy Leeds |
| Trinity Academy St Chad’s |
| Trinity Academy St Edward’s |
| Trinity Sixth Form Academy |
| Wheldrake with Thorganby CE Primary School |
| Whitworth Park Academy |
| Zaytouna Primary School |
Schools re-accredited as World Class 2022/23
| Forest Gate Community School |
| King Ecgbert School |
| Painsley College |
| Parkside Academy |
| Sidney Stringer Academy |
| St Mary’s College |
| The Charter School North Dulwich |
| The Holy Cross School |
| The St Marylebone CE School |
World Class Schools of the Year shortlist 2022/23
Nant-y-Parc Primary
Harris Philip Lane Primary
John Port Spencer Academy Secondary
Thorpe Primary School
Trinity Academy St Edwards Secondary
World Class School of the Year winner 2022/23
Nant-y-Parc Primary
World Class Student of the Year nominees 2022/23
| Rose Martin | Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School |
| Stanley Galdas | Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School |
| Junaid Ahmed | Carlton Mills Primary |
| Mariam Yousaf | Challney High School for Girls |
| Nayab Nabi | Challney High School for Girls |
| Hannah Ayaz | Challney High School for Girls |
| Oskar Fauvrelle | The Charter School North Dulwich |
| Hector Brice | The Charter School North Dulwich |
| Roisin-Louise Aguinaldo | Cumberland Community School |
| Umar Ahmed | Cumberland Community School |
| Damisola Dada | Cumberland Community School |
| Tanvir Tamber | Derby Moor Spencer Academy |
| Emily Veale | Fairfield Spencer Academy |
| Allan Thomas | Fairfield Spencer Academy |
| Noah Ibrahim | Harris Academy Philip Lane |
| Aishani Pandey | Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley |
| Mogen Illston | Heanor Gate Spencer Academy |
| Harvey Gray | Heanor Gate Spencer Academy |
| Asal Setayesh | Heanor Gate Spencer Academy |
| Spencer Dorn | Heanor Gate Spencer Academy |
| Xsara Lord | Hele’s School |
| Mayene Dumbuya | Holy Cross |
| Isabelle Russell | John Port Academy |
| Brodie Quinn | Sherbourne Fields School |
| Halima Sufi | Sidney Stringer Academy |
| Alexandre Mendes Da Silva | Sneinton C of E Primary |
| Isabel Postill | St Mary’s College |
| Eleanor Hart | St Mary’s College |
| Maja Wronowska | St Anne’s Catholic School for Girls |
| Sade Lewis | Sunnyside Spencer Academy |
| Penelope Smith | Swavesey Village College |
| Armelle Leung | Swavesey Village College |
| Elliot Unbekandt | Swavesey Village College |
| Jonathan Dan, | Swavesey Village College |
| Oraiba Ijaz | Thorpe Primary |
| Izabella Russell | Trinity Academy Leeds |
| Nicola Doxey | Trinity Academy St Edward’s |
| Isabelle Cowie | Trinity Academy Cathedral Academy |
| Daisy Hardy | Trinity Academy St Edwards |
| Alexander Plimmer | Trinity Academy St Edwards |
| Tilly Batty | Trinity Academy St Edwards |
| Year 11 Football Team | Weydon School |
World Class Student of the Year shortlist 2022/23
Stanley Galdas Archbishop of York’s CE Junior School
Junaid Ahmed Carlton Mills Primary
Mariam Yousaf Challney High School for Girls
Damisola Dada Cumberland Community School
Harvey Gray Heanor Gate Spencer Academy
Brodie Quinn Sherbourne Fields School
Isabelle Cowie Trinity Academy Cathedral
World Class Student of the Year 2023
Brodie Quinn Sherbourne Fields School
