The Imagine Awards celebrates teachers who incorporate architecture and the wider built environment into their classroom as part of the primary or secondary curriculum or built environment professionals who engage with schools.

By showcasing innovative teaching methods, the Imagine Awards encourages more educators to use the built environment as a tool for learning.

By making a submission, you contribute to a growing resource bank that supports teachers and helps more children and young people explore and understand the built environment.

The awards are open to primary schools and teachers and built environment collaborators.

You can submit any past activities or lessons, and can submit multiple different times. You can also submit any current activities, projects or lessons that link the built environment to the primary curriculum. If your activity does not link directly to the curriculum we are still interested in learning about it and its impact on children and young people.

Each category has its own submission form, please fill in as much detail as possible but don’t worry if you are missing information, we would rather you submit what you can then not at all.

Applications are made online using a simple form on our website.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications by any other method. If you have any problem accessing this platform, email us: imagineawards@thorntoneducationtrust.org

Please note that all applications must be written in English.

There are 9 categories.

Six of these are for schools and teachers to submit lessons and activities to that relate to the built environment. Also Built Environment professionals can also enter this category

There is also The Teacher of the Year Award to which anyone can enter a primary or secondary teacher against the criteria.

Each category has its own dedicated information. To access it, click ‘learn more’ at bottom of relevant category and enter your email details. This will then provide a more detailed description and link to the entry form.

You can make as many submissions as you wish. These can be past projects, a one off activity, a series of lessons or long term engagement.

The Imagine Awards help us to gather examples and case studies of innovative teaching methods and collaborations that support the integration of the built environment into primary education. By making a submission you are helping us to achieve this.

The awards are free to submit for all primary and seconday schools and teachers.

For collaborators there is a submission fee to help us cover some of the essential running costs associated with the awards and to make this possible for teachers to submit for free.

Submission fees are:

• £69.00 per entry for small not-for-profits

• £149.00 per entry for built environment companies, organisations and institutions.

There is no cost for nominating a Teacher of the Year

We ask for a lead contact person who we will liaise with on all correspondence.

Yes!

You can support the Imagine programme in multiple ways.

Download our Sponsorship package here.

We would be delighted to discuss opportunities. Please email us at imagineawards@thorntoneducationtrust.org for more details.

Date and tickets for the Imagine Awards 2026 ceremony will be announced in November.

Entry is free for one teacher per school and there will be a charge for all other entrants.

Any questions? imagineawards@thorntoneducationtrust.org

An independent panel of leaders in education and the built environment select the winners, after carefully reviewing all entries.

If you know a primary or secondary teacher please help us spread the word by passing on the details of our awards to schools and teachers.

We want to recognise the important work they are doing and help other teachers incorporate architecture and the wider built environment into education.