UK Feminista Action Award 2026 Winners Recognised in Parliament
On Monday 8 June 2026, schools and colleges from across the UK were recognised at the third UK Feminista Action Award Ceremony 2026 for taking outstanding whole school approach action to prevent sexism and violence against women and girls.
Winning schools and colleges received their awards at a ceremony held in the Houses of Parliament, hosted by Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the UK Parliament’s Education Committee. Speakers included award-winning children’s author and founder of Making Herstory – Onjali Q Raúf MBE, teacher, author and leading voice on masculinity and boys’ education – Matt Pinkett, performances from student poetry competition winners – Erick, Mimi and Harinder, and UK Feminista’s Director – Nina Humphries. Katie Marchant from Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, and Megan McKenzie and Melanie Lester, both from Ravens Wood School, also shared their inspiring Gold UK Feminista Action Award standard practice, which is detailed below. View the photos from the evening here.
Full list of winners of the 2026 UK Feminista Action Awards
GOLD award:
- Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School- Kent
- Ravens Wood School- London Borough of Bromley
SILVER award:
- Canary Wharf College Crossharbour- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Toll Bar Academy- North East Lincolnshire
- Roding Primary School- London Borough of Redbridge
- Foxford School- Coventry
- The Sittingbourne School- Kent
- The Skinner’s School- Kent
- Millbrook Primary School- Stalybridge
- The Norton Knatchbull School- Kent
- London Nautical School- London Borough of Lambeth
- Solihull College and University Centre- Birmingham
- Birmingham Metropolitan College- Birmingham
- Elthorne Park High School- London Borough of Ealing
- George Heriot’s School- Edinburgh
BRONZE award:
- Ysgol Aberconwy- Conwy, North Wales
- Abbs Cross Academy- London Borough of Havering
- Villiers High School- London Borough of Ealing
- Tavistock College- Devon
Student Poetry Competition
As part of the evening, we heard from the winners of the student poetry competition, a new addition to the UK Feminista Action Award Ceremony for 2026 which celebrated student creativity across primary, secondary, and further education settings. A huge congratulations to Erick, Mimi, and Harinder – as well as competition runners up, Aaliyah and Josh. During the ceremony, Erick and Harinder performed their inspiring poems live, while Mimi’s thought-provoking piece was shared via video. These poems delivered powerful messages about the harms of gender stereotypes, the consequences of sexual harassment, and the importance of equal opportunities for women.
Gold Action Award winners: leading the way in whole school approaches
This year’s Gold UK Feminista Action Award winners demonstrate the enormous impact that can be achieved through sustained, whole school approaches that embed action across leadership, policy, culture and everyday practice. They show that meaningful change is possible and offer powerful inspiration to others.
Ravens Wood School achieved a Gold UK Feminista Action Award, demonstrating a comprehensive whole school approach to tackling sexism and sexual harassment. The school has embedded this work across policy, curriculum and the wider school community, supported by clear evidence of measurable impact. Staff personally experiencing sexism has reduced significantly, from 85% to 24%, while confidence in reporting incidents has increased from 48% to 100%. This is reflected in increased use of reporting systems and strong student awareness, with safeguarding audits indicating that students can confidently recognise and report sexism.
This work is supported by a structured curriculum offer, with PSHE delivered by a dedicated department and adapted in response to student need. Assemblies and active bystander training have further contributed to increased student confidence, including encouraging reporting of incidents they witness. The school has also developed approaches to extend this work beyond the classroom. These include collaboration with other schools to share practice, the development of a curriculum heat map to support departments, and a focus on parental engagement through a wellbeing hub. Engagement with these resources is monitored and used to inform targeted support, including webinars on key topics. Students are further engaged through campaigns, enrichment and peer-led initiatives, contributing to a wider culture of responsibility and allyship across the school community.
Melanie Lester, Headteacher at Ravens Wood School, said:
“As an 11–16 boys’ school with a mixed sixth form, we are very aware of our responsibility to shape young people’s understanding of respect and equality. This award reflects a whole-school commitment to creating a culture where everyone feels safe, heard and valued. We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and committed to continuing that work.”Megan McKenzie, Director of Wellbeing and Personal Development at Ravens Wood School, said:
“This work has been driven by listening — particularly to the voices of our female students and staff — and taking meaningful action as a result. It’s about creating a culture where students feel confident to speak up, challenge behaviour and be part of the solution. We are proud of the shift we are seeing across the school community.”
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School evidenced a sustained and comprehensive whole school approach to tackling sexism and sexual harassment, being recognised in the UK Feminista Action Awards for the second year running, building on previous work to embed student-led activity and measurable change. A key strand of this work is The Legacy Project, delivered in partnership with The Skinners’ School, another 2026 award winner, through which Sixth Form students lead assemblies, workshops and ongoing forums on issues including gender politics, consent and sexism. This has created structured opportunities for student leadership and discussion across both school communities.
The school has also implemented the On My Way initiative in response to students’ experiences of sexual harassment on public transport. This has included pupil surveys, assemblies, a dedicated reporting system, and collaboration with governors, local police and their MP. As a result, reporting has increased significantly, with over half of students reporting that they feel safer, and the initiative has since informed local authority policy and been adopted by other schools. This work is supported by a strong focus on staff training and leadership, including modelled teaching from senior leaders. Staff report high levels of confidence in responding to incidents, with 100% of staff indicating they feel very confident in supporting pupils. Overall, the school demonstrates a consistent, data-informed approach, with clear evidence of impact on reporting, confidence and student safety.
Katie Marchant, Headteacher at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, said:
“We are incredibly proud to receive the Gold UK Feminista Action Award. This recognition reflects the commitment of our pupils, staff and wider community to creating a culture where everyone feels safe, respected and empowered. We are particularly proud that our On My Way initiative has grown beyond a single school initiative and is now bringing together schools, public services, local representatives and community partners to work towards meaningful change, all of which was made possible through the support and resources from UK Feminista. The voices of our pupils have guided this work from the beginning and continue to inspire its development.”
