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Celebrating 20 years

Watch our 20th Anniversary video here

Why a teaching prize?

Rolls-Royce recognises that teachers play a hugely influential role in inspiring the next generation, that’s why in 2004 we established our Schools Prize (formerly Science Prize) and we have continued to invest in our flagship programme ever since.

The Rolls-Royce Schools Prize is open to all schools in the UK and helps teachers increase science, mathematics and technology engagement in their schools and colleges. Our Schools Prize supports teacher CPD through our partnership with STEM Learning and Project ENTHUSE.

As a world leading global power group, we are committed to sustainable power solutions and our technology will play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy. All our finalist schools are supported by a Rolls-Royce mentor who provide an insight into the real life applications of STEM in our business. Since 2004, we have awarded over £1.6m of prize funds to over 600 schools who have taken part in our Schools Prize, helping to boost our strategic education outreach ambition to reach 25 million young people by 2030.

£1.6m

of prize funds have been awarded since 2004

Over 600

schools across the U.K. have benefitted from the prize funds

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How to enter

The next competition will be announced during 2025

To enter you are invited to submit a Stage 1 application below outlining an idea for a sustainable science, mathematics or technology project for development during the next academic year.  The proposed project could be a new idea or the progression of something you are already working on but should demonstrate innovation, creativity and ambition in STEM education.  See FAQ’s for further information on criteria for entering.

Timeline

September Competition opens  
April Competition closes Stage 1 judging
May SMA’s announced Stage 2 applications completed
July Stage 2 judging  
July Finalists announced  
September Finalists begin work on their project  
May Project completion  
November/December Awards Ceremony  

What you can win

Special merit awards

The Rolls-Royce Schools Prize for Science & Technology is a two-stage competition. In the first stage up to 30 entries from the total received will be awarded a £1,000 Special Merit Award, with which to progress and complete their entry into the Schools Prize. Our Special Merit Award winners will be invited to provide more detailed information about how their project will be planned, implemented and evaluated. After successfully submitting your Stage 2 application, you will receive the £1000 award to help develop your project ideas. From this we select our finalists who enter stage 2 of the competition.

Finalists

Finalists will receive a further £5,000 to implement their action plan and the loan of a video camera to capture the development of the project. Finalists will provide monthly updates and will be paired with a Rolls-Royce Mentor who will offer support with your project during the full academic year.

What is it like being a finalist?

Find out from our Finalist Schools their reasons for entering the competition, what they wanted to achieve, their project journey and what support they received. Click the school names below to view their videos.

Ryders Hayes School
North Thoresby Primary Academy

Hear from 3 of our mentors about their roles and how they provide support to our Finalist schools. Click the link below to view our Mentor video.

Meet the Mentor


Judging

A judging panel comprising of experts from the education sector and the National STEM Learning Centre will select the Special Merit Award winners, and subsequent finalists. Each member of this network has been chosen for their knowledge of science, technology, and maths teaching and the various curricula and national guidelines throughout the U.K.

Towards the end of the second stage, the judges will assess the submitted documentation and recommend a shortlist of three schools which will go through to a Final Judging session to determine the winner and runner-up. All finalists will be invited to attend the prestigious Rolls-Royce Schools Prize for Science & Technology Awards Ceremony where the winner, runner up and Employee Choice Award winners will be announced, along with The Eden Award winner which is awarded for the most environmentally focused project.

The Eden Award

One of the deserving finalists will also be chosen as the winners of ‘The Eden Award’. The Eden Project itself demonstrates what can be achieved when we learn to work creatively together and with nature. Therefore, this special award will be given to the school or college who demonstrates that they have worked effectively with their local and wider community, developing sustainable solutions to real world challenges. The winning finalist will need to show evidence of sustainability in how their project is organised and delivered over the long term (and through its legacy) and how the STEM curriculum is framed within practical, project-based learning, focused on building a better world.

At Eden, we believe that developing young people who are connected to nature is a prerequisite for developing adults who adopt the ‘pro-environmental’ behaviours required for a sustainable future. With this in mind, we will be looking for projects which foster experiences that connect all pupils and staff with the natural world and outdoor environment and that create ‘moments’ of awe, wonder, excitement and curiosity.

The winner of The Eden Award will also be entitled to a free visit to the Eden Project for one of their classes (including a workshop), or three, free online sessions.

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Project enthuse

Like our annual Schools Prize, Project Enthuse is an initiative that aims to both develop and celebrate the best STEM subject teaching in the UK. It does this across wide-ranging but complementary areas, including partnerships and bursaries for individual schools, academic placements and annual award events.

Rolls-Royce Schools Prize for Science & Technology

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2021 Winners

Overall Winner - Ryders Hayes Primary School, Walsall
Runner Up - Beaulieu Convent School, Jersey
Employee Choice Award - Hethersett Academy, Norfolk
Eden Award - North Thoresby Primary School, Lincolnshire

Watch our 2022 Awards Ceremony which recognises and celebrates the achievements of our 2021 finalists and winners.
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2020 Winners

Watch our first virtual Awards Ceremony to recognise our 2020 winners who have worked hard to deliver inspirational teaching programmes to their students.

Click here to view the case study of our 2020 Winner

Questions?

Here's answers to our most frequently asked questions.

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