Alleyn’s Head Shortlisted for Prestigious TES Award

April 24th 2026

The Joy of Jane: Leadership with warmth, purpose and humanity

Alleyn’s School is delighted to share the exciting news that our Head, Jane Lunnon, has been shortlisted for the prestigious national TES Awards 2026 – Headteacher of the Year.

The TES Awards are among the most respected honours in UK education, celebrating excellence, innovation and impact across the sector. This national recognition reflects the exceptional leadership Jane has brought to Alleyn’s and the wider educational community.

Since becoming Head, Jane has led Alleyn’s with a rare combination of intellectual depth, courage and humanity. Under her leadership, the school has continued to achieve outstanding academic outcomes while placing equal emphasis on pupil wellbeing, character development, fun and a strong sense of community. It is this distinctive spirit - the Joy of Jane - which is felt across the school every day.

Mrs Lunnon commented: “I’m genuinely so incredibly touched and humbled by this and so very grateful. It’s just the greatest privilege to lead this school and this community – shaped, as it is, by the simply remarkable staff and pupils in it. All that we do, we do together – and this nomination is a reflection of that and of how much fun it is to lead this wonderful school. So, thank you and congratulations to my fellow nominees – who are just awesome!”

A key part of Jane’s vision has been the development of AiQ (Alleyn’s Intelligence Quotient), an innovative curriculum framework designed to prepare pupils thoughtfully and ethically for an AI-shaped world. Now embedded across the school, AiQ encourages pupils not only to use technology confidently but to question it, shape it and understand their responsibilities within it.

The AiQ, along with Alleyn’s broad curriculum and its enrichment programme Aspiring Minds, is designed to allow pupils to embrace learning for its own sake, as well as to build the skills for the world of the future and to become thoughtful, conscious citizens ready to make the world a better place.

Alongside this, the school’s proactive pastoral framework, AEQ (the Alleyn’s Emotional Quotient), based at Alleyn’s wellbeing hub , The Well, has strengthened pupil resilience, agency and flourishing, ensuring that care and ambition go hand in hand, as well as making space for fun, enjoyment of school life for its own sake and allowing children the time and permission to enjoy their childhood.

Jane’s leadership is also deeply visible and relational. She continues to teach Year 7 and A-level English, is a constant presence around the school and is known for her openness, warmth and genuine engagement with pupils, staff and parents alike. Her belief that education should be both rigorous and joyful shapes the culture of the entire school community, a culture where curiosity, kindness and ambition sit side by side.

During her tenure, Alleyn’s has also expanded to form the Alleyn’s Schools Group, extending educational opportunity, across London to Alleyn’s Regent’s Park and the soon to be opened Alleyn’s Hampstead, while maintaining the distinctive ethos and excellence at the heart of the school. Meanwhile, the school’s community partnerships, bursary provision and outreach work continues to grow, reinforcing Alleyn’s longstanding commitment to making a meaningful contribution beyond its own gates.

We warmly congratulate Jane on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the final results of the TES Awards in June.

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