Smart School System™ Shortlisted for the AI Innovation in Education Award at the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards
The Smart School System™ has been shortlisted for the AI Innovation in Education Award at the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards, from a field of more than 2,200 projects worldwide, and has progressed to the second round. It is recognition for a particular use of AI — not a tool handed to learners, but a system that helps teachers notice earlier and more reliably which child needs help, with what, and when. Independent actuarial analysis of every Teneo learner from 2023 to 2025 found marks improved by an average of 12% in the first year and 25% by the fourth. Teneo has no entrance test, so that improvement reflects what the school adds rather than who it admits.
Teneo's Smart School System™ has been shortlisted for the AI Innovation in Education Award at the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards, chosen from a field of more than 2,200 projects worldwide, and has progressed to the second round. Winners will be announced at the QS Reimagine Education conference in London in December 2026.
About the QS Reimagine Education Awards
The QS Reimagine Education Awards recognise innovation in education worldwide. Run by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the 2026 awards span 15 categories covering technology, teaching, skills and institutional change, and are open to universities, schools, education technology companies and education organisations around the world.
Shortlisted projects are showcased at the QS Reimagine Education conference in London, receive feedback from expert judges, and are featured in the awards' online Innovations Directory. The winners are announced at the conference.
This year's field drew more than 2,200 projects. Reaching the shortlist in the AI Innovation in Education category places the Smart School System among the leading AI projects in education globally.
What the Smart School System does
The Smart School System™ is the platform Teneo runs on every day. It combines qualified teachers with real-time data on every learner, so problems are found and fixed while they're still small.
How it works:
See the gap — it tracks each learner's engagement, assessments and marks, and detects subject-specific learning gaps as they appear
Start the support — it flags a learner who starts to slip, so a teacher can step in within days, not at the end of a term
Build understanding — learners get personalised academic support aimed at the specific gap
See the progress — parents and teachers can follow each learner's progress in real time
The principle is simple: a gap caught early is far easier to close than one discovered in a report card. The difference is doing it consistently, for every learner, every day.
The results behind the recognition
The Smart School System is judged on what it changes for learners. Independent actuarial analysis of every Teneo learner from 2023 to 2025 found that:
Marks improved by an average of 12% in the first year, rising to 25% by year four
Learners were 60% more likely to achieve passing marks after two years
Learners with learning barriers improved comparably — and 21% of the 100 most-improved learners report at least one
Those results come from an open intake. Teneo has no entrance test, so the improvement reflects what the school adds, not who it admits.
See Teneo's results.
Why this recognition matters
AI in education is often discussed in terms of tools for learners. The Smart School System uses AI differently: to help teachers notice, earlier and more reliably, which learner needs help, with what, and when.
That's what makes this shortlisting significant. It recognises AI used not to replace teaching, but to make good teaching reach every learner — including the ones who might otherwise slip through unnoticed.
It also places a school's system alongside universities and education technology companies from around the world, in one of the most competitive categories of the awards.
What happens next
The Smart School System has progressed to the second round of the awards. The next stage includes this year's Innovation Showcase, with winners announced at the QS Reimagine Education conference in London in December 2026.
Recognition for Teneo in 2026
The QS shortlisting follows other recognition this year:
Finalist — Educational Establishment of the Year, Education Resources Awards 2026
Finalist — 2026 Trendsetter, The EdTech Awards 2026
Thank you
To Teneo's teachers, learners and families — this recognition belongs to you. The Smart School System works because teachers act on what it shows them, and because learners and parents engage with the support it starts.
To QS Quacquarelli Symonds and the judging panel — thank you for recognising the Smart School System among such inspiring work.
Want to see how the Smart School System supports learners? See how Teneo works, or talk to our admissions team.
Frequently asked questions
What has Teneo been shortlisted for? The AI Innovation in Education Award at the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards, for its Smart School System™.
How many projects entered the QS Reimagine Education Awards in 2026? More than 2,200 projects worldwide.
When are the winners announced? At the QS Reimagine Education conference in London in December 2026.
What is the Smart School System? Teneo's platform that combines qualified teachers with real-time data on every learner, detecting learning gaps early and starting personalised support.
Does the Smart School System improve results? Independent actuarial analysis of every Teneo learner from 2023 to 2025 found marks improved by an average of 12% in the first year and 25% by year four.