Teneo Online School shortlisted for the Tes Awards for International Schools 2026

Teneo Online School has been shortlisted for the Best Use of Technology award at the Tes Awards for International Schools 2026, one of the most respected recognitions in international education. The winners will be announced on 8 December 2026.

The shortlisting recognises the Smart School System™, the technology behind how Teneo spots learning gaps early and helps every learner close them. It is the latest recognition for an online school in South Africa that teaches learners from Grade R to matric.

What are the Tes Awards for International Schools?

The Tes Awards for International Schools celebrate the best teachers, leaders and schools in international education around the world. They are run by Tes, one of the world's leading education publishers.

Entries are judged by a panel of experienced international school leaders and senior figures from major education organisations. Because of the panel's independence and high standards, a place on the shortlist is a well-respected achievement in its own right.

Teneo is shortlisted in the Best Use of Technology category. The full shortlist is published on the Tes Awards for International Schools website.

Why was Teneo shortlisted for Best Use of Technology?

Teneo was shortlisted for the Smart School System™, the technology at the centre of how the school teaches and supports every learner.

Most schools discover a learner is struggling too late, often when a report card arrives. The Smart School System™ closes that window. It combines real-time learner tracking, disengagement and gap detection with personalised remediation and behavioural science into a whole-of-school platform that supports teachers in identifying struggling learners and acting before it shows up in their results.

In practice, it works in four steps:

1. See the gap. Teachers see where each learner is falling behind, subject by subject, as it happens.

2. Start the support. Teachers step in with personalised support before a small gap grows.

3. Build understanding. Learners work through targeted remediation until the concept is secure.

4. See the progress. Teachers, learners and parents can track improvement over time.

The system also spots patterns across whole grades and subjects, so academic leaders can adjust teaching and schedule reinforcement lessons for every learner who needs them at once, not one learner at a time.

What results does the Smart School System™ deliver?

An independent actuarial analysis of every Teneo learner between 2023 and 2025 found that average marks improved by 12% in a learner's first year and by 25% by their fourth year. Individual results vary.

That analysis covers the whole school, not a selected group. Teneo has open admissions, so it includes learners with learning barriers, neurodivergent learners and learners who struggled at previous schools.

The gains show up in matric too. In the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams, Teneo's 892 matriculants achieved an 80% pass rate. On the SACAI route, Teneo's 81% pass rate was 8 percentage points above the SACAI average of 73%. See the full 2025 matric results.

What does the shortlisting mean for Teneo?

Dan Worth, Tes international editor and chair of the judges, said: "A huge congratulations to all the schools and individuals shortlisted this year. We received a large number of entries of real depth and quality, which made our judges' task of picking a shortlist and winners very tough, but they have done so with diligence and discernment."

When will the winners be announced?

The winners will be revealed on 8 December 2026 in a video ceremony that anyone can watch live or on demand.

If you're considering an online school in South Africa for 2027, see how Teneo works, explore the ways to learn, or start your enrolment.