NOTE TO EDITORS - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Esports Federation shortlisted for prestigious Edufuturists Award in recognition of work in developing a comprehensive academic pathway in esports.
Sunderland, Tuesday 6th May 2025 - British Esports, the UK’s national body for esports, has announced its nomination for Most Innovative Education Project at the Edufuturists Awards 2025, celebrating innovation and forward-thinking in education.
The annual Edufuturists Awards recognise individuals and organisations who are transforming education through innovative approaches and practices. The awards ceremony will take place on June 26th, 2025 at 53two in Manchester.
This nomination celebrates British Esports' role in providing a comprehensive academic pathway in esports, such as the Pearson and British Esports BTEC Nationals in Esports..
This pathway begins at the foundational Key Stage 3 level with the British Esports Student Champs competition, an initiative that has engaged over 20,000 students and fostered essential teamwork and strategic thinking skills.
Building upon this foundation is the recently launched Esports Leadership Programme, delivered through 18 dedicated Leadership Skills Trailblazer Centres, which cultivates vital leadership qualities across various fields, and culminates in learners from the age of 11 achieving Level 1 and Level 2 Leadership qualifications.
At the vocational level, the internationally-recognised suite of BTEC Qualification in Esports, developed in partnership with Pearson, has seen widespread adoption, with over 15,000 students now studying these qualifications across more than 200 institutions globally.
This demonstrates the growing recognition of esports as a legitimate field of study. Furthermore, the recently launched Higher Nationals in Esports, also a collaboration with Pearson, are being delivered across 12 centres in the 2024/25 academic year, with substantial growth anticipated as the initial cohort progresses to Level 5 and more new centres begin delivery of Level 4 in September 2025.
In Higher Education, the number of dedicated esports degree programmes has surged from the UK's first in 2018 to over 60 programmes now offered by more than 30 universities nationwide.
Esports in education nurtures crucial skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership, and acts as a powerful engagement tool, motivating students to apply their learning in practical contexts.
Notably, BTEC retention rates (Level 3: 97.5%, Level 2: 95.4%) and achievement rates (Level 3: 97.3%, Level 2: 97.6%), as reported by centres in 2024, significantly exceed national averages, underscoring the relevance and impact of the esports curriculum.
“We are proud to be recognised by the Edufuturists Annual Awards for our work in developing a full education pathway, dramatically enhancing learning outcomes and improving student engagement rates at scale,” said Kalam Neale, Head of Education, British Esports. “We hope that more innovators will see the benefits of an esports curriculum and join the digital revolution that’s developing future ready students with critical skills.”
With a proud history of celebrating educational innovators, the Edufuturists Awards past winners include Deb Millar (Edufuturist of the Year, 2024), Al Kingsley (2023), David Harkin (2022), and Aftab Hussain (2019).
The awards have also recognised institutions breaking new ground in education, including BCOT (College of the Year, 2024 and 2019), XP School (Secondary School of the Year, 2020), and UA92 (University of the Year, 2024). Pioneering projects like Collaboration Laboratory (Most Innovative Educational Project, 2024) and Portsmouth Education Partnership's Digital City Project (2023) demonstrate the creative approaches being developed across the educational landscape.
"The standard of entries this year has been exceptional. The calibre of the shortlist exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking approach we aim to celebrate with these awards,” said Ben Whitaker, Director of Edufuturists. “Their work demonstrates how innovation in education can create meaningful impact for learners and the wider community. We're excited to see all our finalists at the ceremony in June."
Winners will be determined through a combination of public voting and expert judging. Public voting is open until May 8th, 2025 and British Esports invites supporters to cast their votes at www.edufuturists.com/uprising.
# # ENDS # #