ETIH Innovation Awards 2026: judges spotlight on Kate Owbridge
Primary education leadership, inspection experience, and system-level insight bring a practical, evidence-led perspective to the judging panel.
We’re pleased to welcome Kate Owbridge to the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 judging panel, bringing extensive experience across school leadership, inspection, and education consultancy.
As part of our ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 spotlight series, we’re continuing to announce the judges who will review entries across this year’s categories.
Each judge has been selected for practical experience, sector insight, and the ability to assess impact in real-world environments. Owbridge joins Catherine Buckler, Neil Almond, Al Kingsley MBE, Tina Austin, Jack Dowling, Richard Govada Joshua, Emma Thompson, and Scott Thompson on the panel, with more judges to be announced.
Judge profile
Kate Owbridge, Educational Consultant and former Executive Headteacher, joins the judging panel with more than three decades of experience in primary education, including over 20 years in senior leadership.
Her career spans a wide range of school contexts in th UK, from inner city Lambeth and Southwark to suburban, rural, and market town settings across multiple Local Authorities and dioceses. She became a headteacher in 2004 and has since led three schools, served as executive head across multiple settings, and supported others in interim leadership roles. This breadth of experience has given her a detailed understanding of how schools operate across different communities and structural environments.
Owbridge’s work has focused on school improvement, leadership development, and raising standards, with a consistent emphasis on aligning strategy with the needs of students and their communities. Her experience includes leading through complex change, building staff capacity, and delivering long-term improvement across varied contexts.
Alongside her leadership roles, she has worked as an Ofsted Inspector, including as a lead inspector, contributing to evaluations of school performance and quality of education. This provides a clear understanding of accountability frameworks, inspection processes, and how impact is assessed at both school and system level.
She has also held governance roles across primary and secondary education and is a Council Member for the Chartered College of Teaching, bringing additional perspective on policy, governance, and professional standards.
Now working as an education consultant, Owbridge supports schools and leadership teams across areas including school improvement, strategic planning, and leadership development. She is keen to share this experience to support the next generation of school leaders and help schools deliver strong outcomes for their communities. She is open to working with schools and individuals in a variety of ways, with further details available at kateowbridge.co.uk.
Her perspective on the judging panel is shaped by a combination of leadership, inspection, and governance experience, offering a clear view of how education technology is implemented in practice and how it contributes to measurable outcomes.
As part of the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026, she will contribute to an independent judging process that brings together educators, researchers, and sector specialists to evaluate submissions based on implementation, adoption, and impact.
Enter the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
Entries for the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open. Submissions are reviewed by an independent judging panel made up of educators, researchers, and sector experts.
The awards are open to EdTech companies, schools, colleges, universities, and organisations working across education and workforce development. Categories span artificial intelligence, digital learning platforms, student engagement, workforce skills, and education-industry collaboration.
The entry deadline is Friday, 27 March 2026. The shortlist will be announced on Monday, 13 April 2026, with winners revealed on Monday, 11 May 2026.
