We’re incredibly proud to share that our CEO and Co-Founder, Dr Jon Chippindall, has been shortlisted for Person of the Year at the BESA Awards 2026 🏆
For anyone who knows Jon (Chip), this recognition feels incredibly well deserved – and his passion for education continues to shape everything we do here at Teachmate.
A career built shaping education
Chip’s dedication to improving education has been clear across every stage of his career. From over a decade in the classroom, to leading national computing initiatives, to building Teachmate, everything has been driven by one consistent goal: giving every student the best possible access to education.
As one of our partners, who has worked closely alongside Chip for many years, puts it:
“Chip had a vision from his early teaching career that has developed to result in grounded innovations and outcomes for teachers and students,” always “with an eye to supporting underrepresented groups.”
And it’s something that’s been clear throughout everything he’s done since.
An innovator with purpose
Innovation has always been part of who Chip is.
“The innovator in him has always sought out and driven new ideas – from sending Lego men into space to building an award-winning AI EdTech business.”
From early classroom experiments to scaling a platform now used by hundreds of thousands of teachers, Chip has always aspired to contribute to meaningful change in education.
A leader who puts people first
Beyond the impact and innovation, what stands out most to those around him is how he leads and the type of person he is.
“He embodies everything a modern leader should be – kindness, passion, drive, humour and generosity.”
“You will not find a single person that has ever met Chip that would not endorse this award unequivocally.”
“Once a teacher, always a teacher.”
There’s a consistent theme in every testimonial – people are at the centre.
Whether it’s supporting teachers, building a team, or working alongside partners, Chip’s approach has always been grounded in understanding what people need and how to genuinely help.
Teachmate: building something that matters
Under Chip’s leadership, Teachmate has grown into a platform used by over 380,000 educators, helping to reduce workload and support more inclusive classrooms – while opening up new opportunities for truly personalised learning at scale, where every student’s experience can be meaningfully tailored to their needs.
Better yet, everything on Teachmate has been built with the same values he started with in the classroom.
A big moment for Teachmate
Alongside Chip’s nomination, we’re also incredibly proud that Teachmate has been shortlisted for the BESA ‘Evidence & Impact Award’ 🙌
Together, these recognitions reflect not just the growth of the platform, but the impact it’s having in classrooms every day – supporting teachers and opening up more opportunities for truly personalised learning for every student.
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