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Outstanding new teachers have a natural ability that shines through.
Inspirational early career teachers inspire pupils to love learning, develop academically, socially, and emotionally and achieve their best, while showing a genuine openness to reflect, learn, and grow as professionals.
They’re the teachers on the team who show great promise and have already had a significant impact on students and colleagues since joining the teaching team.
Who can enter?
Open to all qualified teachers in their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of teaching, teaching in any phase, teaching children aged 4 – 18 in UK physical state or independent schools.
Nominator Guidance
Outstanding New Teacher of the Year – Nominator Guidance.
What makes a good entry?
Thank you for taking the time to nominate your colleague for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year. Your nomination plays an important role in helping judges understand not just what your nominee does, but the difference they have made in your school.
Awards criteria
A well-structured entry is key. Start with a brief summary that highlights the main reasons for the nomination. Use clear, jargon-free language, and ensure each criterion is addressed thoroughly. Organise the content with headings and sub
headings.
Include details about how the nominee overcomes the most challenging aspects of their role. It’s important that the entry is written by someone who truly knows the nominee, or that the nominator has consulted with those who do.
Evidence and impact
Evidence of impact is the most important aspect of your entry. Our judges look for clear, concise examples that demonstrate the nominee’s impact on students, colleagues, and the broader education community—whether on a regional or national scale. If, for instance, a Headteacher is credited with turning a school around, it’s important to show exactly how this was achieved.
Impact on Learners: Provide specific examples of their direct influence on learners. Highlight practical evidence of high-quality, inspirational teaching that encourages a love of learning and demonstrates excellent classroom skills. For
teaching assistants and school leaders, include evidence of inspirational support, leadership, and creative approaches that engage and motivate both children and staff.
Impact on Colleagues: Describe how the nominee has positively influenced their colleagues. Have they supported others or helped them improve? Consider their role within the staff community beyond the classroom or staffroom. Have they boosted morale or consistently uplifted those around them in some way? Our judges love hearing about these contributions, no matter how big or small.
Impact on the Wider School Community: Highlight the nominee’s overall contribution to the life of the school and the community.
Wider Impact: Where a nominee has shown impact further afield, locally or nationally, please detail this and the impact of that work.
Personalised details are what make your nominee truly stand out.
Bring the entry to life
Written statements and quotes provide a much more compelling narrative than data – especially comments from parents or pupils whose lives have been positively impacted by the nominee. These are most effective when they reference something specific, for example, ‘Ms X made a huge difference to me when she… the effect this had was …’
Where relevant, you could include supportive quotes from a broad range of sources, such as senior leaders, businesses, health or social care agencies, and local community voices. These perspectives highlight the nominee’s impact beyond the classroom.
It’s essential that someone who knows the nominee well writes the entire entry, not just detailing what they do but also providing specific examples and the impact of their work. Personalisation is key.
That special something
Put simply, if your nominee isn’t shortlisted, what would our judges be missing out on? Share the values and truly unique examples of practice that set your nominee apart—something related to their role that has made a real difference to children’s lives. Our judges are particularly keen to see initiatives or approaches that are unprecedented in the school or unlikely to be found elsewhere, especially when they demonstrate innovation and determination, rather than just long
working hours. What makes this nominee a National Award winner, and how could showcasing their exceptional practice inspire and benefit other educators across the UK?
Wider contribution
Highlight how your colleague has made a significant contribution beyond their core responsibilities. Consider areas such as their involvement in extra-curricular activities, community engagement, or initiatives that enhance the wider school
environment.
You could examples such as:
- Leading or supporting clubs or events
- Organising or participating in fundraising activities or community outreach programmes or any achievements they have contributed to that reflect their broader impact within the educational community
- Championing eco-friendly initiatives, such as Eco-Schools or sustainability projects or contributing to the development of children through other enrichment activities
Provide clear examples to demonstrate how their efforts have gone above and beyond, enriching the school experience and making a positive impact.
Personal journey and inspiration
To help our judges understand the nominee as a whole, beyond their role, please share what has shaped their personal and professional journey. Were there key influences from their own education, a significant person, or a defining event in their life? What inspired them to pursue a career in education? Your insight into their motivations and background will help our judges appreciate the individuals behind the educators.
What to avoid when writing your entry?
Data
Unless the criteria specifically request this, although we expect to see some pupil progress or attainment data, or recognition by external agencies to show your nominee’s impact on pupils, our judges prefer this to be kept to a minimum. They carry out due diligence if your entry reaches shortlisting stage. At this point they can obtain data / Ofsted reports.
We want to emphasise the importance of submitting unique, personalised nominations that reflect the individual / team you’re celebrating.
Entries that are not unique
Recently, we’ve noticed that AI-generated or AI-assisted entries often contain repetitive or generic statements that simply echo the criteria without offering real insight. These entries lack the personal touch and specific details that make a
= nomination truly stand out. If you choose to use AI for support, please ensure your entry still reflects your own voice, includes specific examples, and offers personalised evidence or testimonials that highlight the nominee’s unique impact. Remember—it’s the details and authentic stories that truly bring your nominee to life!
Links
You can submit up to 3 additional evidence files along with your written entry. Hyperlinks to other documents, videos, social media etc should be classed as additional evidence and not part of the entry.
Specific guidance for this category
1 Learning environment
Use this section to try and give the judges a good ‘picture’ of the nominee. Judges want to understand what it feels like to be a pupil in their classroom or learning space.
You might include examples of how they build enthusiasm for learning, support confidence, or help pupils feel safe to take risks and try new things. Focus on the difference their approach has made to pupils’ attitudes, enjoyment or progress, rather than describing routines or activities in isolation.
2 Teaching and learning – students and self
This section is about what makes your nominee stand out at an early stage in their career. Describe the approaches, skills or personal qualities that have already had a clear impact on pupils’ learning.
As this is an early career award, it’s important to show how the nominee reflects on their practice, seeks feedback and learns from experience. Judges value evidence of growth, openness and willingness to improve, alongside early success.
3 Assessment
Use this section to show how your nominee understands and responds to pupils as individuals. Rather than describing systems or tools, focus on how they notice progress, adapt their support and help pupils understand their own learning. You could include examples of how feedback has helped pupils improve, gain confidence or take greater ownership of their learning.
Judges are interested in thoughtful, responsive practice that supports pupils to move forward, even at an early stage in a career.
4 Beyond the classroom
In this section, highlight how your nominee contributes to school or community life beyond their day-to-day role.
Judges want to see some specific examples. Of equal importance is the impact: how these contributions have broadened pupils’ experiences, helped them discover interests, or strengthened their connection to school.
Focus on why the nominee chose to get involved and what difference it has made.
General tips for a strong Outstanding New Teacher of the entry
- Write from direct experience. Judges want to hear from someone who has seen the nominee in action.
- Show impact early on. This award recognises promise, but that promise should already be visible in practice and outcomes.
- Keep it specific. A small number of clear examples is more powerful than general praise.
- Remember this is about potential as well as achievement. Evidence of reflection, learning and growth matters.
Judges will ask themselves
- What difference has this nominee already made for pupils and the wider team?
How do we know their practice is effective, not just enthusiastic?
What suggests they have the potential to become an exceptional educator?
What sets them apart from others at a similar stage in their career?
You can download this information here
Award Criteria
Please address each of these points in your entry, under the following headings.
Learning environment
How does your nominee create passion and excitement in the classroom and other learning environments? Tell us how they inspire curiosity, motivate and engage pupils to learn well, and help every child to strive to achieve their full potential. Using examples, describe the impact this has on pupils’ enjoyment, confidence, and progress.
Teaching and learning – students and self
How does your colleague use a blend of traditional and innovative approaches to bring learning to life? Describe the skills, creativity, and personal qualities that make them a standout classroom practitioner and explain how these have had a positive impact on their students’ learning and achievement. How do they build strong relationships with colleagues, parents, and others in their network to support pupils’ learning and development?
Thinking of them as early career teachers, tell us how they seek feedback, learn from experience, and in so doing playing their part in creating a positive, supportive environment where everyone works together for the benefit of the children.
Assessment
How does your nominee assess and respond to each pupil’s progress? Tell us how they use feedback and reflection to ensure every learner is supported, challenged, and actively involved in their own learning journey. What difference has their approach made to pupils?
Beyond the classroom
Outside of the classroom, how does your nominee involve themselves with wider school/community activities, enriching experiences for their students? Consider such examples as:
- Designing & implementing an interesting/ambitious school trip.
- Introducing/significantly growing a club or society that has drawn pupils in and helped them grow in confidence.
- Building links with external stakeholders for talks, assemblies, or workshops?
Share examples of how are they helping children discover and nurture their passions and contributing to wider school life.
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