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Brilliant primary teachers have a lasting impact on the children they teach.
This award recognises the teachers you feel are expert practitioners, who have a significant positive impact on those around them. They inspire all those who work with them. They bring learning to life for their pupils and help them to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. More broadly, they’re pivotal in shaping a positive and ambitious school community.
They show what it means to make a real difference every day.
Who can enter?
Open to all primary phase teachers teaching in state or independent schools across the UK, including those working in middle schools, who hold qualified teacher status (QTS).
Nominator Guidance
Teacher of the Year in a Primary School – Nominator Guidance.
What makes a good entry?
Thank you for taking the time to nominate your colleague for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School. Your nomination plays an important role in helping judges understand not just what the teacher does, but the difference it has made.
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 Teaching and Learning
Use this section to show how the nominee makes learning meaningful and memorable for children.
Judges want to understand what sets this teacher apart in day-to-day practice. Focus on how they capture children’s interest and adapt learning to meet different needs. Strong entries include examples of pupils becoming more confident, curious or motivated as a result of the teacher’s approach.
Rather than describing lessons, explain the difference their teaching has made for children.
2 Learning environment
This section is about the culture the nominee creates.
You might include how the teacher supports inclusion, builds positive relationships or helps children feel confident to contribute and take risks. Judges are interested in how the environment supports both learning and wellbeing.
3 Assessment
Use this section to show how the nominee really understands their pupils.
Focus on how they notice progress, respond thoughtfully to children’s needs and use insight to shape what happens next. This might include how feedback helps pupils move forward, or how teaching is adapted to ensure children are challenged and supported appropriately.
Clear examples that show the impact on progress, confidence or independence are particularly helpful.
4 Impact beyond the classroom
In this section, highlight how the nominee’s influence extends beyond their own class.
Think about how they influence/mentor colleagues, contribute wider school improvement, and share good practice on a local/school/trust wide level. Include examples of collaboration beyond the school, where relevant. Judges want to understand how this teacher helps shape a positive, ambitious school community.
General tips for a strong Teacher of the Year in a Primary School entry
- Write from first-hand experience. Judges value insight from someone who knows the teacher and has seen their impact over time.
- Focus on impact, not description. What has changed for pupils or colleagues because of this teacher?
- Be specific. A small number of clear examples is more powerful than broad praise.
- Show consistency. This award recognises teachers who make a real difference day after day.
Judges will ask themselves
- What makes this teacher exceptional in their everyday practice?
- How do we know their work leads to strong outcomes for children?
- How does their influence extend beyond their own classroom?
- What sets this teacher apart from others working at a similar level?
You can download this information here
Award Criteria
Award Criteria
Please address each of these points in your entry, under the following headings.
Teaching and Learning
How does your nominee bring learning to life and inspire every child they teach? Tell us about the personal qualities that make them a stand-out classroom teacher. How do they motivate all pupils to do their best and make strong progress in their learning and to feel positive about their next steps.
Learning environment
How does your nominee create a classroom where children feel happy, valued, and excited to learn? Tell us about the skills, creativity, and approach that make it inclusive for all pupils.
Assessment
How does your nominee use assessment to inform and enhance teaching and learning?
How do they provide effective feedback that supports next steps in learning? Describe how they use assessment insights to adapt teaching approaches, plan interventions and ensure that all children are appropriately challenged and supported. Include examples that show the positive impact of their assessment strategies on pupil progress, confidence and independence.
Impact beyond the classroom
How does your nominee make a difference beyond their own classroom? Share examples of how they inspire and support colleagues, contribute to wider school life, and influence others’ practice. Share examples of them working with other schools/stakeholders to show their broader impact.
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