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Inspirational secondary school teachers ignite a passion for learning.
This award recognises secondary school teachers who ignite a passion for learning and success in their students. They create classrooms where students feel safe to express themselves, confident to take risks, and are inspired to achieve. They are expert practitioners who bring their subject to life, helping every student reach their potential and preparing them for the next stage of their journey.
Winners in this category also make a lasting difference beyond their own classrooms. They have a passion for their subject and for improving teaching and learning in their school and their wider educational community. They are the very best in the profession and a shining example of what great teaching looks like. They are colleagues who you would never want to lose from your school because of the impact they have. Their work can be summed up as inspirational.
Who can enter?
Open to all secondary phase teachers teaching in state or independent schools across the UK who hold QTS, including those in middle schools teaching children in the 11-18 age range.
Nominator Guidance
Teacher of the Year in a Secondary 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 Secondary 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
Judges want to understand how the nominee brings their subject to life and inspires students to aim higher. Strong entries refer to how the nominees uses what they have learned and tried and tested, as well as new approaches, to positively impact students. Rather than describing individual lessons, explain the difference this teacher’s practice has made to students’ learning, attitudes or outcomes.
2 Learning environment
This section is about the culture the nominee creates for young people.
Describe how they build a classroom where students feel safe to contribute, confident to take risks and motivated to learn. You might include how they support inclusion, build positive relationships or help students develop confidence, resilience and optimism about their next steps.
Judges are interested in how this environment supports both academic success and wellbeing for all.
3 Assessment
Use this section to show how the nominee understands and responds to students as individuals. Focus on how they notice progress, use insight to adapt teaching and help students understand how to improve. You may wish to include examples of feedback, adaptation or intervention that have led to improved progress, confidence or engagement.
Clear evidence that assessment supports challenge as well as support will strengthen this section.
4 Impact beyond the classroom
In this section, highlight how the nominee’s influence extends beyond their own teaching.
This could include supporting or mentoring colleagues, sharing effective practice, contributing to wider school improvement, or helping students develop as thoughtful, responsible citizens. Judges want to understand why others see this teacher as inspirational and how their impact is felt across the school or wider educational community.
General tips for a strong Teacher of the Year in a Secondary 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 sustained impact, not one-off successes. This award recognises teachers who make a difference day after day.
- Be specific. A small number of well-chosen 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 stand out in their everyday practice?
- How do we know their work leads to strong outcomes for students?
- How does their influence extend beyond their own classroom?
- Why is this teacher truly inspirational and what sets this teacher apart from others working at a similar level?
You can download this information here
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 students to achieve their best? Tell us about the skills, subject knowledge, and personal qualities that make them an exceptional classroom teacher. Give examples of how they use research-informed pedagogy and their own CPD to make a positive impact on students and colleagues, both within their school and beyond.
Learning environment
How does your nominee create a learning environment where children feel happy, valued, and motivated to learn? Tell us about the skills, creativity, and approach that make it inclusive and aspirational for all, helping students to build confidence, develop key skills, and feel optimistic about their next steps.
Assessment
How does your colleague use assessment to understand and respond to each student’s progress? Tell us how they adapt their teaching to meet individual needs and ensure every learner feels supported, challenged, and proud of what they achieve. What impact does their approach have on student progress, confidence, and engagement?
Impact beyond the classroom
How does your nominee make a difference beyond their own classroom? Describe how they help students become thoughtful, responsible citizens who understand the impact of their actions. Share examples of how they inspire and support colleagues, share effective practice, and enrich the wider life of the school. Why do others see them as inspirational?
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