Login
Don't have an account? Register here.Forgot your password?Register here.
Haven't recieved your sign-up email? Get in touch with us here
Teaching Assistants brighten up education for their students
They are the superheroes in our classrooms, playing a vital role in helping children learn and feel happy and settled in school.
In our search for the Teaching Assistant of the Year, we’re looking for someone with that extra special something. The person who goes above and beyond, in supporting their students, creating a special bond, making learning possible every day. They’re seen as an asset to the teachers and students they support and to colleagues across the school.
When writing your entry, please ensure you address all the criteria and include some background about the school and the community or environment in which you work.
Who can enter?
Open to all classroom assistants, including teaching assistants, learning mentors, learning support assistants, and others directly involved in supporting teaching and learning, working in state or independent schools and FE colleges.
Nominator Guidance
Teaching Assistant of the Year – Nominator Guidance.
What makes a good entry?
Thank you for taking the time to nominate your colleague for Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School. Your nomination plays an important role in helping judges understand not just what the headteacher 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 Learning environment
Use this section to show how the nominee helps children or young people feel secure, supported and ready to learn.
Judges want to understand the difference this person makes through their presence and relationships. Focus on how students respond to them, how trust is built, and how learning becomes possible because of the way they support, reassure or encourage. Avoid listing duties. Instead, describe how their contribution changes experiences for learners.
2 Aiming high
This section is about belief, resilience and moments that could have gone either way.
Share examples where the nominee has supported students through difficulty, uncertainty or challenge, and helped them keep going. This might include emotional support, calm persistence, or helping a pupil see themselves differently. Judges are interested in how the nominee helps students move past barriers and begin to believe in what they can achieve.
Focus on the outcome: what was different for the student afterwards?
3 Continuous growth/ and professional development
Judges are interested in learning your nominee reflects, learns and adapts. You might include how they have developed new skills, taken on additional responsibility, or become someone others rely on. If they support colleagues or share what they’ve learned, explain the difference this has made.
4 Making a difference
In this section, step back and show the bigger picture. Describe how the nominee’s impact extends beyond individual lessons or moments. This could include relationships with families, involvement in wider school life, or being a trusted figure for pupils and colleagues alike. Judges value real examples that show long-term impact.
This is also where you should be clear about what sets this person apart. What would be lost if they were no longer there?
General tips for a strong Teaching Assistant of the Year entry
- Write as someone who knows the nominee well and has seen their impact over time.
- Focus on difference, not description. Judges want to know what changes because this person is there.
- Keep it real. Small, specific examples are often the most powerful.
Judges will ask themselves
- What difference does this person make to students’ everyday experiences?
- How do we know their support leads to positive change?
- What shows this impact is sustained, not occasional?
- Why does this teaching assistant truly stand out?
You can download this information here
Award Criteria
Please address each of these points in your entry, under the following headings:
Learning environment
Describe how your nominee helps create a learning space somewhere students learn and thrive. How do they work alongside teachers/other colleagues to adapt learning to meet different needs and build confidence in their students? Share examples of how they contribute to making learning inclusive, engaging, and enjoyable for all.
Aiming high
Share examples of your nominee handling challenging situations, or situations when outcomes were uncertain, helping students reach their academic and personal goals despite adversity. How do they use these same skills to encourage their students to aim high, overcome barriers, and develop belief in themselves?
Continuous growth/ and professional development
Tell us about your nominee’s personal growth and development since joining the school/college. How are they committed to continuous learning, and how do they share their expertise with others in the school/college community? What is the impact of this?
Making a difference
Show us the impact your nominee has not just in the classroom but across the wider school community. How do they support the family for the best outcomes of the child? How do they engage the community to support this? In this section, we’d love to see some real-life examples of how they have achieved this. What is it that makes your nominee truly stand out? What makes them brilliant?
You need to be logged in to enter
Forgot your password?Register here.
Haven't recieved your sign-up email? Get in touch with us here
Entry Form
Coming soon...
