When I found out that I had to create another dreaded folder in my NQT year, I was not too pleased. After having compiled three separate folders in my PGCE year, which each substandard evidenced and annotated (altogether over 27,000 words of annotations!), I was not looking forward to having to do that again whilst teaching 24 lessons a week. However, my experience of an NQT folder, is that it is very different to a PGCE folder.

My PGCE folder needed to show ‘consistency’ in every substandard of the Teachers’ Standards, each annotated with academic references. Whilst the evidence gathering was not too bad, as it was ultimately just printing or photocopying things that I was doing anyway, the annotations and referencing was not fun. I feared that I would have to do all this again for my NQT folder.

In my NQT folder, I am expected to include evidence of the standards, but not for each substandard, and they do not need to be annotated. However, I do think that it is good idea to include some sort of reason why that piece of evidence has been included and how it shows that you have met the standard. I just put sticky notes onto each piece of evidence with a sentence explaining why it is relevant.

All schools will have difference expectations for NQT folders, but I am required to include:

1. Evidence of each Teachers’ Standard
2. Peer observation forms
3. Formal observation forms (one per half term)
4. Weekly reflections
5. Student voice
6. CPD records
7. Data analysis
8. Sample work
9. Learning walk feedback
10. Mentor meeting minutes
11. Assessment form

Maybe I’ll do a post on what is actually inside my NQT folder…