Preparing for your interview
Many schools set candidates tasks in the morning and then carry out interviews in the afternoon. Sometimes, schools will have larger numbers of candidates in the morning and reduce the numbers for the afternoon interviews.
Typical tasks, depending on the type of job, are
-
Teach a lesson
-
Safeguarding discussion
-
Pastoral discussion
-
Prioritisation activity
-
Group activity
-
Data analysis
-
Assembly
-
Free time
Remember that as soon as you walk through the school gates you are being assessed. Most people that you come in contact with will give feedback to the panel that makes the final decision on the appointment. Although you may be nervous, try to come across as being enthusiastic about the school, interested and keen about the role.
​
The interview process is as much about you deciding if the school and role is right for you, as it is for the school to decide if you are the right fit for them. Prepare a list of things to find out, this will show that you have thought carefully about the school and the role.
Make a list of questions to ask during your time at the school and try to ask them throughout the day. Be positive and complimentary as you ask the question, for example ‘that sounds really interesting/exciting, could you explain a bit more about ………’.
​
Interact and collaborate with the other candidates, how you do this may be part of the selection process. You can also learn a lot from the interview experiences other candidates have had.
