The interview is an essential part of the application process where we assess your suitability for the course and your understanding of the role of the teacher.
We know that you will be nervous but you will be fully supported throughout your interview - we want you to do your best! We are looking for people with a passion for education who want to make a difference to the lives of children by providing a high-quality education for them. We are also looking for people who can hold the attention of an audience and inspire them. Your interview is your chance to do this!
This information outlines the things you’ll need to do in order to be fully prepared.
Format of the interview
Your interview will be conducted on our video interviewing platform, Shortlister. You will receive an email from us if you have been selected for interview and then you will hear from Shortlister with your log in information. In order for you to do your best, we want you to feel comfortable and prepared for all of the parts of the interview. Once logged in, you will find a lobby area with a few tips on how to navigate around the platform, a practise area where you can try out answering a few questions.
Please note that the first question will always ask for a form of ID to be shown to the camera. This must be photo ID (a passport, driving license – full or provisional, or a college ID card).
Your interview will be comprised of the following sections:
Present an object
One of our interview questions will ask you to talk about an object or artefact for five-minutes. You could choose a book, picture, poem, a special item from your house, something linked to a special interest or hobby of yours - anything which you feel is relevant and interesting! You should tell us all about the item you’ve chosen, why you have chosen it and how you would share the item with a class of children in school and what you would do with it.
This will help us understand your ability to engage with an audience and hold their interest. As you only have 5 minutes for your presentation, please do not prepare a PowerPoint presentation, just show us the item and be ready to talk about it.
Interview
To ensure every candidate has the same opportunity to highlight their key achievements, skills, and experiences we publish our interview questions. The questions are:
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Please show a form of ID (please note this must be photo ID)
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What experience do you have of interacting with or supporting young children?
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One of the main differences between college and university is the need for self-directed learning. What makes you excited as a learner? Give an example of when you’ve set out to find the answer to something and how you did that.
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What does a teacher do?
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How do you prioritise and manage your time when you have multiple tasks or competing deadlines? Can you share a specific example?
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Using your prepared resource, tell us why you have chosen it and how you could use it in a primary classroom.
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How do schools look after and keep children safe?
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As part of the enrolment process, you will complete a series of safeguarding checks, for example DBS and a social media screening. Is there anything that you would like to declare or tell us about now?
At the end of the interivew you will be asked a series of questions relating to your fitness to study and practice. You should answer these honestly and provide detail where necessary. Failure to disclose relevant information may affect eligibility for this course.
GCSE Certificates
If you have them, please upload the original copies of your GCSE certificates on to your applicaiton. You can do this via Beacon and will have received log in details shortly after you sent your application to us.
We would encourage you to:
- Dress professionally; even though this is a video interview, it is still your formal interview for the course and we would recommend that you present yourself in a smart manner including how you dress.
- Prepare! Please plan for the activities detailed above. Remember to draw on your experiences whether from your own education or from voluntary work, paid work or placements.
Don’t forget - we are looking for your potential to be a great teacher so please relax, smile and be yourself!