Teaching interview day: what to expect

A teaching interview in England usually takes most of a school day. Expect a tour, a lesson you teach to a real class while being observed, a student panel, sometimes a task such as marking or an in-tray exercise, and a formal interview with the headteacher and a governor or trust representative. Many schools decide the same day and ring the successful candidate that evening, sometimes before you get home.

The shape of a typical day

Schools vary, but a common pattern looks like this:

1. Arrival, ID check and welcome, often with the other candidates.
2. A tour of the school, frequently led by students.
3. The observed lesson.
4. A student panel.
5. A written or practical task, for some posts.
6. Lunch, sometimes a shortlist cut after the morning.
7. The formal interview.
8. A phone call or a conversation at the end of the day.

Some schools reduce the field at lunchtime and ask candidates who are no longer being considered to leave. It is blunt but normal, and it saves you an afternoon. Ask at the start whether there will be a mid-day decision.

Bring photo ID and your original qualification certificates. Schools check identity and qualifications as part of safer recruitment, and some do it on the day.

The observed lesson

The invitation usually gives the year group, class size, topic, length and any information about the class, such as special educational needs or prior attainment. If it does not, email and ask. You are entitled to plan properly.

Observers watch whether students learn something, whether you check that they have, how you manage behaviour and how you adapt when things go off plan. A lesson with a clear objective, a short starter, a main task every student can access and a check of understanding at the end usually scores better than one packed with activities.

Bring printed copies of your lesson plan and resources for the observers, and enough copies of materials for the class. The school’s technology may not work first time, so do not depend on it.

Afterwards you may be asked to reflect, either in a short conversation or at the start of the formal interview. Be honest about what went less well and what you would change. Self-evaluation is part of what is being assessed.

The student panel

A group of students, often from the school council, asks you questions. Typical ones are “Why do you want to work here?”, “What makes a good lesson?”, “How would you deal with someone who is disrupting the class?” and “What do you do outside school?” Talk to them as you would to a class, plainly and without jargon. Staff usually sit in and take notes, and the students’ views are fed back to the panel.

The formal interview

The panel is usually the headteacher or a senior leader, a head of department for subject posts, and a governor or trust representative. Questions tend to cover:

• Your teaching: planning, assessment, adapting for students with SEND, behaviour
• Your subject knowledge and curriculum thinking
• Working with colleagues and parents
• Your development and what support you would want
• Safeguarding

At least one question will be about safeguarding. Under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), schools must explore candidates’ suitability to work with children at interview. Expect something like “A student tells you something that worries you about their home life. What do you do?” Panels want to hear that you listen, do not promise confidentiality, do not ask leading questions, record exactly what was said, and report to the designated safeguarding lead the same day. Know that the DSL exists and what they do; see our guide to the designated safeguarding lead.

You may also be asked about gaps in your employment history or anything in your application statement that needs explaining. That is a standard safer recruitment step, covered in our safer recruitment guide.

Have a couple of questions ready for the end. Our list of questions to ask at the end of an interview has some that work for schools.

Being offered the job

If the school wants you, the head usually rings and makes a verbal offer. Before you accept, it is reasonable to ask which salary point you will start on, whether the school follows national pay arrangements, and the start date. In maintained schools in England the pay ranges come from the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. Academies can set their own, though many follow it. Our guide to teacher pay scales in England has the current figures.

The offer will be conditional on references, an enhanced DBS check with the children’s barred list, right to work checks, a check of your qualifications and an occupational health declaration. For teachers moving schools, notice dates matter: in maintained schools under the Burgundy Book, resigning to leave at 31 August means giving notice by 31 May. Check your contract and your current school’s position before you accept a start date.