Teaching: Top Tips for Applications and Interviews

Background knowledge

It is extremely important to ensure that you prepare thoroughly for the job you are applying for and that you spend time looking at a wide variety of schools. You may have in your mind the type of school you would like to work in i.e.  this may be a large school or a small rural school, but try not to narrow your search and be open minded about the schools you visit.

Make sure that you have a good look around the school website which will tell you about the curriculum the school follows, the policies school has and will give you an initial sense of what the school is like.

If you get the chance it is also really helpful to go and visit the school and take the opportunity to meet the headteacher, the senior leadership team, teachers and pupils. Take time to look around the classrooms, look at the displays on the walls and look in the pupil’s books. Ask questions of the senior leadership team which will help when the school receive your application form and remind them of the great conversation and discussion they had with you.

Working on supply is a great way to ‘try before you buy’ and allows you to spend time working in a variety of schools to find out what works best for you. Link here to find out more about working on supply in primary schools -
https://www.exetersupplypartnership.com/

​Your supporting letter
Help the panel by organising your letter into headed paragraphs, for example:

1. Introduction. Write about the school vision and values, how does this resonate with you and why do you want to work in this school. It is a good idea to include examples from when you visited the school.
2. Teaching and learning. Be clear about how you plan, how you scaffold learning to support pupils and including examples to show how children make progress in your lessons. 
3. Relationships. Explain how you form good working relationships through your approach to behaviour management, how you follow the school behaviour policies and how you build trusted relationships across the school. Explain how you work with colleagues including teaching assistants and how you can support other teachers in the school, maybe by taking the lead on a specific area of the curriculum. Also mention about how you support parents and carers.
4. SEND. Explain how you support pupils with their learning and how you differentiate tasks, maybe mention how you promote independence in pupils learning and again use examples.
5. About you. What are your interests out of school and how do you keep yourself well. What can you offer the school for example extra curricular clubs, maybe you have skills and experience in coaching a particular sport, or in drama, art etc.

 
Lesson Prep

It is useful to have a copy of the national curriculum to hand and take resources which can be edited for use in a variety of year groups. Have some resources and lessons prepped that are quick and ready to use and maybe keep these in a folder with ‘go to’ lessons. Think active learning throughout and be really clear about your lesson objective and keep referring back to it. Have clear expectations with regards to behaviour and be positive. Make the lesson active and use modelling as well as quick check in’s during independent learning tasks. Circulate the classroom with purpose during independent learning tasks and include mini plenary sessions if required and share any really good work. Ensure you bring the learning together at the end and thank the pupils for their hard work.
 
The interview.
Have examples ready and don’t be afraid to keep notes written on a piece of paper or in a note book and take it into the interview with you.

Take your time in between each question. Breath and try to relax. Use a glass of water to help slow down proceedings whilst you take a sip.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to ask the panel to repeat a question or a part of a questions.

Prepare for the interview by thinking of examples you want to share with the panel from your own practice. Refer to your visit to the school, to your own experience, for example how you have supported SEND pupils and examples of good behaviour management.
 
Questions
You need to ensure that the school is the right fit for you so ask questions about how you will be supported in your teaching career and about anything else you feel you need to know before you make a decision about whether this is the right school for you.
 
Search for jobs in education in Devon here: 
https://southwesteducationjobs.co.uk/

Schools can sign up and post jobs for free: 
https://southwesteducationjobs.co.uk/post