Are you preparing for an interview? There are lots of things you can do when preparing for a teaching interview. To help give you an extra edge on the day, this blog will cover primary teacher interview questions and possible answers to impress your interviewers.
Common Primary Teacher Interview Questions
Suitability for the Role
Headteacher Leif Pallister says: “This is a part of the interview where we want to determine the applicant’s suitability for the role. We want to find out if they have the necessary skills, attitude, drive and personality to be a success here.”
- Why did you apply for the job at our school?
For example, you could say:
“When I visited, I immediately felt comfortable; everyone was so welcoming.”
“The children were lovely. I thought the classrooms were really colourful and engaging. It feels like somewhere I could see myself working.”
“I’m ready for the challenge this role offers, and I’m really keen to progress my career.”
- What strengths and experience can you bring to our school?
Talk about things they’d be interested to know, but keep the focus on you and how this would benefit their school. Avoid telling them about your two cats and your cousin’s fledgeling golf career!
Responses such as this are well-received:
“I’m very passionate about P.E. and physical wellbeing. I like to be part of a team, and I believe that’s crucial for a successful, happy school.”
Tell us about yourself.
This is where you get to tell them more about you as a person. Try not to go off on a tangent. Instead, where possible, talk about things that strengthen your appeal as a teacher at their school.
It’s a good idea to show them that you have an interesting life outside of school too. Past experiences and current hobbies are good responses here:
“I love to travel and experience different cultures.”
“I coach a local rugby youth team.”
“I’m a keen runner and I’ve entered quite a few 10km races in the past two years.”
“I love to go for walks with my family/pets.”
- Do you have any extra-curricular skills we could benefit from?
For example:
“I’m a keen footballer and would be happy to run a club.”
“I love to sew and I ran a lunchtime club at my last school – I’d be happy to do that here.”
School Specifics
Assistant Headteacher Esther Derrien says: “Here, we ask questions that show us if the applicant has visited the school and also if they’ve looked through our website. If they have, then they will be able to confidently answer the questions with relevant and accurate responses.”
- What do you think of our school’s vision and values?
“I think the vision (i.e. to inspire, to learn, to grow) sums up why I love to teach. Also, the key values, such as perseverance and courage are values that I strongly believe in as a teacher to help the children become confident, successful and happy people.”
After seeing the school, is there anything positive that has caught your eye?
This is a question you might be asked after a school visit, either on the day or when you looked around beforehand.
Anything positive you experienced would be a good response here:
“I loved the classrooms. The displays and engaging environments were really impressive. I saw lots of interactive displays on the walls, which is something I like to use a lot.”Find
- Which elements of our latest Ofsted report do you think should be a priority for us to focus on?
“I noticed that the school received a good grade. The suggestion that the vulnerable groups need to have more support is something that I would be keen on having a role in, as interventions are a real passion and strength of mine.”
You can read more questions and answers that might help for your interview, here: https://www.twinkl.co.id/blog/common-qu ... -interview
Good Luck!
