The Interview

Individual Interview

This will take place in one of our primary teaching rooms and you will have a one-to-one informal interview with one of our tutors or partnership teachers. You will be asked a number of questions which are designed to ascertain if you are a suitable candidate for teaching and for this BEd course. There are no trick questions- we just want to find out if you show the kind of potential we are looking for. 

The following areas will be focused upon:  

The Professional Role of the Teacher

• High expectations and commitment to realising pupil potential;
• Professional behaviour and the role of the teacher;
• The ability to reflect on your own practice and identify areas for future development.
• Responsibility for safeguarding 

Subject Knowledge and Teaching Skills 

• Subject knowledge per se – the essential knowledge and understanding needed to teach the range of primary subjects effectively;
• An understanding of the teaching skills and strategies needed to teach all pupils effectively- this is known as pedagogy. 

Pupils’ Learning

• How learning is linked to pupils’ development and their social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and contexts;
• How to promote positive attitudes to pupils’ learning; 
• Inclusion and ensuring all pupils’ needs are planned for and met.

Group Task- Teaching and Learning

For your group task we would like you to teach the group something about which you are passionate or in which you have a particular skill. You will be teaching them as adults not as children so make sure your chosen focus is appropriate.

The activity will be in a group of no more than 6 candidates and you should plan for the task to take 10 minutes. Consider how you could extend the task or adapt to meet the group’s needs if necessary. Ensure you practise the task and make sure that the timing is appropriate.

To be successful in this task:

• You need to teach the other members of the group something about this interest
• You should expect and encourage the other members of the group to interact with you
• You need to consider how you will engage the group members, possibly with resources or different approaches.
• The other members of the group should have learned something by the end of your task. Consider how you will assess whether they have learnt something and include this at the end of the task. You may want to consider a before and after type assessment.

 

In addition we will be assessing:

• Your interaction and engagement with others when you are teaching
• Your ability to interact with others when others are teaching
• Your empathy with others
• Your clear communication with others using Standard English.

 

This task will take place in a teaching room and furniture can be moved accordingly.

• You will not have access to ICT so plan accordingly
• You need to provide all the resources for your task
• Make sure it is interactive and engaging.

 

Please bear in mind that 10 minutes is not long- keep it simple! Please make sure you can extend your activity if it finishes more quickly than you anticipated.

We look forward to learning about a broad range of interests and skills. In the past examples have included teaching a skill such as knitting, playing a simple tune on a musical instrument, learning some words or phrases in a new language, learning how to read a map, perform a simple dance, make a buttonhole etc. Others have taught the group about the off-side rule, endangered species, diabetes, the constellations or first aid. Please remember that the subject matter is entirely your choice. It is how you go about it that interests us. It’s completely up to you!