An interview plays a big part in securing a spot on a teacher training course. Although interviews will vary slightly depending on the course and subject or Key Stage you’re applying to teach, we’ve got some top tips on how to prepare.
The structure of our interviews
Our interviews are broken down into:
- a presentation, plus a Q&A based on the presentation you’ve given
- a formal interview
- an English and Maths diagnostic assessment
- a chance for you to ask any questions about the course
The presentation
The nature of the presentation will depend on the course you've applied for. When invited for an interview, you'll be given a choice of topics to present. Please ensure that you've prepared fully for your presentation, including doing any National Curriculum research or other requirements as appropriate.
Here is some general guidance:
- Make sure you’ve practised aloud in front of friends and family, or even just in the mirror.
- Stick to the time frame you’ve been given – try to avoid making your presentation too long or too short.
- Be aware of whether you’ll have access to technology or not, some courses specifically ask for no technology to be used in the presentation.
- If you are able to use technology, have a back-up just in case it doesn’t work on the day.
- Research the topic and be prepared to talk about your sources.
- Your interviewer will likely ask you questions as a follow up to your presentation, this isn’t to catch you out but because they want to give you an opportunity to discuss your ideas.
The formal interview
These questions are similar across each interview in order to ensure the process is fair.
This is your opportunity to demonstrate why you’ll make a good teacher. Be prepared to talk about any relevant experiences or transferable skills that would be good for teaching.
The interviewer may also ask about your application (including your personal statement), particularly if there’s areas that need clarifying or might affect your ability to accept an offer.
Your questions
Please prepare some questions yourself and be ready to ask them. Teaching is a demanding profession to get into, so use this as your opportunity to find out more about the course and the support available to you.
Please note: the rules, regulations and entry criteria for teacher training are set out by the Department for Education (DfE). London Metropolitan University has implemented an interview process that enables us to assess whether you meet these criteria, which we do as impartially as we can.
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