Preparing for your online interview

What do I need to do before my interview?

• Familiarise yourself with the course for which you have applied.
• Prepare for the group task. 
• Familiarise yourself with the Teachers' Standards (TS).
• Watch the Transforming Lives – the Institute of Education video.
• Familiarise yourself with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
• Read the Institute of Education's interview top tips.
• Be aware of the current issues facing teaching (particularly in relation to your subject specialism if you have applied for a Subject Specialism Pathway) - for example, browse Tes, The Guardian's education section, or BBC's Family and Education pages.
• Familiarise yourself with the Primary National Curriculum in England.
• Complete and return a written task.

Do I need to provide any documents at my interview?

At the start of your interview, you will be required to hold up a piece of photographic identification (ID) to the camera so your identity can be verified. Examples of acceptable forms of photographic ID include a passport, driving licence photocard (full or provisional), or an ID card. Please have an acceptable form of photographic ID ready to show at the start of your interview.

If you receive and accept an offer, you will be asked to bring original ID documents for the DBS check to an information session at the University before the start of the course. Further details will be sent to you at a later stage. 

The interview process

Your online interview will consist of two parts: a group task and Q&A session, and an individual interview. You will also need to complete and return a written task before you attend your online interview. 

Instructions on how to join the group task using Microsoft Teams, how to join your individual interview using Microsoft Teams, and how to complete and return the written task, will be sent to you by email a few days before the date of your interview. 

You should be able to join a Teams meeting without a Microsoft Teams account. If you wish to join the Teams meeting using a web browser, we recommend that you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Group task and Q&A session

Approximately one week before the date of your interview, an email will be sent to you confirming the following details:

• the start time of the group task and Q&A session
• a link to join the group task and Q&A session at the designated time using Microsoft Teams.

The group task is designed to evaluate your ability to collaborate with others, articulate your ideas clearly, and listen actively to your peers.

Before attending your interview, please watch the Primary Interviews: Clean Up! story video where course tutors read the book, Clean Up!, which is written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola.  

After watching the video, we ask that you:

• Consider how you would use the book Clean up! to support a learning activity/develop children’s learning in a primary setting.
• Be prepared to share and discuss your activity with your group online, including why you have chosen the activity and your role in the children’s learning.
• If you have applied for the BA Primary Education General Pathway course, please choose a subject which is, or subjects which are, taught in the primary national curriculum and relate your discussions in the group task to your chosen subject(s). Please be prepared to explain how you would teach a lesson based on your chosen subject(s) and to discuss how you might use your chosen subject(s) to develop cross curriculum learning.
• If you have applied for a BA Primary Education with Subject Specialism Pathway course (BA Primary Education with Art, BA Primary Education with English, BA Primary Education with Mathematics, or BA Primary Education with Music), please relate your discussions in the group task to your subject specialism. Please be prepared to explain how you would teach a lesson based on your subject specialism and to discuss how you might use your subject specialism to develop cross curriculum learning.
• Please also demonstrate that you have thought about the way that the activity, either planned or observed, will support learning.

You may use notes when you are presenting online. If there is anything else you wish to share in relation to the group task, you are welcome to do so during your individual interview.

Individual interviews

A few days before the date of your interview, an email will be sent to you confirming the following details: 

• the start time of your individual interview
• a link to join your individual interview at the designated time using Microsoft Teams
• instructions for the written task.

You may receive the email confirming the details for your individual interview and the written task a few days after you have received the email containing a link to join the group task and Q&A session, as the two emails will be sent to you separately. 

Discussion topics for individual interviews

Your individual interview is expected to last for approximately 30 minutes and you will be asked questions relating to the following topics:

• your motivations for becoming a teacher
• your passion and any experience of teaching (with a focus on your subject specialism if you have applied for a Subject Specialism Pathway)
• your own values and ethics, and how these will inform your teaching
• your understanding of teaching and learning in the classroom
• behaviour management and effective learning environments
• how you will prepare yourself for the course and career
• how you will manage the challenges of the course and profession.
• pathway specific questions if you have applied for a Subject Specialism Pathway (BA Primary Education with Art, BA Primary Education with English, BA Primary Education with Mathematics, or BA Primary Education with Music), including your knowledge of the curriculum and what inclusion means to you
• safeguarding and child protection - we recommend that you read the summary of the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance to prepare for this. The full guidance is also available in an alternative format.

There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end of your individual interview and to share anything else you may wish to from the group task.

Written task

The title for the written task will be sent to you via email a few days before the date of your interview. You will need to complete and submit your written task no later than 24 hours before your interview. Further instructions will be provided by email.

Please note that the instructions for the written task will be included within the same email that confirms the start time of your individual interview and contains the link to join your individual interview at the designated time using Microsoft Teams.

The following elements will be reviewed in relation to the written task:

• legibility of your handwriting
• spelling, punctuation, and grammar
• your ability to plan and compose ideas in a written format.

Please let us know if any adjustments are needed for you to access the written task. 

Who will interview me?

Your individual interview will be conducted by one of the programme tutors from the Institute of Education. During your interview, a second interviewer may also be present. The second interviewer may be a colleague from one of our partner schools or from the University. 

Please note that we may share relevant background information from your application form with our partner school or university colleague, but this will not include any sensitive data that you provided as part of your application.

Questions?

Please email the Admissions Support Team if you have any questions.

We are fully committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our admissions and interview processes. If you would like to request any specific requirements or adjustments around accessibility for your interview, please email the Admissions Support Team. Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having specific requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course.

Subject Spotlight Webinar: Primary Education – How to prepare for your interview

The Academic Programme Director for our BA Primary Education (QTS) courses, Laura Purser, provides an insight into the interview process for our BA Primary Education (QTS) courses at the University of Reading.   

Topics covered by this webinar include:

• how to prepare for your interview
• things to be aware of for your interview
• top tips for the best interview process. 

View the webinar recording

Help with your interview

We have developed a free online course called Stress-Free University Interviews, which is available to applicants who are invited to attend an interview for a University of Reading course. It will help you to make the most of your skills, build confidence, and practice those all-important interview techniques.