Online interviews for our BA Primary Education (QTS) courses take place via Microsoft Teams. The interview process includes a group task and an individual interview.

What do I need to do before my interview?

Do I need to provide any documents at my interview?

Please have a form of photo ID ready to show to the camera at the start of your interview. This could be a passport, driving licence photocard (full or provisional), or an alternative form of photo ID issued by a trusted authority.

If you receive and accept an offer, you will be invited to an offer holder session at the University before the start of the course. You will need to bring original ID documents with you for your DBS check.

Interview format

The interview will include two parts:

  • Part 1: Group task
  • Part 2: Individual interview

You will be able to book a 30 minute slot for your individual interview. Further details on how to book your slot will be provided in your interview invitation. Please note that all timings given will be in UK time.

Group task timings

You will need to attend the group task earlier on the same day, before your individual interview.

  • If you book an individual interview slot before 13:00, you will need to attend the group task at 09:25 on the same day.
  • If you book an individual interview slot after 13:00, subject to availability, you will need to attend the group task at 13:55 on the same day.

Joining your individual interview and group task using Microsoft Teams

A few days before your interview, you will receive two separate Microsoft Teams links by email: one to join the group task and one to join your individual interview. If you do not receive the links, please check your junk or spam folder.

You should be able to join a Teams meeting without a Microsoft Teams account. If you choose to join the Teams meetings through a web browser, we recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge for the best experience.

Group task

The group task is designed to assess your ability to:

  • work collaboratively
  • communicate your ideas clearly
  • listen actively to others
  • demonstrate your understanding of primary education.

Before the date of your interview, please watch the Clean Up! storybook video. After watching the video, we ask that you:

  • Consider how you would use the Clean up! storybook 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 our BA Primary Education General pathway, please choose a subject taught in the primary national curriculum and relate your group task discussion to this subject. Be prepared to explain how you would teach a lesson in your chosen subject and discuss how you could use it to support cross-curricular learning.
  • If you have applied for one of our BA Primary Education courses with a subject specialism, please relate your group task discussion to your chosen subject specialism. Be prepared to explain how you would teach a lesson in your chosen subject and discuss how you could use it to support cross-curricular learning.

You are welcome to refer to notes during the group task. If you do not have the opportunity to share all your ideas, you will be able to discuss them further during your individual interview.

Individual interview

Please be prepared to answer questions relating to the following topics:

  • your motivations for becoming a teacher
  • your passion for teaching and any relevant experience you have. If you have applied for one of our BA Primary Education courses with a subject specialism (Art, English, Mathematics or Music), please be prepared to discuss these in relation to your chosen subject specialism.
  • your 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 one of our BA Primary Education courses with a subject specialism (Art, English, Mathematics or Music). These will include questions about your knowledge of the curriculum and what inclusion means to you
  • safeguarding and child protection. We recommend familiarising yourself with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance (also available as an audiobook).

At the end of your individual interview, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and share any additional ideas from the group task.

Further information about the interview

  • Your interview will usually be conducted by a programme tutor. A second interviewer, either from the University or one of our partner schools, may also be present. We may share relevant background information from your application with University or partner school colleagues, but this will not include any sensitive information you provided.
  • For safeguarding and quality assurance purposes, all interviews will be recorded and retained for 90 days from the date of the interview, after which the recordings will be permanently deleted. Recordings will be stored securely and will only be accessible to authorised University staff involved in the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) interview process. All interviewers have completed safer recruitment training. Recordings will not be used for any purpose other than safeguarding and quality assurance, unless required by law. Candidates are not permitted to make their own recordings of the interview.
  • The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is not permitted during the interview. All responses must be your own, based on your personal knowledge and experiences. Using AI to generate, formulate, or communicate answers during your interview may result in the interview being stopped and your application rejected.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

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 admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.

Please be 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.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the interview, please email admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.

Additional guidance