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Congratulations on being invited to interview for the BA Primary Education (QTS) course at the University of Reading. We look forward to meeting you. 

We want this to be a stress-free process to enable you to perform to your potential and we hope that the information on this webpage will be helpful to you. Please read all of the information carefully.

What do I need to do before my interview?

Do I need to provide any documents at my online interview?

The only document that you will need to provide at your interview is a piece of photographic ID so your identity can be verified (your passport, driving licence photocard, or ID card). You will need to hold this up to the camera, so please have this to hand at the start of your interview.

Book task

Before your interview, please watch the Puffin Storytime video (up until 5 minutes 55 seconds) where the book ‘Look Up!’ will be read to you by the author. After watching the clip, we ask that you:

  • Consider how you would use the book ‘Look Up!’ to support a learning activity / develop children’s learning in a primary setting. 
  • Consider your specialist subject depending on your chosen pathway – please refer to the subject specialism pathway information for further details.
  • Come to your online interview prepared to share and discuss your activity, including why you have chosen the activity and the role you would have in the children’s learning.
  • You may use your notes during your interview.

Subject Specialism Pathways: BA Primary Education with Art, BA Primary Education with English, BA Primary Education with Mathematics, or BA Primary Education with Music: 

If you have applied for one of the subject specialism pathways, please relate your discussions in the book task to your subject specialism. Additionally, during your interview, please be prepared to explain how you would teach an Art, an English, a Mathematics, or a Music lesson and to discuss how you might use your subject 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.

Written task

Approximately two or three working days before the date of your interview, you will be sent a Microsoft Teams meeting invitation and an email containing the written task and relevant instructions. Please complete and return the written task via email before your interview. Please let us know if any adjustments are needed for you to access this task.

The following will be reviewed:

  • Legibility of your handwriting.
  • Spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
  • Your ability to plan and compose ideas in a written format.

What will happen during my interview?

There will be a brief informal discussion focused on the book task as well as a formal interview.

Your interview will focus on the following key areas:

  • Your knowledge and understanding of educational issues, including the Primary National Curriculum in England.
  • Your appropriate interest, knowledge, understanding, and skills in your specialist subject
  • Your relevant experience with children and any further plans for developing this
  • The qualities required to make a good teacher
  • Your potential to reach the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status. We would advise you to familiarise yourself with the Teachers' Standards before your interview.

You will be asked the following questions during your individual interview:

  • Why do you want to pursue the course?
  • How have children benefited from your input?
  • As a trainee teacher, how will you work with others, including children, who have different values and beliefs to you?
  • What would you do if your authority was challenged in the classroom?
  • What do you think are the challenges of being a teacher?
  • What do you think successful learning looks like and what do you think a good teacher does to enable this?
  • How will you cope with the challenges of the course and profession?
  • Subject specialism pathway specific questions, including your knowledge of the curriculum and what inclusion means to you.

You will also be asked about safeguarding and child protection and we recommend that you read the summary of Keeping Children Safe in Education to prepare for this. The full guidance is available in an alternative format.

There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end of your interview.

Who will interview me?

You will be interviewed by one of the programme tutors from the Institute of Education and another interviewer. The second interviewer may be a colleague from one of our partner schools. Please note that we will share relevant background information from your application form with our partner school colleague, but this will not include any sensitive data that you provided as part of your application. If you have any queries or concerns in relation to this, please contact the Admissions Support team.

Questions?

We are looking forward to meeting you at your interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if you require any assistance in relation to your interview, please contact the Admissions Support team.

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 contact the Admissions Support team. Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having special requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course.