Primary Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education interview

We are pleased to invite you to interview for the Primary Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course at the University of Reading and look forward to meeting you.

To enable you to perform to the best of your abilities, we aim to make the interview process as stress-free as possible. Please read all the information provided, very carefully.

• Familiarise yourself with the Teachers' Standards.
• Be aware of the current issues facing teaching, particularly in the area you have applied to.
• Watch the Primary Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) interview presentation video.
• Watch the Transforming Lives – the Institute of Education video.
• Prepare for the book task.
• Familiarise yourself with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
• Complete and return a written task.
• Read the Institute of Education's interview top tips guide.

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

The only document 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.

Before your interview, please watch the Puffin Storytime video (up to 5 minutes 55 seconds), where the author will read the book Look Up! 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.
• You may like to consider an early or special setting, depending on your chosen pathway.
• Come to your online interview prepared to share and discuss your activity, including why you chose the activity and your role in the children’s learning.
• You may use your notes during your interview.

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.

There will be a brief informal discussion focused on the book task as well as a formal interview. You will be asked the following questions during your interview:

• Why do you want to pursue the Primary Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) 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 from 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?
• Pathway-specific questions, including your knowledge and experience of working in early or special settings, your knowledge of the curriculum in these settings, 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, Vimeo.

You will be able 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, 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 require any assistance in 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.