Education & Teaching Interview Questions & Answers

The overall format was a general assessment centre, a competency based interview, group exercise and a presentation in the format of a teaching lesson. The assessment centre consisted of 3 tasks, a one to one competency based interview which lasted approximately 45 minutes, a group exercise where we were split into groups of 8, given 15 minutes to read the task and decide collectively on the outcome, and finally a 5 minute sample teaching lesson where we were given 1 minute to prepare once stepping into the class.

Describe a time where you failed something and how you overcame this?

Teach First is a very friendly organisation, they want you to do well so be calm and perform in your interview, and let your personality shine through. Make sure you know their competencies very well and the rest should be fine!

The assessment centre consisted of 3 tasks, a one to one competency based interview which lasted approximately 45 minutes, a group exercise where we were split into groups of 8, given 15 minutes to read the task and decide collectively on the outcome, and finally a 5 minute sample teaching lesson where we were given 1 minute to prepare once stepping into the class.

The interview was comprised of 3 different sections and previous to the interview I had been contacted by a Graduate Recruitment officer who had talked me through the different steps which I would go through during the interview process. Upon arrival all the candidates were able to meet and talk among one another. The first stage of the interview process was a one on one interview in which I was assessed on competency based questions and the competencies which were important to the company. This lasted for around about 40 mins and included asking questions in which I had to explain what I would do in certain situations if I found myself in a classroom. The second stage of the interview was a group based task in which we had to have a discussion about which child we would give an award to. This task took about 30 mins. The final part of my interview was to deliver a 7 min lesson to two assessors who pretended to be the age of the children your lesson was tailored to. Following this I was given the opportunity to do a self evaluation of the lesson.

The most difficult questions I was asked was what I thought was the most important competency which the company vales themselves upon as when under pressure it was difficult to remember all the competencies that the company prided themselves upon!

Be confident and make sure you have read up about the competencies. If you don't get offered the job you do get feedback, mine stated my body language was the only thing that went against me during the group interview- competition is very high but don't be put off! I would also recommend to apply early!

One to one interview, a group discussion task in which we were given data and then asked to put forward our own opinions as to why we thought that specific candidate would receive an award and finally a 7 min lesson.

The start of the assessment centre day was a one on one interview, lasting approximately 20 minutes. The interview was based solely on answering questions based on the competencies that Teach First look for in potential teachers such as leadership and resilience. There were also questions to test your knowledge of Teach First's mission statement and your understanding of educational disadvantage.

Describe a situation where you had to persevere over a long period of time to reach a predetermined goal.

Make sure you know the competencies very well as well as why you want to join the leadership development programme. Have a couple of examples prepared for each competency so you can draw on as many as possible in the interview as you will be asked detailed questions.

We were greeted by a graduate recruiter who talked through what we could expect from the day and given an opportunity to talk to the other candidates informally. The interview was first, then a group exercise and then we had to deliver individually a 5 minute lesson (that we had already prepared for) to two graduate recruiters. The group exercise was enjoyable and was a theoretical situation where we discussed who out of our 'students' should be offered an internship with a company linked to the school we were working with. We then individually evaluated the performance of the group and the performance of other individuals in a one to one 'debrief' with a recruiter. The final task of the day was a lesson delivered on a subject we were able to prepare for before the day. This was over very quickly and again there was a self-evaluation exercise afterwards.

The interview had several stages first a one to one interview at a centre. This was competency based but also about the company and scanario based situations for example how would you deal with one of the staff if they were racist. Following, this you had to teach the children for 15 minutes.

Why do do you prefer law above teaching?
Do you think Explore learning is expensive?

Slow down responses and think before speak. Also brush up on commercial awarness

The assessment centre was attended by 12 people. It was made up of a competency interview which lasted 15 minutes. This was followed by a pre-prepared presentation about your idea for a community event. Next there was a role play to tell a teacher about the services Explore Learning offers. In addition, there there a numerical test including fractions with questions asking how you would explain the answer to children. Then there was a literacy test which assessed your ability to find grammatical errors. Next, they took us out for lunch at Zizzi. After a lunch we had to write random words on pieces of paper. Then draw out the words and talk about the word for 2 minutes in front of the group. Finally, we had to group task about increasing membership at a gym which we then had to present to a panel who asked questions.

First off there was a phone interview, which was basically just a brief chat about expectations of the role and past work experience. Once I made it through this stage, I was invited to an interview at one of the Explore Learning centres near my home.

This interview was two hours long, and was divided into two halves. The first half was comprised of a more detailed discussion about the role of an Assistant Director, a role play exercise and more questions about my past work experience and how I may handle difficult situations at work. An awareness of marketing strategies is also helpful during this part of the interview. The second part of the interview was an hour working with the children while they were being tutored, which was fun!

After this, I was put through to an Assessment Centre day at Guildford, which lasted from 9 till 4.30. The day involved a short presentation, a one on one interview, two written assessments and a group task. We were also given a presentation about the company, and taken out to lunch half way through the day.

The most difficult questions were those that involved unfamiliar scenarios to myself, such as having to chose one task to prioritise over another, or being asked how I would deal with doubts from parents about my age (21) or relative lack of experience.

Prepare! Make sure you familiarise yourself with the website and what will be expected of you as an Assistant Director. An awareness of marketing strategies is also helpful, as is previous job experience of any kind that demonstrates you can work in a team and take responsibility for your actions.

It is also important to not be too formal, something that was picked up on in my first face to face interview - they like your personality to come through as it is a very friendly company.

The first task was a presentation about a marketing strategy I would adopt with the goal of signing up potential members to free trials. It lasted 5 minutes and was followed by a few questions.

The second was a one to one interview with two senior management staff, which was more informal and involved scenario questions and probes into why I applied for the role.

The written tasks were to test literary and maths competence

For the final group task we were split into two teams, and had to work together to select items off a list that we would want with us if we found ourselves lost at sea. We had to decide together which ones we would prioritise and then present the final list to all of the interviewers.

I initially applied online through an application form which asked about my experience in relation to areas of the job- different questions on sales and marketing, leading a team and working with children for example. This took around 2-3 hours so be prepared to give full detailed responses and to sell yourself well. After a few days, I was invited to a centre interview which was with two managers of that particular branch. This interview lasted two hours and was split into a tour of the centre, a competency and cv interview, a sales roleplay exercise and a child observation.

The next stage was an assessment centre in Guildford which lasted the whole day. It was split into an individual interview, a marketing presentation, lunch and a written task.

"A parent comes to the gate whilst you're in the middle of sorting out some figures for the head of Finance. He needs them urgently for a conference later that day. The parent looks very interested in our service and how we can benefit her children. What do you do?"

Research the company well and make sure you understand their vision and values and the job spec. A lot of the job is about performance, sales and marketing so be prepared to talk about relevant experience in that field and how you would make a difference to your centre's performance. Ensure you understand the hours as this makes a huge impact on the longevity of the job- they are long and unsociable so be prepared for that!
The most important thing is just to be yourself and let your personality and passion for children shine through as this is what they mainly recruit on- lots of energy, positivism and smiles!

We had to prepare a marketing presentation in advance which we then presented to the assessor. We could use notes and powerpoint if we liked. We then had to do a school roleplay and sell the benefits of the workshops to the teacher.

In addition, there was an individual interview, focussing on cv, competency and scenario questions. Prepare for these in advance as best you can.

There was a written task asking how you would tutor certain fraction and subtraction problems.

We were taken to zizzi for lunch as well- just be yourselves!

Finally, there was a group activity where you had to choose the five most important items that would help save you from drowning in the ocean when your ship crashes. Don't be alarmed if the assessors are mean to you- they do that on purpose!

The interviewers were very friendly and approachable. I was asked questions about the 8 competencies Teach First have. The easiest way to prepare is to come up with two examples of each competency. There were generic question about my motivation to join the program and why I wanted to work with children.

Describe a time you went out of your way for a long-term goal.

Make use of all resources available before the interview, use the time to call them and discuss any concerns; Be open and approachable during the interview; Professionalism is a must. Show leadership skills.

We did a group task about solving a problem in a school. After that, there was a role-playing delivery of a lesson.

My interview was the first stage in my assessment centre day. It was one on one with a member of their graduate recruitment team. The interview wasn't CV based but was instead based on the competency questions asked during the application process. A lot of the questions were very similar to those asked in the application process. Questions required knowledge of the company and opportunities within it, and demonstrations of the key skills required to be a teacher.

Please give an example of a situation that you have created, which was leading to, or resulted in a negative outcome.

Learn your answers to the competency questions thoroughly as this will give you most of your answers for the interview. Also research Teach first and opportunities they offer. I attended a presentation about them which was also helpful.

The process consisted of; a one on one interview, a group exercise, a review of the exercise, a lesson and a review of the lesson. In between each of the exercises there are plenty of opportunities to talk to other candidates and run through or prepare for the lesson. The subject specific lesson title is e-mailed to you the week before the assessment centre day so you can prepare properly. The lesson is in front of two members of the graduate recruitment who take the role of children in your classroom.

The Interview at the Explore learning center in Woking was wonderful. I was able to learn more information about the company and really got to see how things worked. The center was active whilst the interview was taking place so you were really able to understand how the tutoring worked, and got to talk to some of the children and see what systems they were using. The actual interview consisted of a sales role play which was quite daunting, but they gave me lots of feedback and the opportunity to do the role play again. There was then a few scenario questions based on interacting with parents and children. I was a very fun interview, serious but being in the environment allowed you to relax more. The interview lasted around 2 hours, of which about 45 minutes consisted of talking to the children and helping them out with their work. This consisted of being introduced to one or two children and then left to your own devices, especially as the center was very busy.

The most difficult questions were the ones that asked you how you would deal with children that aren't concentrating and how you would approach situations where the parents wish to take their children out of the program, as customer retention is a big part of the company's policy.

They really like to see personality, so just be yourself. And they are reliant on sales techniques and so I would recommend brushing up on the hard sell in order to push through the sales in the Role Plays.

The assessment center involved a lot of sitting around. There were 12 of us there, and after the initial introduction film and presentation, we were given timetables that told us the times that we would have the two different interviews and the personal task which was a numeracy and literacy sheet. The interviews consisted of a talk about my CV and what skills I had that I could bring to the company and what skills I needed to work on. Whilst the other consisted of a Role Play of talking to a teacher in a school. Again they gave wonderful feedback for the Role Play, which is brilliant information to take further on to other interviews. We then had lunch and got to know the interviewers a bit more, as well as getting to know more about the company and each other. It is not a competitive interview, so the relaxed atmosphere means that some of the pressure is lifted off. Then we were tasked with a group presentation where we were in groups of 6 and had to come up with a 5 point plan to get more members into the gym by the end of the month. This was the only bit of the assessment day that I felt could have been organised or worded differently, as we were given 20 minutes to come up with our plan but when we presented to the interviewers it became clear that they just wanted us to have come to the idea of half price joining fee or the first month half price.

The one-to-one interview was the first part of the assessment centre and in this I was tested on the 8 competencies including my knowledge of Teach First and the Leadership Development Programme . The interview was really friendly and gave me enough time to give lots of detail in my answers but would stop me if she needed to move on. She gave me time to think of an appropriate answer for each question and would repeat or go back to the question at the end if necessary.

When have you done something wrong in a team?

When have you received feedback or criticism for something recent and how did you respond?

When have you persevered with something difficult to achieve a long-term goal?

Be as detailed and specific as possible in your answers. Make sure you smile and make a good impression from the start.

In the group case study, make sure you make yourself heard but actively take on board everyone elses opinions and don't become overbearing or too loud. Include everyone in the discussion.

At first there was a one-to-one interview where you are tested on teach first's 8 competencies and your ability to display them well. The interviewer was friendly and would repeat the question or go back to it at the end if need be.

Then there was a group case study, where you worked in a group to come to decisions on a case study you were given. i was given a break aftet the case study and then had to do an oral self-evaluation of the case study with an interviewer.

We had plenty of time to interact and talk to other candidates and also go over any notes, before we were shown some videos about Teach First and what could happen after you were accepted for a place on the programme.

Then I was called in to present a 7 minute sample lesson to 2 assessors who were pretending to be kids. I would have to teach the lesson to them, while responding appropriately to any questions or distractions they posed. Meanwhile a third assessor was at the back taking notes. After this was over, I was taken to a separate room to complete a written self. evaluation of the lesson and then I needed to compete an online feedback form of the assessment centre.