I just wanted to share the hilarious interviewing experience I had this morning.
The job was a few weeks with a 6 year old, usually in FT school but owing to a sudden house move will need someone to provide 'eductional activities' at home from mid-Nov for a month a few days a week, which works perfectly with my schedule.
Prospective MB had obviously received my CV, profile etc from the agency and I, as usual, took my portfolio with all my certificates, references, sample activities/photos of things I've done with children along with me for her to see. Child was at school, understandably, but I was slightly shocked to be greeted with the news that if I 'passed' this round of interviews I would be invited back to meet my prospective charge. So I joking enquired what the pass mark was, to be told, completely seriously, that she was only inviting candidates who scored more than 95% back for another round of interviews. I was slightly but wondered whether she had some kind of ticklist on her clipboard (yes, she had a clipboard). She then cross-examined me about every heading on my CV, every job I've ever had, all my qualifications, which is fair enough, I don't mind people being thorough but normally it's more of a friendly chat. So after we'd concluded her questions I gave her my file and suggested she look through it for a while and ask me about anything she found in there. To which she replied "oh good, that'll give me something to do while you complete these" and handed me a stack of papers...
a maths test
an english test (of the correct the spelling/punctuation/grammar variety with some choose the correct definition of the word questions)
and two reasoning papers (lifted straight from the Bond Assessment papers)
I don't know how well I've done, but needless to say I won't be going back (although I will be gutted if I only get 94%).