In-tray task and student focus group

[DarkDarkNight]

I have an interview tomorrow for an Engagement Assistant post at a Secondary Academy tomorrow. Part of the schedule is a 30 minute in-tray task and a student focus group.

Having googled the in-tray task I am really worried. Some of the examples are 30 documents long, I wasn’t expecting it to be that involved. I thought it would just be a few things to see if you can spot the safeguarding issues and prioritise the urgent items. I am unclear whether I need to actually do the work or just write a schedule.

The student focus group seems to be common for Teacher interviews, will it just be the children asking questions or me asking them things?

Thank you

I don't know about intray tasks but for the student group I would prepare both for them asking you and have some questions ready for them.

In-tray tasks usually want you to rank documents so go for something like this order:

1. safeguarding - any concern that a child is in any kind of danger always comes top.
2. colleague in serious distress (if you are meant to be managing anyone, or if you know who to refer to)
3. really ranty parent likely to go to the police/press
4. meeting deadlines

Etc. Humans before deadlines. Children before adults. Vulnerable children before other children. Reputation of the school before day-to-day tasks. Make sure you know who to alert to key issues eg designated safeguarding lead, head of year, head of department, tutor, and who each element should go to - danger to DSL, pastoral/wellbeing/behaviour around school to HOY, academic/behaviour in lesson to HOD, day-to-day niggles and organisation to tutor, ranting parents to SLT member if there is a school-reputation concern. Consider holding emails, alerting the receptionist, making sure the right people are informed.

Hope this is useful. There are so many different things they could put in an in-tray exercise but as long as you think through who needs to know and who is safe/not safe you should be fine. You can give your reasons for any decisions they question. I would be surprised if you get 30 documents - they are usually more like ten (because some poor sap has to make them and they never have time).

I will think of a few BobbyBobbins thank you. I am hoping they don’t ask me to tell a joke like some threads I’ve seen on TES. The School has had some problems so hopeful there will be some scope to ask how the students feel about it.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden That is really useful, thank you so much. I’m glad to know that it is ok to say ‘I would delegate this to...’ I will keep an eye out for any potential safeguarding concerns, but it is really helpful to know what the HOD would deal with and what would fall to the SLT etc.

We use in-tray exercises for most administrative roles - generally they will want you to prioritise the tasks & note what you would do ... eg “email head of year” or “pass to safeguarding officer immediately” or “discuss at weekly meeting” ... you may be asked to draft an email to see if your tone is appropriate/you can use a computer effectively

It won’t be 30 full blown tasks to complete in full!

The student panel will be as much how you engage with the children as what they are asking & you should be able to ask them questions too! You need to build rapport

How did it go @DarkDarkNight ?

I didn’t get the job ElizabethinherGermanGarden. They did say it was very close between the four interviewees and was decided on a process of elimination.

In the phone call after they said I presented myself well and came across well but lacked experience with children. He also mentioned my confidence or lack of. This is a definite issue for me, but unfortunately don’t see it changing anytime soon.

One of the other candidates mentioned she had done safeguarding in her degree and one of the others worked in a School.

Sorry to hear that, Dark. I hope you get the next one.

Thank you, me too, I really need a change.