What was the interview process like when you got your job?

[CharleyDavidson]

Admittedly, I got my job nearly 20 years ago, but it seemed a lot simpler to get a teaching job then in terms of the interview process.

I had different interviews at different schools, but none of them required me to teach a demonstration lesson. Or to talk to the pupil council. Or anything beyond answering interview questions really. I had one where I had to play the piano in front of all the governors (including 2 pieces that I'd never seen before) but that was because it was for a music subject-leader post.

It seems a lot more....involved these days.

I'm not a teacher but I hire teachers.

A standard teaching post would be tour, teach and interview.

Leadership roles would have various other tasks depending on the position, e.g student council, meeting more staff, governor panel interview.

HOD's would be expected to do a data task in addition and maybe an observed group discussion.

All my jobs have required a demonstration of practical skills so have had to play the piano and do sightreading every time (music teacher). I've also had to run choir and orchestra rehearsals, teach lessons, and had at least 2 interviews and a tour each time.

Interview for maternity cover (yesterday!) had to teach 50 minute stand alone English lesson, 20 minutes on unseen task- use assessment data to plan 3 weeks of maths lessons, school council interview and formal interview with head and governors. Felt a bit over the top! Didn't get it but not sorry!

Hi...anyone got the answers and mark scheme...we've lost them and can't find replacement ones anywhere?

I went to about 8 different interviews in my year of applying after qualifying. None of them expected a demonstration lesson.

I wonder when it came in as routine to have them?

To be honest, back then (old gimmer teacher emoticon!), there was a member of staff that couldn't play the piano as well as she'd led them to believe and who had practically zero classroom control. So I can see the point of demonstration lessons as she'd never have got a job if she'd been seen teaching first.

I wasn't even asked to play the piano when I was being interviewed, despite it being the music specialist that they were replacing and them knowing they'd already recruited someone who said they could play but couldn't play well enough for concerts or assemblies. I did take my music in my bag and offered but they didn't want to hear me play.

Interview for primary class teacher (1st year post NQT). 30 min stand alone lesson. 10 minute lesson evaluation with observers. 30 minute written safe guarding task. 30 minutes to identify the strengths and areas of development of a child's work based on their literacy and numeracy book and identify the strengths and areas of development in terms of the teacher's feedback. 45 minute interview with head, deputy and two governors

Hi OP
I went for interviews 94: no teaching demos then. Seem to recall that happening around 98-99? Certainly I was doing demos 2003 even for covers.
30 minute lesson. The unseen tasks is new to me but I left a while back now.

For my current role's interview (Primary, SLT) I had the following:
Observation in my own school
Book scrutiny
Data task
Unseen presentation
3 minute "speed" interview - non-work related questions and this actually really helped me relax!
45 minute formal interview.

It was a bloody tiring day.

I'm moving into a Lead Practitioner role next year and the process for that was a fifteen minute chat.