What is a student panel?

Snowflakewater · 2022-05-03T18:16:00+00:00

I’ve been invited to an interview and it stated there is a panel what does this entail? I asked my head of dept And he stated that I should probably be weary of a student panel interview as realistically school should not be taking any advice from students. What are your thoughts on these kind of situations.

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 19:18

Students asking questions. It's a standard part of our interview and we do ask the students what they think and why. They're generally very savvy.

A school which doesn't value the opinions of its students is not one I'd like to work in.

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 19:28

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 19:18

Students asking questions. It's a standard part of our interview and we do ask the students what they think and why. They're generally very savvy.

A school which doesn't value the opinions of its students is not one I'd like to work in.

Is the final decision based on this though? I understand the process although surely some teens are likely to just say no we don’t like them

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MrsHerculePoirot · 03/05/2022 19:36

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 19:18

Students asking questions. It's a standard part of our interview and we do ask the students what they think and why. They're generally very savvy.

A school which doesn't value the opinions of its students is not one I'd like to work in.

Same with us. I loved the student panel when I was interviewed at my school. It’s a chance to see how you interact with students. They’re always lovely students, with pre-prepared questions.

I mean clearly they aren’t the ones having the final decision 🙄 they are representing the biggest group of people you will be spending time with however and I would be wary of a school that doesn’t want its students to have opinions …

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 19:43

MrsHerculePoirot · 03/05/2022 19:36

Same with us. I loved the student panel when I was interviewed at my school. It’s a chance to see how you interact with students. They’re always lovely students, with pre-prepared questions.

I mean clearly they aren’t the ones having the final decision 🙄 they are representing the biggest group of people you will be spending time with however and I would be wary of a school that doesn’t want its students to have opinions …

Show quote history

Okay fair enough, not sure why you’d eye roll though, I’ve not done it before so I was asking what was involved. Considering my Hod was making out like it’s something to be wary of.

Also I think you’ve misinterpreted that. I was not saying WILL they make the final decision, I meant will they have a bearing on the final decision so two different things completely.

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MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 19:57

Is the final decision based on this though? I understand the process although surely some teens are likely to just say no we don’t like them

It's certainly part of the decision. We involve the school parliament - so our students' elected representatives - and they choose someone to feed back to the interview panel. They take it very seriously.

We also ask the students who are in the lesson.

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 20:00

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 19:57

Is the final decision based on this though? I understand the process although surely some teens are likely to just say no we don’t like them

It's certainly part of the decision. We involve the school parliament - so our students' elected representatives - and they choose someone to feed back to the interview panel. They take it very seriously.

We also ask the students who are in the lesson.

Yes, of course that’s exactly what I meant. Are they usually sensible students? Also can they be completely random questions such as:

why are you a teacher or what’s your favourite hobby?

Or should I just expect the unexpected and just be myself

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MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 20:11

Always sensible students.

I once got asked who I'd invite to dinner. Good question :)

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 20:15

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 20:11

Always sensible students.

I once got asked who I'd invite to dinner. Good question :)

See, now that would throw me! Too many options for me I suppose

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itrytomakemyway · 03/05/2022 20:17

Hmmmm. Going against the grain here, but I don't like student panels. I think professionals should be interviewed and judged by fellow professionals. I would not expect patients to have a say in appointing doctors and surgeons. I agree that student voice is important, but not here.

I would expect students to be able to meet with candidates. They should be involved in sample lessons, or in showing candidates around the school, but not be asked for feedback or to give their opinions on the candidates.

I fully expect many will disagree with me, but it just does not sit comfortably with me.

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 20:25

itrytomakemyway · 03/05/2022 20:17

Hmmmm. Going against the grain here, but I don't like student panels. I think professionals should be interviewed and judged by fellow professionals. I would not expect patients to have a say in appointing doctors and surgeons. I agree that student voice is important, but not here.

I would expect students to be able to meet with candidates. They should be involved in sample lessons, or in showing candidates around the school, but not be asked for feedback or to give their opinions on the candidates.

I fully expect many will disagree with me, but it just does not sit comfortably with me.

That’s how I’m feeling:( and my hod said the same as you. It seems like student voice is important which is really good. But if worries me that it plays a part. I just want to be seen as a professional, I know kids can’t take to every single teacher as soon as they see them.

Its never been part of the process for me in any interview I’ve done. It’s always been professionals only such as head and HOD

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MsAwesomeDragon · 03/05/2022 20:39

We have a student panel at every interview. They report back to the adult interview panel. They're hand picked to be nice, sensible but interesting kids and the questions have been pre-approved by teachers.

Ours tend to ask questions about your opinions. So "what's your favourite X? And why?" Sort of thing. "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?" Or they ask about hobbies.

Ours are generally happiest with the people who are just themselves. And they like it when the candidates ask about them too, so if they ask a question they quite like to be able to give their answer too, and they want you to be interested in them as people rather than just grades.

itrytomakemyway · 03/05/2022 20:54

Do you really think a question about favourite foods is appropriate though? I know you are looking at how the canddates interact with the students, but isn't that what the sample lesson is for.

Again, I am going to use the example of other professionals. I don't think it would go down well with a doctor or a lawyer to be asked such a trivial question by some random 'service user'.

I think that spending some of the day of the interview with other teachers from the department they will potentially be working wit would be far more useful.

MrsHamlet · 03/05/2022 20:55

I think that spending some of the day of the interview with other teachers from the department they will potentially be working wit would be far more useful

We also do that

Original poster

Snowflakewater · 03/05/2022 21:11

MsAwesomeDragon · 03/05/2022 20:39

We have a student panel at every interview. They report back to the adult interview panel. They're hand picked to be nice, sensible but interesting kids and the questions have been pre-approved by teachers.

Ours tend to ask questions about your opinions. So "what's your favourite X? And why?" Sort of thing. "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?" Or they ask about hobbies.

Ours are generally happiest with the people who are just themselves. And they like it when the candidates ask about them too, so if they ask a question they quite like to be able to give their answer too, and they want you to be interested in them as people rather than just grades.

I think in some ways it could relax my nerves just being asked some simple questions

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MsAwesomeDragon · 03/05/2022 21:22

I'm always much more at ease with the kids than I am with the other adults. So for me, a student panel would be a great opportunity to show how I interact with the pupils. The interview lesson shows some of that, but just talking to kids and being interested in them is quite an important soft skill in teaching.

Why wouldn't it be appropriate to be asked about favourite food, colours, animals, TV programs? They're not about to get the pupils asking you the important questions are they? That would be inappropriate. But allowing a conversation with pupils about things the pupils want to know about the candidates seems fine to me. I spend half an hour a day with my form where we talk about all sorts of things.

MrsHerculePoirot · 03/05/2022 21:55

The eye roll was more to do with them making the final decision - sorry I’m not sure it came across as I meant it. But obviously they aren’t sitting down with the headteacher at the end of the day and making the final final decisions. Their feedback, as is feedback from everyone else, lesson taught etc… all goes towards the decision. I really don’t know why anyone would suggest you should be ‘wary’ of it.

Yes students from the lesson get asked their opinion, but that will be very much based on the lesson which is a very structured environment. The student panel is a chance for you to be observed interacting with the students - as you will in tutor time, break, lunch, trips etc…

We are looking for candidates that are natural, and at ease talking to our students. Ones that seem interested in them and how the fit into the school. We wouldn’t want to appoint someone that is unable to communicate with students, or is rude or dismissive of them.

I was asked what I was most proud of, what I like most about teaching, how I would make their lessons fun (🤣) and some other things I can’t remember now then they asked if I had any questions for them. There was someone from the school there supervising them and it was honestly the nicest part of the day I think and I learnt so much about the school from their responses.

I loved that they took their responsibility so seriously, they were clearly proud of their school and of being picked. They were so lovely.

Cakeybake · 04/05/2022 20:42

We do student panels for staff interviews too, their feedback is often insightful and complements the other feedback. We are looking to see how candidates interact with the students, rather than what their answers actually are.

I recently observed a student panel and the feedback was brilliant.... one candidate seemed dismissive of the questions and wasn't viewed strongly by the students. Another, didnt really answer their questions and seemed to have an agenda.... kept changing the subject back to what they wanted to say.... this one also didn't score highly with the students.

The candidates that they liked were the ones who took a genuine interest in them, were open and friendly and at ease with teenagers.

The feedback pretty much mirrored what the interview panel thought but it was good to hear that the students were on the same page.

In my school, staff panels and student panels form part of the process as well as a lesson observation and a task/ presentation.

We don't always do this for every interview, but would for a middle or senior leader or a pastoral job where the relationship with the students is a key part of the role.

The observer of the panel or the lead in the staff panel is the one to feed back to the Head/interview panel using everyones written notes which are kept in line with recruitment procedures.

The main interview holds the most weight alongside lesson observation and any measurable task.