T.A. interview questions

Its Teaching Assistant’s Day and here, we look at the 6 most common areas of T.A. interview questions. A Teaching Assistant’s role involves many skills and attributes, but common themes emerge of what interviewers may want to explore in an interview.

6 most common areas of T.A. interview questions

1.Most interviewers want the best person for the job, so they usually start with a straightforward question to put you at ease around why you want the job:

Why do you want to be a Teaching Assistant?
For what reasons do you want to work at this school?
Why do you think you would be a good T.A.?
Do you think you would find a T.A. role fulfilling?

2.The interviewing panel will want to check the degree at which you understand the role of a Teaching Assistant so could ask some of the following:

What do you think the role of a T.A. is?
Why do you think the role is important?
What do you think would be the challenges you would face in this role?
What type of activities do you think you will be tasked with?
How does a T.A.’s role differ from a classroom teacher?
What do you think makes a T.A .work effectively with a classroom teacher?

3.Interviewers will want someone who can demonstrate that they have done their homework and know something about their school so always research beforehand and understand local knowledge.

Are you familiar with this school?
What do you think makes our school special?
What makes you want to work at our school?
Would you be proud to be part of this school? Why?
Name 3 words that you think best describes our school.

4.Describing your previous experience with specific examples is a good way for interviewers to not only to understand your previous work roles but hear about situations that you managed. They could ask questions about your experience, skills, or personal attributes such as:

What’s your experience of working with children/students?
What experience could you bring from previous posts to your work at this school?
What’s your experience of being in a teaching role?
Describe a situation where you successfully worked with a group of children/students?
Give an example where you effectively worked as part of a team.
Describe a situation where you were successful in organising others.
Give an example when you effectively communicated with others. How could you tell?
Tell us about an example of how you managed a difficult situation. What did you learn from it?

5.Dealing with challenges, conflict or difficult situation gives interviewers an insight into your coping abilities; they will want someone who can quickly adapt if things are not going according to plan. Interviewers will also want to assess your Child protection and safeguarding knowledge. They could ask a range of questions such as how you would manage:

Conflict with colleagues?
A disruptive in class?
An angry parent?
Children who are bored?
A teaching plan that went wrong.
A concern about another staff member’s behaviour?
Concern regarding the wellbeing of a child?

6.Specific teaching skills could also be explored during your interview to gauge your understanding and experience of teaching techniques. (If you have delivered any tutoring courses or received specific training, try to weave into your answers).

How could you support pupils’ reading?
What would you do to help pupils’ struggling with maths?
How can you tell if a child has learnt something from a lesson?
In what ways can we assess what pupils have learnt?
How would you engage a demotivated pupil?
How would you help a struggling pupil?
Do you have specific knowledge, special skills or special interests?
What makes a good lesson?
How can you challenge talented learners?

Next steps

If you are T.A. and want to find out more about available roles, please register with us by clicking here and a consultant will be in touch.

If you are thinking about becoming a T.A. and want to learn more about the role then, please click here to visit the government website. You will see lots of information on skills and career progression.