Today I have decided to write my post about the schools direct route interviews I had for PGCE. I got offered a place at both of the courses I applied for and I did accept one for the schools direct route. The one I chose is partnered with the university I studied at for my undergraduate degree so I will be familiar with the university and its facilities whenever I do have to go there for any training days.
The first interview I had for schools direct was my first choice school - so I was quite nervous! I was told about 3/4 weeks before about my interview and then 2 weeks before I was given the schedule for the day so I knew exactly what to expect. My friends also applied for this course but because there are partner schools within the alliance, we were all at different places on the same day. For the most part of the day, I was placed in a classroom of around 8 students; the school just wanted to see how I interacted with the students and staff. I basically acted as a temporary teaching assistant. I sat with the children, assisted them in the lesson and I was given a couple of small tasks/activities to complete with specific children. The children were all so so lovely and so was the teacher I was placed with. I was extremely comfortable with this part of the day. I love being around children and it is when I am at my most confident. I had been volunteering at one of their partner schools for the past couple of years so this was nothing I hadn't done before. This is why I highly recommend getting that experience in whenever you can. Of course I know there are areas I still need to work on before becoming a teacher and I am in no means perfect, that is what the course is for. However, when you already have that experience you can use some of the strategies you have used before in your interview. I went into the school thinking 'I don't know what is going to happen but I know I can calmly and confidently deal with anything that might happen in that classroom'. Sometimes it is all about improvising and when you have experience with that already, you do it without thinking.
For the next half of the day I was taken to a room to have my lunch and complete a written task about how my day had gone. In this task I was given questions relating to the skills I had used, how I think it went and what I might do differently were I to do it again. I was also told that I would have a SATS level maths test so I did two weeks revision but when I go there I was told it was a mistake - at least I got some practice in for the future! I then had to wait quite a while in reception for the actual sit-down panel interview. My friends that had applied for the course but been sent to different partner schools also had to come down to the school I was in for the sit-down interview which was nice because we got to talk about our days and wait together. When I went in for my interview, the headmaster at the partner school I had been volunteering at for the past 2 years was on the panel. I think this calmed my nerves a bit because he was a familiar face. I can't remember the exact questions I was asked at this interview but they were all about the experience I had already, achievements I am proud of, how my classroom experience had gone that morning, safeguarding and what do I personally think I need to work on before becoming a teacher. After my friends and I had all been interviewed we popped to good old Wetherspoons and got 3 small plates each, just to round the day off well.
For my second schools direct interview, I already knew I had a place at my first choice school but I went anyway just in case I had a change of heart after seeing this second school. Although I will be doing a primary PGCE this interview was at a SEN secondary school. The time scale before my interview (getting the dates and schedule) was pretty much the same as my first schools direct interview. The only difference was this time I was told I had to find a book to read to a group of students and write up a lesson plan to go with it (I did not have to deliver this lesson, it was just for them to read). I chose to take in the book 'Giraffes Can't Dance'. The structure of the day was very similar to the first interview. At the start of the day I was placed in a class of 14 year old students for about 50 minutes. I moved around the class and sat with different students depending on what the teacher asked of me. Towards the end of the lesson, the teacher asked the pupils what it was like working with me and jotted down their opinions to give to the headmistress ready for my sit-down interview. Next was the book reading. The group was made up of only 4 students. I sat in front of them to read the book and taught them accompanying BSL signs - they seemed to really enjoy learning new signs and were all really engaged. I then had a QandA with the students. This was supposed to be about the book but they basically did the interviewers job for them! They asked me about why I chose to apply to this school and to tell them about experience I had in other schools. Again, so far I had been very comfortable working with the students because I already had experience. My sit-down interview was also very similar to the other one I had. The questions were similar. The only real difference I can think of is that before I got any questions, I talked them through my lesson plan that I had previously written up. I was offered a place the same day and even though I did really like that school, I chose my original first choice school just because I thought it was more primary based and I am so excited to start.
I am going to include a picture of the draft lesson plan I made. I actually forgot my lesson plan at the interview but luckily I got to the school early so I was able to sit down in a cafe and hand write one! Always double check you have what you need!
Take care and be sunny!
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