Tell us about yourself and why you want to teach at this school.

This opener tests whether you have actually researched the school. Heads can spot a generic answer in 30 seconds. Spend 90 seconds maximum: one line on your route into teaching, one line on your current setting and key strength, then the bulk on why this school. Reference their Ofsted, recent news on the website, their curriculum approach, or a value statement from the prospectus. The kill-shot mistake is saying you want the job because it is local or because you need a permanent post. Heads need teachers who chose them. Mention something specific the school does that aligns with how you teach.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Panels want a coherent answer, not jargon. Pick two or three principles you actually believe and back each with a classroom example. Something like: high expectations for every child regardless of starting point, explicit instruction over discovery learning, and regular low-stakes retrieval. Then give a 20-second example of each in practice. The mistake I see is candidates reciting the latest DfE buzzwords or quoting Rosenshine without showing they understand it. Heads want to know what you actually do on a Wednesday afternoon with a tired Year 4 class, not what you have read.

Walk us through how you would handle a serious behaviour incident in your classroom.

This is the question that decides most teacher interviews. Show you know the school's behaviour policy exists and you would follow it. Structure: address the behaviour calmly using the agreed script, give a clear warning with consequence, follow through, restore the relationship at break or after the lesson, log it, communicate with the relevant lead. Mention safeguarding if the behaviour suggests something deeper. The kill-shot is sounding either too soft (let me have a chat with him) or too aggressive (straight to the head). Heads want consistency with policy, calm under pressure, and a teacher who reflects after the incident, not just reacts.

How do you adapt teaching for pupils with SEND or EAL needs?

SEND is a non-negotiable competency now. Talk about quality first teaching as the foundation: clear instruction, scaffolded tasks, dual coding, pre-teaching vocabulary. Then give a specific example of a pupil you have taught with a particular need (autism, dyslexia, EAL new arrival) and what you did. Mention how you would work with the SENDCo, use the pupil's IEP or one-page profile, and adjust without lowering expectations. The mistake is saying you would give them easier work. Heads want adaptive teaching, not differentiated worksheets. Show you understand the difference.

How do you assess pupil progress without overloading them with tests?

Schools have moved away from data-heavy tracking and panels know it. Talk about formative assessment in the moment: cold calling, mini whiteboards, exit tickets, retrieval starters, live marking where you can. Then summative checkpoints linked to the curriculum, not arbitrary half-termly tests. Mention how you would use that information to reteach or move on, and how you feed back to pupils so they know what to do next. The kill-shot is mentioning RAG ratings or APP grids, both long discredited. Heads want assessment that informs your next lesson, not assessment that fills a spreadsheet.

How do you contribute to the wider life of the school beyond your classroom?

Heads want team players, not lone wolves. Talk about clubs you have run, trips you have supported, parents' evenings, displays, contributions to subject planning, mentoring an ECT, or pastoral roles you have held. If you are an ECT yourself, talk about what you would want to contribute (a club linked to a hobby, supporting a year group event). Be specific. The mistake is saying yes to everything in a vague way. Pick two or three concrete things. If the school has a particular focus (oracy, reading culture, sport), connect your contribution to that.

Tell me about a time a lesson did not go well. What did you learn?

Reflective practice is the single biggest signal of a teacher who will grow. Pick a real lesson, not a fake one. Set it up briefly: year group, topic, what you had planned. Then what went wrong (pacing, pitch, behaviour, misconception you did not anticipate). Then what you did next: how you adjusted the next lesson, what you would do differently now. The kill-shot is picking something that was not really a failure (the children got too excited) or blaming the class. Pick something that was your call and own it. Heads hire teachers who reflect honestly.

Describe a time you worked successfully with a difficult parent.

Parents are the unsung difficulty of teaching. Use STAR. Set up a parent who was angry, anxious, or making accusations (about marking, friendship issues, SEND provision). Describe how you stayed calm, listened first without defending, summarised back what they were worried about, then explained what you would do and by when. Follow up in writing. Mention if you brought in a senior leader appropriately. The kill-shot is making the parent the villain. Heads want teachers who can de-escalate without caving. Show you understood their worry was about their child, even if their delivery was poor.

Give an example of when you have worked effectively as part of a team.

Schools run on team work, especially in primary year groups and secondary departments. Pick a moment of shared planning, moderation, or running a school event. Describe your specific contribution, how you handled disagreement (because you did), and the outcome for pupils. The mistake is talking about being in a team without saying what you did. Be the protagonist. Mention a colleague you learned from, because heads want teachers who absorb ideas, not lone geniuses. If you led a strand, say so without overclaiming.

Why teaching, and why now?

Motivation matters because retention is the issue every head is fighting. Be honest about why teaching pulled you in (a teacher who changed your direction, a love of your subject, a year working with young people that clicked). Then connect to why now: this stage of your career, this school, this opportunity. The kill-shot is sounding like you fell into it or that it is a fallback. Heads can spot that. They are investing in you for years. Show you are choosing teaching deliberately, eyes open about workload, because you want to do this work.

Where do you see your career in five years?

Honesty wins here, but with thought. If you want to stay in the classroom and become an excellent practitioner, say so. If you are aiming for a TLR, head of year, head of department, or eventually leadership, say that too. Connect it to the school's offer (their CPD, NPQ funding, pathways). The mistake is saying you want to be a head in five years when you are an ECT, or saying you have no plan. Heads want ambition that fits their school. They also want loyalty signals: that you will stay long enough to be worth investing in.

Do you have any questions for us?

Always have three. Skip pay and holidays. Ask about something specific: how the school is approaching the curriculum review, what CPD looks like for someone in your position, what the head most wants the next person in this role to achieve in year one. Ask about pupil voice or how middle leaders are developed if relevant. The kill-shot is no questions or generic ones (what is the culture like). Heads use this question to test whether you have thought seriously about joining. Strong questions also let you show what you care about as a teacher.

Interview Q's · Public Sector & Education · UK 2026

Teacher Interview Questions UK

Teacher interviews in 2026 are tougher than candidates expect. Schools are flooded with applicants for permanent posts, especially in primary and humanities, and heads have got picky. A typical UK interview day now means a lesson observation of 20 to 30 minutes, a panel interview, and often a pupil panel as well. The questions below reflect what I hear back from heads and deputy heads I work with across maintained schools, academies and MATs. Whether you are an ECT applying for your first post or a UPS3 teacher moving schools, the pattern is similar: they want safeguarding instinct, behaviour confidence, and evidence you will fit the school's ethos. Generic answers fail. Specific examples win.

By Alex · 12-year UK recruiter · 12 questions + recruiter answers

Question 1

Tell us about yourself and why you want to teach at this school.

This opener tests whether you have actually researched the school. Heads can spot a generic answer in 30 seconds. Spend 90 seconds maximum: one line on your route into teaching, one line on your current setting and key strength, then the bulk on why this school. Reference their Ofsted, recent news on the website, their curriculum approach, or a value statement from the prospectus. The kill-shot mistake is saying you want the job because it is local or because you need a permanent post. Heads need teachers who chose them. Mention something specific the school does that aligns with how you teach.
Question 2

What is your teaching philosophy?

Panels want a coherent answer, not jargon. Pick two or three principles you actually believe and back each with a classroom example. Something like: high expectations for every child regardless of starting point, explicit instruction over discovery learning, and regular low-stakes retrieval. Then give a 20-second example of each in practice. The mistake I see is candidates reciting the latest DfE buzzwords or quoting Rosenshine without showing they understand it. Heads want to know what you actually do on a Wednesday afternoon with a tired Year 4 class, not what you have read.
Question 3

Walk us through how you would handle a serious behaviour incident in your classroom.

This is the question that decides most teacher interviews. Show you know the school's behaviour policy exists and you would follow it. Structure: address the behaviour calmly using the agreed script, give a clear warning with consequence, follow through, restore the relationship at break or after the lesson, log it, communicate with the relevant lead. Mention safeguarding if the behaviour suggests something deeper. The kill-shot is sounding either too soft (let me have a chat with him) or too aggressive (straight to the head). Heads want consistency with policy, calm under pressure, and a teacher who reflects after the incident, not just reacts.
Question 4

How do you adapt teaching for pupils with SEND or EAL needs?

SEND is a non-negotiable competency now. Talk about quality first teaching as the foundation: clear instruction, scaffolded tasks, dual coding, pre-teaching vocabulary. Then give a specific example of a pupil you have taught with a particular need (autism, dyslexia, EAL new arrival) and what you did. Mention how you would work with the SENDCo, use the pupil's IEP or one-page profile, and adjust without lowering expectations. The mistake is saying you would give them easier work. Heads want adaptive teaching, not differentiated worksheets. Show you understand the difference.
Question 5

How do you assess pupil progress without overloading them with tests?

Schools have moved away from data-heavy tracking and panels know it. Talk about formative assessment in the moment: cold calling, mini whiteboards, exit tickets, retrieval starters, live marking where you can. Then summative checkpoints linked to the curriculum, not arbitrary half-termly tests. Mention how you would use that information to reteach or move on, and how you feed back to pupils so they know what to do next. The kill-shot is mentioning RAG ratings or APP grids, both long discredited. Heads want assessment that informs your next lesson, not assessment that fills a spreadsheet.
Question 6

How do you contribute to the wider life of the school beyond your classroom?

Heads want team players, not lone wolves. Talk about clubs you have run, trips you have supported, parents' evenings, displays, contributions to subject planning, mentoring an ECT, or pastoral roles you have held. If you are an ECT yourself, talk about what you would want to contribute (a club linked to a hobby, supporting a year group event). Be specific. The mistake is saying yes to everything in a vague way. Pick two or three concrete things. If the school has a particular focus (oracy, reading culture, sport), connect your contribution to that.
Question 7

Tell me about a time a lesson did not go well. What did you learn?

Reflective practice is the single biggest signal of a teacher who will grow. Pick a real lesson, not a fake one. Set it up briefly: year group, topic, what you had planned. Then what went wrong (pacing, pitch, behaviour, misconception you did not anticipate). Then what you did next: how you adjusted the next lesson, what you would do differently now. The kill-shot is picking something that was not really a failure (the children got too excited) or blaming the class. Pick something that was your call and own it. Heads hire teachers who reflect honestly.
Question 8

Describe a time you worked successfully with a difficult parent.

Parents are the unsung difficulty of teaching. Use STAR. Set up a parent who was angry, anxious, or making accusations (about marking, friendship issues, SEND provision). Describe how you stayed calm, listened first without defending, summarised back what they were worried about, then explained what you would do and by when. Follow up in writing. Mention if you brought in a senior leader appropriately. The kill-shot is making the parent the villain. Heads want teachers who can de-escalate without caving. Show you understood their worry was about their child, even if their delivery was poor.
Question 9

Give an example of when you have worked effectively as part of a team.

Schools run on team work, especially in primary year groups and secondary departments. Pick a moment of shared planning, moderation, or running a school event. Describe your specific contribution, how you handled disagreement (because you did), and the outcome for pupils. The mistake is talking about being in a team without saying what you did. Be the protagonist. Mention a colleague you learned from, because heads want teachers who absorb ideas, not lone geniuses. If you led a strand, say so without overclaiming.
Question 10

Why teaching, and why now?

Motivation matters because retention is the issue every head is fighting. Be honest about why teaching pulled you in (a teacher who changed your direction, a love of your subject, a year working with young people that clicked). Then connect to why now: this stage of your career, this school, this opportunity. The kill-shot is sounding like you fell into it or that it is a fallback. Heads can spot that. They are investing in you for years. Show you are choosing teaching deliberately, eyes open about workload, because you want to do this work.
Question 11

Where do you see your career in five years?

Honesty wins here, but with thought. If you want to stay in the classroom and become an excellent practitioner, say so. If you are aiming for a TLR, head of year, head of department, or eventually leadership, say that too. Connect it to the school's offer (their CPD, NPQ funding, pathways). The mistake is saying you want to be a head in five years when you are an ECT, or saying you have no plan. Heads want ambition that fits their school. They also want loyalty signals: that you will stay long enough to be worth investing in.
Question 12

Do you have any questions for us?

Always have three. Skip pay and holidays. Ask about something specific: how the school is approaching the curriculum review, what CPD looks like for someone in your position, what the head most wants the next person in this role to achieve in year one. Ask about pupil voice or how middle leaders are developed if relevant. The kill-shot is no questions or generic ones (what is the culture like). Heads use this question to test whether you have thought seriously about joining. Strong questions also let you show what you care about as a teacher.

How to use these answers

If you are interviewing for teaching posts in 2026, the market reality is that strong schools have multiple credible candidates for every post, especially in primary and humanities. Your written application gets you the interview; the day itself decides everything. Spend more time on your lesson observation than on the panel questions. Heads tell me again and again: a great lesson can save a wobbly panel, but a great panel cannot save a flat lesson. Read the school's Ofsted, their last newsletter, and the SDP if it is public. Walk in knowing one specific thing you want to contribute. And if you are offered the post, ask for the full feedback either way. It compounds across applications.