Selection for Education and Teaching courses

Select your course above to find out everything you need to know to prepare for your interview, watch a short video about what we’re looking for and view the facilities section to immerse yourself in our education spaces. 

Interviews will take place online, on Microsoft Teams. The following information will help you prepare for the day.

Course talk

There will be a course talk with either the Programme Leader, Amanda Wilkinson or the Year Leader, Ros Steward and an opportunity for a Q&A prior to your interview. This will also be via Microsoft Teams and will be on the same day as your interview.

Small group interview

You will participate in a small group interview with other applicants who wish to work with primary age children (aged 5–11). You will be interviewed by university tutors and colleagues from partnership schools. The aim of the interview is to assess your oral skills, personal and presentational qualities and how you respond to the group interview situation. 

Interview task

You should prepare a brief 4-minute presentation on a children’s book of your choice for an audience of fellow candidates. Your presentation must include a 30-second reading and focus on engaging the 4–8 other people in your group. We welcome innovative and creative ideas as you explore your chosen book. The aim of this task is to observe how well you interact and engage with your peers. We are also looking for a presentation that has been thoroughly planned and prepared. To guide your preparation, the presentation may focus on the following areas:

• Why you have chosen this text
• How the text may be used in a classroom/learning context
• Your favourite part of the text.

You may also want to spend a short time introducing the book before you begin. These ideas are not exhaustive, and you are welcome to change or adapt these suggestions to suit your presentation. When planning, consider; structure, working within the allocated time (4 minutes) and deciding when you will deliver the 30-second reading from your chosen book. This element of the presentation will look specifically at engagement, so plan and rehearse your delivery to engage your audience.

Please ensure that your session can be carried out effectively online.

A good presentation and reading will demonstrate the following:

• thorough planning and preparation
• awareness of audience (4–8 peers)
• adhering to timing (4 minutes to include a 30-second reading)
• ability to engage an audience and demonstrate enthusiasm.