Schools Direct Applicants 2016

Original post by arwa44

HI GUYSSS I NEED HELP!!!!
Ive had a school direct interview but was rejected after several days of waiting on a reply. They seemed to really loved me but said i needed more experience OR show more knowledge of British state schools. How can i do this?

I HAVE ANOTHER INTERVIEW THURSDAY!!!

what do i need to tell them so they can see i am knowledgeable about state schools and how o educate young children! btw its secondary english !

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

Hi, you could buy a copy of TES and swot up, look at the national curriculum and look on the school websites for the school direct school you have applied to. Have you managed some class room experience to talk about? Good luck.

Reply 102

Original post by gentlegiant

Great new gizmodo.

4 days to go for the deciding interview at the uni for my school direct place. Even though they say it involves informal questions the nerves are slowly creeping up now :smile:

Is it 2 days left for you now?

My last reference came in! My application has been sent! Very excited and nervous and scared - but excited! If that makes sense!

@arwa44 - are there any questions they asked at the interview that you think may have helped them come to the conclusion that you lacked knowledge about state schools and use that to help? Try and find better answers for if similar questions come up? How much experience in schools have you had?
Congrats on the interview by the way :smile:

Reply 103

Good news about your references gizmodo. I had that weird feeling too after sending off my application. It's when you make that commitment - there ain't no going back. Fingers crossed!

Reply 104

@gentlegiant - good luck for your interview!

Reply 105

SophLamb

Original post by arwa44

HI GUYSSS I NEED HELP!!!!
Ive had a school direct interview but was rejected after several days of waiting on a reply. They seemed to really loved me but said i needed more experience OR show more knowledge of British state schools. How can i do this?

I HAVE ANOTHER INTERVIEW THURSDAY!!!

what do i need to tell them so they can see i am knowledgeable about state schools and how o educate young children! btw its secondary english !

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

I agree with everything @VelmaStaplebot said about swotting up for the school knowledge aspect.

With regards to experience obviously there's no time for you to get more experience now but if you had some already arranged with a school prior to interview it would show that you are keen to get more experience before the course begins, so that's worth considering

Reply 106

Original post by gizmodo

Is it 2 days left for you now?

My last reference came in! My application has been sent! Very excited and nervous and scared - but excited! If that makes sense!

@arwa44 - are there any questions they asked at the interview that you think may have helped them come to the conclusion that you lacked knowledge about state schools and use that to help? Try and find better answers for if similar questions come up? How much experience in schools have you had?
Congrats on the interview by the way :smile:

sorry been too busy to respond, its now 1 day gizmodo

When I hear back I will be jumping on here, as you all have experienced its going to be a nervous wait for their response after the interview.

Reply 107

SophLamb

Original post by gentlegiant

sorry been too busy to respond, its now 1 day gizmodo

When I hear back I will be jumping on here, as you all have experienced its going to be a nervous wait for their response after the interview.

Good luck! I heard back the same day - hopefully your wait won't be too long :smile:

Reply 108

@gentlegiant - good luck tomorrow!

I got an interview!!! I'm terrified now!! Haha.

Reply 109

I got an interview!!! I'm terrified now!! Haha.

Quick work gizmodo, you'll ace it! Good luck. 👍

Reply 110

Original post by gizmodo

@gentlegiant - good luck tomorrow!

I got an interview!!! I'm terrified now!! Haha.

Thanks for the support guys, and good luck gizmodo.

Reply 111

well back from the interview will hear back within a week or two. To be honest I have no clue how it went, though it doesn't feel like I mucked it up, so its now just a waiting game.

Interview involved a panel of 3, the head teacher of the academy partnership, the lead coordinator of the programme and the university lead programme coordinator. I have been told that only 1 person has every failed the second interview and they did it in amazingly badly.

I will drop a post when I hear back about the interview.

Reply 112

Well i hope they let you know soon. The waiting is horrible.

I had more good news today. Got interviews for my other two scitt/school direct choices!!

I have got a busy couple of weeks now with 3 interviews and 2 skills tests!

Reply 113

congratulations great news gizmodo

yeah the waiting is by far the worst thing.
I have to be honest and say that for me the worst thing is not just the wait but the limited number of options here in lincolnshire for teacher training.

Reply 114

Betllly

Hi everyone, thought I would add my story!
I applied to do a 3-7 primary PGCE at Leeds Beckett not too long a go. I recieved an email inviting me for an inteview at a local school for a School Direct place last Thursday for the following MONDAY. This was for a 5-11 (primary) positio which i was more than happy to go for since all my experience is in ks2. After a weekend of panicking and resigning myself to not having enough preparation time I finally went.

The day consisted of:
Maths test
English test
Longer written test about what makes a good teacher
A 30 minute cross-curricular lesson for a year 4/5 class, observed by the head and deputy head
A 1:1 interview.

After they answered my questions at the the end of the interview they offered me the place on the spot. I then got a tour of the school by 2 year six students and walked around with the biggest smile!!

I cannot wait to start and wish you all the best luck.
Some top tips:
Write your WILT and WALT and WALA's on the board at the start of the lesson.
Make use of the TA - a 30 child class is hard to get around in 30 minutes.
Use any behavioural techniques - they seemed to scribble on their pads when I used mine and said i controlled the class well.
In the interview be prepared to answer questions about safeguarding, examples of work you've done in schools and recent political issues to do with teaching.

Good luck!!

Reply 115

Well back from the interview will hear back within a week or two. To be honest I have no clue how it went, though it doesn't feel like I mucked it up, so its now just a waiting game.

Interview involved a panel of 3, the head teacher of the academy partnership, the lead coordinator of the programme and the university lead programme coordinator. I have been told that only 1 person has every failed the second interview and they did it in amazingly badly.

I will drop a post when I hear back about the interview.

Well done - sounds like you have had a busy day. Hope you hear soon.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 116

Quiet on here. I passed my literacy this week. Been prepping for numeracy and my interviews/lessons all week. Well, in between looking after the kids anyway. Making myself sick with nerves about the interviews.

@Betllly, I had to look up WILT and WALT etc! I'm guessing they are used more in primary? We have WWW and EBIs.

Reply 117

Betllly

Hi Gizmodo.

Do you mean literacy and numeracy for the essential skills test? I still haven't done mine next - that's a job for March. How was it? My weakness is numeracy so dreading that.

Don't be too nervous, my interview was quite nice actually, they were very kind and friendly. Hopefully yours are the same.

Yes they're for primary :smile:

WILT and WALF are just ways of covering objectives etc, i'd recommend doing your version of them in the interview.

Let us know how it goes.

Betlilly.

Reply 118