What are we looking for
Motivation and commitment
We will need you to come to your interview prepared to talk about why you want to become a teacher. What do you know already about the reality of teaching in schools today? What is your motivation to join the teaching profession and how can you demonstrate your commitment to building successful young lives and opportunities for all?
Personal Qualities
We are looking for candidates with warmth, positivity and enthusiasm who are approachable and encouraging. At interview you will need to demonstrate how your personal qualities will prepare you for, and enhance your life as a teacher including that you the ability to overcome difficulties associated with multiple, at times conflicting, priorities, and the need to manage your workload.
Intellectual qualities
Can you be reflective and analytical? Can you evaluate your own education or professional background prior to commencing teacher training? Lifelong learning will be very much part of your life as a teacher how can you inspire this love of learning in those that you will teach?
Subject Knowledge
Do you have suitable subject knowledge? Where there are there gaps in your subject knowledge have you made any plans to address this? Do you have the ability to translate undergraduate or postgraduate subject knowledge into accessible language for your students?
Understanding the Nature of Teaching
At interview we will want you to tell us what your current understanding is of the nature of teaching. How much do you know about the subject that you are planning to teach? Do you have any prior understanding about how subject knowledge is taught to pupils of differing abilities? Do you have any experience of, or ideas about, how to deconstruct your subject knowledge and teach it to pupils?
Experiences of learning / working with children.
If you have worked in schools before what have you learned from it? Do you have experience of working with children in other contexts? Can you show how you can make a difference for children of all abilities and backgrounds by bringing skills from your own experience to date whether this has been in schools or in another career?
The Selection Process and Interview
In your application, you need to clearly demonstrate how you meet our person specification, as detailed in the ‘Entry Criteria’, and ‘What are we looking for?’ sections on our website and DfE entry profile guide. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited for a face-to-face interview.
This will consist of a panel interview, delivery of a short presentation and completion of a written task, and for primary applicants only a short teaching activity with a group of pupils.
If you are successful at interview, a conditional offer of a place will be made. The conditions will include providing proof that you have met the eligibility conditions for Initial Teacher Training, including a range of safeguarding requirement [such as a criminal record check (DBS) and an occupational health assessment]. Further conditions may be discussed with you at interview.
If you accept the offer of a place, you will be required to attend an induction session and complete a Needs Audit. You may also be asked to complete a subject knowledge enhancement course as a condition of entry. Trainees are required to have fundamental Maths and English skills. If you accept on offer with us, you will be asked to complete a diagnostic maths test which could identify areas of development. English is assessed as part of the selection. process.
Interviews / Selection Days
A typical interview / selection day will consist of:
- panel interview;
- a short activity with a group of pupils (primary only)
- a short presentation;
- a written task.
Further details will be sent to applicants when invited for interview. (NB the interview process may be adjusted to a video interview format.)
For practical reasons, whether you apply to direct to CTSN SCITT or to one of our partners there will be only one interview/selection process.
If you are applying for a salaried route, then you would need to be approved for BOTH the training programme AND the employing school. We would try to organise both of these interviews on the same day, but there might need to be an additional interview at the employing school. (NB if you are looking for a Primary salaried route, then you would need to find an employing school before applying to CTSN.)
We are now recruiting for training hubs – in Cambridgeshire and in West Suffolk and for primary Essex. Applicants might be offered an interview in either Cambridge or Bury. However, if you are interviewed in Cambridge, you might still choose to base your core training in West Suffolk, or vice versa.
Safeguarding checks
All trainees are required to have satisfactory safeguarding checks in place before the start of the course. Further information regarding our standard safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS application form will be sent to application who have been offered a place on our courses.
If you have had a period of residence of three months or more overseas in the last 10 years (from the age of 18), you are also required to obtain a criminal record check from the relevant country or countries. If you are currently residing overseas, you must ensure that your criminal record check is within three months of the start date of the course. Please be aware that some overseas criminal record checks can take several months to be processed.
