Recruitment and induction

Contents

  1. Advertising and applications
  2. Early career teacher (ECT) induction
  3. Induction and probation
  4. Interviewing and selection
  5. Interview questions and tasks: senior leaders
  6. Interview questions and tasks: support staff
  7. Interview questions and tasks: teachers
  8. Job offers and pre-employment checks
  9. Recruitment processes and requirements
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Recruitment resources for key roles

From model job descriptions to lists of interview questions and tasks, get the resources you need to help you recruit for senior and middle leaders, school business managers and more

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3 articles
  • Advertising and applications
    • Job adverts: requirements and guidance (academies) Learn how you can advertise your vacancies and get up to speed on the expectations in Keeping Children Safe in Education for what to include in your job advert.
    • Job adverts: requirements and guidance (maintained) Find out which roles you're required to advertise for under staffing regulations for maintained schools, and get up to speed on the expectations in Keeping Children Safe in Education for what to include in your job advert.
    • Recruiting school staff: template application form Adapt our template job application form for all your teaching and support staff roles. Find out when you can ask about criminal records and be clear on your requirements when recruiting staff who are from, or have lived or worked, outside the UK.
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    6 articles
  • Early career teacher (ECT) induction
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    4 articles
  • Induction and probation
    • A guide to subject leader handbooks Find out what should be included in a subject leader handbook, how it differs from a subject leader file, and how it can help you prepare for Ofsted inspections.
    • Probationary periods for teachers Find out when you should seek legal advice about introducing probationary periods, and see an example of a school's probation policy.
    • Staff handbooks Save yourself time by reading what to include in your staff handbook, and using our examples from schools for inspiration.
    • Staff induction: your step-by-step guide Use our tips and checklist to plan effective staff induction so that new employees buy into your school's culture and settle into their role well.
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    6 articles
  • Interviewing and selection
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    16 articles
  • Interview questions and tasks: senior leaders
    • Assistant headteacher: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and interview tasks, along with tips on what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best possible assistant headteacher. They include questions specific to primary, secondary, special and faith schools.
    • Deputy headteacher: interview questions Use these questions and tips on what to look for in candidates' answers, alongside our template interview record sheet, to help you select the best person for a deputy headteacher role in your school.
    • EAL co-ordinator: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these interview questions, record sheet and tasks to help you select the best candidate as your next English as an additional language (EAL) co-ordinator. See examples of what to look for in good answers.
    • Executive headteacher: interview questions Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best person for the executive headteacher position. They include questions specific to primary, secondary, special and faith schools.
    • Head of school: interview questions Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best person for the head of school position. They include questions specific to primary, secondary, special and faith schools.
    • Headteacher: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and interview tasks, along with what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best person for the headteacher position. They include questions specific to primary, secondary, special and faith schools.
    • MAT CFO: interview questions and task Appointing the right chief finance officer (CFO) is key to supporting the success of your multi-academy trust. Get expert suggestions on what questions to ask at interview, and what to look for in an answer. You'll also find a suggested interview task to test candidates' skill at budget analysis and management.
      For Trust Leaders
    • Mental health lead: interview questions Use our list of questions and examples of what good responses look like to help you find the right staff member to take on this additional responsibility.
    • Preparing for headship: what to expect in an interview Get an overview of the headteacher interview process and read top tips from our experts on how to prepare, so you can feel confident going into the recruitment process.
    • Preparing for senior leadership: what to expect in an interview Know how to impress at every stage of your senior leadership interview with top tips from our recruitment experts. Plan answers to our sample interview questions, and find out how to tweak your preparations if you'll be attending the interview remotely.
    • School business manager/bursar: interview questions Use our example interview questions for SBM/bursar candidates to help you recruit the right person for this role in your school. For each topic, find out what to look out for in candidates' answers as suggested by our associate education experts.
    • School business manager/bursar: interview tasks Use our example interview tasks to help you recruit the right person for your SBM/bursar role, and get advice on how to run the tasks you choose.
    • SENCO: interview questions Free sample Download and adapt our interview record sheet to help you recruit your next SENCO - it's got pointers on what to look for in candidates' answers.
    • SENCO: interview tasks Use our suggested interview tasks for special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) candidates to help you choose the right person for this important role in your school. The tasks are based on the SENCO responsibilities listed in the SEND Code of Practice, and also include what to look for in a good candidate.
    • Specialist leader of education (SLE): interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these interview questions, record sheet and tasks - along with guides on what to look for in a good candidate's responses - to help you select the best person for your SLE position.
    • Student council: headteacher interview questions Collaborate with your student council to develop a set of questions that reflect your pupils' priorities - use our list of questions and record sheet to help you get started.
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    19 articles
  • Interview questions and tasks: support staff
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    14 articles
  • Interview questions and tasks: teachers
    • Careers leader/adviser: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use our interview questions and record sheet to recruit your next careers leader or adviser. Plus, use our interview tasks for a careers leader to help you select the best person for the role.
    • Early career teacher (ECT): interview questions Adapt and use these interview questions and record sheet, and see what to look for in a candidate's responses, to help you select the best candidate for the position.
    • English/literacy lead (primary): interview questions Download these interview questions and record sheet to help you recruit the best person as a primary English or literacy lead. Plus, get some pointers on what to look for in candidates' answers.
    • EYFS leader: interview questions Adapt and use these interview questions and record sheet, and see what to look for in a candidate's responses, to help you select the best person for an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) leader position.
    • EYFS teacher: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and interview tasks, along with tips on what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best possible EYFS teacher. You'll find tasks that test both lesson planning and classroom skills.
    • Head of phase/department: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these questions, record sheet and interview tasks, along with what to look for in a candidate's response, to help you select the best person for either the phase leader or head of department position. You'll find both role-specific and safeguarding questions, as well as tasks that test presentation and data analysis skills.
    • Head of sixth form: interview questions and tasks Adapt and use these questions and interview tasks to help you select the best person to lead your sixth form. You'll find both role-specific and safeguarding questions.
    • Head of STEM: interview questions and record sheet UpdatedKnow what questions to ask candidates and what to look for in a good response when recruiting for your next head of STEM.
    • Head of year/pastoral manager: interview questions and tasks Download and adapt our example interview questions and tasks. You'll find both role-specific and safeguarding questions, as well as in-tray and role-play tasks, to help you get a better feel for a candidate's skillset.
    • Leading practitioner: interview questions and tasks Find examples of interview questions and tasks you can use when recruiting a leading practitioner teacher in any school. You can also see what to look for in a good answer.
    • Subject leader (primary): interview questions Download these interview questions and record sheet to help you recruit the best person as a primary subject leader. Plus, get some pointers on what to look for in candidates' answers.
    • Subject lead (primary): interview tasks Read our example interview tasks for a primary subject lead and what to look for in a good answer, to help you test candidates' skills and select the best person for the role.
    • Teacher: interview lesson observation form Find out how to organise the task with minimal disruption to pupils' learning, and use our template observation form to assess candidates' skills in the classroom.
    • Teacher: interview questions and tasks Download and adapt our example interview questions and tasks for a classroom teacher. You'll find both general questions and tailored questions for primary and secondary schools, as well as tasks that test lesson planning and classroom skills.
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    10 articles
  • Job offers and pre-employment checks
    • Checks for agency staff Understand which checks you must carry out on agency staff such as supply teachers. Find out whether you need to get DBS certificates and what to record on the SCR, and download a template form to record written confirmation of checks.
    • Checks for new school staff, governors and trustees UpdatedUse our list of checks for new staff, volunteers, governors and trustees to stay compliant with the latest statutory safeguarding guidance.
    • Checks for staff who have lived or worked overseas You must make 'appropriate' further checks on staff who have lived or worked outside the UK. Find out how to mitigate risk early on in the process, assess risks with your candidates and what 'appropriate' further checks you can carry out.
    • Checks on teachers' qualifications You must check qualifications for new teachers. Read about how to carry out these checks.
    • How to carry out an online search of shortlisted candidates NewKeeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) now recommends you consider doing an online search of shortlisted candidates. Find out how to search fairly and effectively, and download our form to record an online search.
    • Job offer letter: template Download our template job offer letter to save yourself some time and make sure you're including the right information. You'll also find more information on written statements of terms and conditions of employment.
    • Medical checks for new school staff You need to verify an applicant's mental and physical fitness for the role before appointing them. Read the rules around how to do this and avoid leaving yourself open to discrimination claims.
    • Missing references for existing staff: template risk assessment Download our template risk assessment and use it to determine whether you need to seek references where they're missing from your single central record (SCR).
    • Prohibition from teaching checks You have to carry out a prohibition check on all teachers and support staff who will do 'teaching work'. Understand what counts as 'teaching work' and how to do the check.
    • Right to work checks Get to grips with how to carry out these required pre-employment checks to verify a person's right to work in the UK.
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    7 articles
  • Recruitment processes and requirements
    • Employing teachers from overseas: what you need to know Find out how Brexit has changed your requirements when hiring teachers from overseas. See how these teachers can get qualified teacher status (QTS), and understand how to recruit them – by becoming a visa sponsor or by other routes.
    • How to do internal recruitment Read our step-by-step guide to recruiting members of staff already at your school for another role.
    • How to manage a criminal records disclosure Learn how to handle disclosures of criminal records information on a self-disclosure form or DBS check. Use our templates to help you conduct a disclosure discussion and assess an applicant's criminal record.
    • How to reduce unconscious bias in your recruitment process Learn how to minimise the influence of unconscious bias when you're making hiring choices at the advertising, CV shortlisting, and interview stages of your recruitment process.
    • Recruitment checks: cheat sheet Do you know your DBS check from your section 128? Barred list check from prohibition from teaching? Learn the difference between the key recruitment checks, why they're important and how to do them. Download our cheat sheet for a handy reference, or to include in process manuals.
    • Recruitment: your step-by-step guide Keep on top of all the stages in the recruitment process. See links to our guidance and resources all in one place, from finding applicants to holding staff induction.
    • Writing references: guidance Find out what’s expected of you if you receive a request for a reference. Understand whether you need to provide references when asked, what to include, and whether an individual can see copies of any references you provide about them.
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