Recruitment resources for key roles
Get the resources you need to navigate each stage of the hiring process, including model job descriptions and curated lists of interview questions for critical roles across your school.
Create a bespoke interview pack
Interviewing for a role that's more tailored to your school? Create a custom interview pack based on your specific job description and person specification with our interactive tool.
Choose from our bank of questions and tasks tailored by role type, skills, and areas of responsibility. Then download a pack that includes everything you need to run a successful interview, including guidance on what to look for in a good answer and task materials.
Alternatively, take a look at our job descriptions and download our curated lists of interview questions for some key roles:
Headteacher or deputy head
Use these resources to help you write or review your job descriptions for your school leaders.
Your governing board or academy trust will lead on the process for recruiting a new headteacher for your school, but they'll need your support to do this well.
Headteacher: model job description
Use our model job description to help you recruit your next headteacher – it's based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020.
Deputy headteacher: model job description
Download and adapt our model job description to help you find the right candidate for your deputy headteacher role. Our model is based on the Headteachers' Standards 2020.
Assistant headteacher: model job description
Use our model job description to find the best candidates for your assistant headteacher role. It's based on the STPCD, the Teachers' Standards and the Headteachers' Standards.
You can also compare the roles of a deputy and an assistant headteacher.
To help pupils get involved in the recruitment process, take a look at our headteacher interview questions for student councils.
SBM and school office staff
Download and adapt our model job descriptions for your school business manager (SBM) and other members of your administrative team.
School business manager (SBM): model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a school business manager (SBM) and adapt it to suit your school's context.
Administrative assistant/officer: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for an admin assistant and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
School office manager: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a school office manager, and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
School finance manager: job description
See example job descriptions for a finance manager in a primary and a secondary school.
Central trust staff
Take a look at our model job descriptions for key roles in your trust leadership, and adapt them to suit your needs.
Plus, read about the differences between an accounting officer and a chief financial officer.
Chief executive officer (CEO): model job description
Download and adapt our model job description for a multi-academy trust chief executive officer.
Chief operating officer (COO): model job description
Download and adapt our model job description for a multi-academy trust (MAT) chief operating officer (COO).
Chief financial officer (CFO): model job description
Download and adapt our model job description for a multi-academy trust (MAT) chief financial officer (CFO).
Accounting officer vs chief financial officer (CFO): role comparison
Your trust must appoint an accounting officer and a chief financial officer. Learn who can fulfil these roles, how they’re different and what their main responsibilities are.
Designated safeguarding lead
Get to grips with the role of the DSL, and adapt our resources to suit the role in your school.
These can help you whether you're appointing a DSL or a deputy DSL.
Role of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL)
Understand the DSL's responsibilities, what training they need and what to consider when determining how much time your DSL needs for their role.
Designated safeguarding lead (DSL): model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a DSL and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
SENCO
Check that your SENCO candidates have the qualifications they need.
Download our curated list of interview questions – it comes with a record sheet to help you evaluate the quality of answers, so you can assess candidates fairly.
SENCO: requirements and qualifications
Be clear which types of schools are required to appoint a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), and what qualifications they'll need for the post.
SENCO: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and adapt it to suit your school's context.
SENCO: interview questions and tasks
Download and adapt our interview questions to help recruit your next SENCO - it's got pointers on what to look for in candidates' answers. You'll also find example interview tasks that will help you assess a candidate's skills and ability to fulfil the duties of the role.
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.
Middle leaders
Whether you're looking for a phase, subject or department lead, take a look at our job descriptions to get to grips with the role.
Subject leader: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification to help you find the most suitable candidate for the role of subject leader. You'll find a version for primary and secondary phases that you can adapt to suit your school's context.
Key stage leader: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a key stage 1 or key stage 2 phase leader who is also a classroom teacher.
Curriculum leader (primary): model job description
Adapt and use our model job description and person specification to help you find the most suitable candidate for a curriculum leader.
EYFS leader: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification to help you find the most suitable candidate for the role of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) leader.
Leading practitioner: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a leading practitioner and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
Sustainability lead: model job description
Recruiting for this new DfE-mandated role? Download our model role description to help you set out the duties and responsibilities of a sustainability lead.
Classroom teacher
Adapt our job description for a primary class teacher.
Plus, see our curated list of interview questions for a classroom teacher, and use our interview lesson observation form to help you assess teachers during the interview process.
Classroom teacher (primary): model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a primary school teacher and adapt it to reflect your school's context.
Teacher with a TLR: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a teacher with a teaching and learning responsibility (TLR). It includes guidance for adapting your job description for TLR1 and TLR2 payments.
Teacher on the UPR: job description
Read advice on writing your own UPR job description, or download and adapt our model job description and person specification.
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.
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.
Teaching assistant
These resources cover teaching assistants (TAs), higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) and learning support assistants (LSAs).
If you're hiring a TA who will work specifically with 1 or more children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), use our dedicated job description to help you.
Teaching assistant or HLTA: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a teaching assistant (TA) or higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) and adapt it to reflect your school's context.
SEN teaching assistant: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for an SEN teaching assistant (TA) and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
Learning support assistant (LSA): model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for an LSA delivering 1:1 support and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
Other support staff
Download and adapt our model job descriptions to help you recruit for the following roles:
Caretaker/site manager: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification to help you to find the most suitable candidate.
Catering manager: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification to help you find the most suitable candidate for the catering manager role. Adapt it to meet your school's or trust's context.
Careers leader: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
Senior mental health lead: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a senior mental health lead. Adapt it to meet your school's needs and use it to help you recruit or appoint the right person for the role.
Breakfast/after-school club manager: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a breakfast or after-school club manager.
Midday supervisor: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a lunchtime supervisor and adapt it to suit your school's context.
Family support worker: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification for a parent and family support worker, and adapt it to meet your school's needs.
Examinations officer: model job description
Download our model job description and person specification to help you to find the most suitable candidates for an examinations officer role.
Plus, take a look at our interview questions to recruit a catering manager and a cleaner.
Recruiting for something else? See our full list of job descriptions and our interactive tool to help you create a bespoke interview pack.
