If your school council interviews candidates for teaching jobs, these are the questions councils actually ask and what pupil panels tend to look for. Below there is a set of questions for pupils on the panel, and separate advice for teachers preparing to be interviewed by a school council.
Questions for the pupil panel Advice if you are the candidate
From Smart School Councils, a UK education charity. Registered charity 1156110.
Fourteen questions that work, with what each one tells you. Give every pupil on the panel one or two to own so nobody is left without a question.
What activities would you like to see brought into the school and why?
This tells you how involved the candidate will be in the school beyond their own lessons.
What changes would you make to improve our school?
Two things come out of this: what the candidate already thinks of your school, and whether their ideas line up with the council's.
How would you resolve a conflict between two pupils?
Look for an answer the whole panel agrees is fair and still solves the problem.
What would be your approach to making lessons more fun?
You want an answer that would engage the whole class, not just the people on the panel.
What would it take in your class for a pupil to get a detention?
Again, think about what would work best for everyone in the class.
What does bravery mean to you?
Ask some questions that are not strictly about school. The answers tell you about the person who would be teaching you.
Why did you go into teaching?
This is the candidate's chance to show their enthusiasm, which is worth listening for.
What did you enjoy most when you were at school?
Helps you understand the candidate a little more personally, and what they think matters in education.
What is the best experience you have had while teaching?
Listen carefully to how they answer. It often reveals the kind of learning they prioritise.
If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing?
Another way to learn about their interests beyond the classroom.
Who was your favourite teacher, and why?
The answer usually tells you what sort of teacher the candidate wants to be.
How would you describe your teaching style?
Look for candidates who are genuinely interested in what works, rather than saying what they think the panel wants to hear.
What is your favourite subject, other than the one you teach?
A chance for the panel to learn a bit about the candidate's personality.
What is your view on homework?
Teachers vary a lot on this. It is worth hearing where they stand.
These are questions school councils we work with have actually asked. Being interviewed by pupils can feel daunting, so it is worth thinking about your answers in advance.
Across the councils we have worked with, the same qualities come up again and again. A teacher who:
Talk to the pupils. There should be an adult in the room, but they are there to support the pupils. Your interview is with the pupils, so direct your answers to them.
Ask them questions. "How does your school council involve the whole school?" "What do you think needs changing?" It shows you would listen to them, and you can use what they say in your interview with the adult panel.
Use concrete examples. "In my current school...", "When I was at school..., so now I..."
Relax. Harder said than done, but you are in front of young people all the time. Pupils may not read your nerves the way adults would, and remember the panel only makes a recommendation, it does not make the decision.
Be yourself. A pupil panel can tell when someone is spinning them a line. They want to respect you and get on with you, and none of you can tell whether that will happen if you are not being yourself.
Be honest. Far more respected than making something up on the spot.
Take time to think. Pupils are looking for a considered answer, not a fast one. They value thinking time themselves, so showing you understand that goes a long way.
Yes. A member of staff should always be present. Their job is to support the pupils and keep things on track, not to run the interview or answer for them.
Three to six works well. Enough for a range of views, small enough that every pupil gets to ask a question and nobody sits in silence. Give each pupil one or two questions to own in advance.
Ten to fifteen minutes per candidate is usually plenty. Pupils are asking a handful of questions, not conducting the full interview.
Yes. Keep away from anything touching a candidate's age, family, health, religion, relationships or background. Stick to teaching, school life and how they would work with pupils. Brief the panel on this beforehand and check the questions with them first.
The panel gives a recommendation to the adult interview panel, usually a short verbal summary of who they preferred and why. Being clear that they recommend rather than decide takes the pressure off.
If your school council only involves a handful of elected pupils, the same few will always do it. In a whole-school council every class discusses the questions first, so the panel carries the views of the whole school rather than just its own.
A pupil interview panel is only as representative as the council behind it. In a Smart School Council every class holds a short meeting on the same question, so the pupils on the panel speak for the whole school rather than for themselves. It is one price for your whole school and there is nothing to plan from scratch.
Start a school council every child takes part in
£199 + VAT a year for your whole school, everything included.