Teaching Assistant Interview Pack

A pack with accompanying templates to help your school setting plan and prepare the interview day, including interview questions and tasks, when recruiting a teaching assistant. This pack contains some guidance that allows you to consider the setup of the interview day itself, but if you're new to recruitment or want to ensure the entire recruitment process is smooth, you may find it help to purchase the Recruitment, Interview and Employment Compliance Guidance Pack alongside this interview pack.

When you make your purchase, you'll receive a ZIP file containing the whole pack, including:

• Concise 8-page Guidance PDF in full colour containing all the guidance, research and information you need.
• 7 fully editable and easy-to-use templates that can be adapted for your setting. These include:

1. Teaching Assistant Job Role Description
2. Teaching Assistant Person Specification
3. Teaching Assistant Interview Questions
4. Interview Task - Teach a Group Activity or Intervention
5. Interview Task - Work With a Group of Pupils
6. Interview Task - Circle Time
7. Interview Task - Read a Story

Included in this TA interview pack are four different editable interview tasks plus a wide variety of example interview questions so you can find a brilliant support staff member for your school. The job description and person specification for will also support you in advertising for a new TA or HLTA so you attract the right candidates. Use these, alongside the interview tasks and teaching assistant interview questions to create a recruitment package that's tailored to exactly what your school is looking for in a new member of support staff.

While the pack is tailored towards appointing a new teaching assistant, it can be used to support the recruitment process for any staff member who'll support teaching and learning under the guidance of a class teacher. Different settings may have different names for this role, such as a TA, learning coach, learning support assistant (LSA), SEND support staff, 1:1 / one-to-one, or a level 2 teaching assistant - this pack covers the interview process for these types of roles.

It also supports anyone applying for a higher-level teaching assistant role, and there are questions and tasks included that are suited to this more advanced position. Again, different schools might call this person a HLTA, a level 3 teaching assistant, senior teaching assistant or a teaching and learning supervisor - whatever your setting calls it, this pack will support recruitment for any of these roles. It would also be suitable if you're looking to appoint a cover supervisor. 

Headteachers, trust leaders, senior leaders, members of the governing body and trustees who lead recruitment processes will find this time-saving pack useful. This pack is also helpful for teaching assistants who are looking for a new post and are wishing to develop their understanding of the interview process, or for anyone who's hoping to join the education profession as a teaching assistant. 

Planning and leading an effective recruitment process ensures you've put your school in the best position possible to recruit a new support staff member who's going to support pupils learning, including those with SEND, and add value to your staff team. Using carefully selected interview questions and tasks will help to ensure this is a positive experience for both those on the panel and those applying for the role, meaning your new teaching assistant has the best possible start in your setting.

Key questions answered:

• How could an interview day for a teaching assistant be structured?
• What interview tasks could be used when recruiting a new TA or HLTA?
• What interview questions could a new support staff member be asked during the interview process?
• Where can I access more support on the recruitment and post-recruitment process?

If you're looking for support with the recruitment or staff induction processes, we've got multiple packs available to help you. Best of all, you can get 20% off each item if you buy 3 or more resources about recruitment and induction, so why not see what's available?

If you're new to the recruitment process or are looking to build your understanding of how to tackle recruitment through each stage of the process, including advertising, shortlisting, interviewing, pre-employment and employment compliance, then you'll find the following pack useful.

• Recruitment, Interview and Employment Compliance Guidance Pack

If you're looking to recruit for multiple school roles, you may find the following packs supportive to help you plan interview days for those roles too:

• Headteacher Interview Pack
• Assistant and Deputy Headteacher Interview Pack
• School Business Manager Interview Pack
• Head of Year, Phase or Key Stage Interview Pack
• Head of Department Interview Pack
• SENDCo Interview Pack
• DSL and Safeguarding Role Interview Pack
• Class Teacher with Subject Leadership Interview Pack
• ECT and Class Teacher Interview Pack
• Teaching Assistant Interview Pack
• Midday and Wrap-Around Care Role Interview Pack
• EYFS Practitioner Interview Pack
• Attendance Co-ordinator Interview Pack
• Pastoral and Mental Health Role Interview Pack
• Outdoor Learning Role Interview Pack
• School Administrator Interview Pack
• Premises Caretaker and Site Manger Interview Pack

To support your new staff member with induction into your setting, why not have a look at the following help guidance pack:

• Staff Induction Pack

To provide meaningful professional development from the beginning of your new staff member's employment, skills audits are a valuable way to amplify the induction process, identify CPD opportunities and support the appraisal process.

• Skills Audits