A guide to application and interview for ITT courses

1
A guide to application and interview for ITT
courses

• Dr Tony Liversidge
• BSc Secondary QTS Programme Leader, Edge Hill
  University

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Preparation

• Check for details of the course(s) you are
  interested in by visiting the UCAS/GTTR websites.
  Key word searches will give you lists of the
  institutions that offer that course and often
  some brief details about it
• Go to your selected institution(s) websites to
  find out more detail and request further
  information from the institutions themselves
• Make sure that you check that you meet the course
  entry requirements. If you are not sure and need
  clarification, contact the named person given in
  the information e.g. the course leader for PGCE
  Science

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Application

• Plan ahead start writing your application as
  soon as possible
• Aim to send in your application well before the
  deadline to try and secure an early interview
  date. This can be beneficial as some courses
  fill up very quickly e.g. PGCE Primary, PGCE
  Secondary PE, History and English

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What is the personal statement?

• It is your chance to show the admissions tutor
  for the course that you are interested in why you
  should be offered an interview, so spend some
  time writing and checking it
• Get someone else to read it as a further check

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What should you include in your statement?

• Why do you want to teach (this age group)?
• Why this specialist subject?
• Why this university and course?
• What is your teaching experience?
• What work experience have you had and what
  transferable skills have you acquired?
• What are your hobbies and interests?
• What are your ambitions for your future in
  teaching?

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Why do you want to teach (this age group)?

• To pass on your knowledge and interest
• To utilise the skills you have
• You have the right personal qualities (e.g.
  patience, approachable)
• Please try not say that you like children and
  that children like you!

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Why this specialist subject?

• What excites, interests and motivates you about
  your chosen subject?
• Did you have a good teacher as a role model?
• What has been your success in this subject at
  school or beyond?
• Dont write that you have chosen science because
  you like setting fire to things

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Why this university and particular course?

• If you are only applying to one institution, you
  might say why (e.g. good reputation best
  facilities geographically suitable)
• What is it about the course that particularly
  interests/suits you?
• Perhaps best not to put that you have chosen a
  particular institution because there are 20
  different types of beer in the student union bar

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Teaching Experience

• Have you spent any time teaching or observing in
  school?
• Coaching?
• Tutoring?
• Working with children? (e.g. church brownies
  cubs)
• Training people?

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Work experience and transferable skills

• Outline any work experience that you have had and
  try and highlight the skills that you have
  developed that would be transferable to teaching
  e.g. managing people time management
  organisation and planning counselling
  negotiation team-working problem-solving and
  communication skills
• Also highlight subject specific/technical skills
  where they are relevant to your specialist
  subject
• Dont forget to mention general qualities such as
  enthusiasm, motivation and commitment

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Hobbies and interests

• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• Sports? Music? Drama/films? Cars/DIY?
  Cooking/making? Reading?

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Ambitions

• Finishing with an aspirational goal will enable
  you to end your personal statement on a high
  note e.g.
• What is your goal for your teaching career?

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In general

• Dont forget that the following are also
  important
• Neatness (whether handwritten or word processed)
• Spelling
• Appropriate vocabulary
• Grammar and punctuation

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Help and Information

• Go to the UCAS website
• http//www.ucas.com/getting/apply04/index.html
• Go to the gttr website http//www.gttr.ac.uk/how/
  index.html
• Get someone to read your statement
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors
• Contact institutions directly and speak to course
  leaders for direct and specific advice

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What would you do?

• Have a look at the applications provided and
  decide which of them you would invite for
  interview on the basis of their application

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Interview

• The key components of many ITT interviews are
• Initial welcome
• Tour of facilities
• Specific information about the course
• Group and/or individual tasks
• Group and/or individual question and answer
  session

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Initial welcome and tour of facilities

• The initial welcome will often be by someone
  leading the programme/course for which you have
  applied and they will give you an overview of the
  institution and an outline of the interview
  schedule
• You will then be shown round the campus and your
  lecture/teaching rooms (often this is done by
  student guides)

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Specific information about the course

• The next stage of the interview is usually where
  you will meet the course leader for the course
  that you have applied for and where you will be
  given more specific details and be allowed to ask
  any questions

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Group and/or individual tasks

• These will vary according to the course and
  institution but will be scrutinised by course
  tutors and often school-based mentor colleagues.
  They commonly consist of
• Group task(s) to show how you are able to tackle
  the task(s) with enthusiasm and energy to see
  what ideas you have and what leadership and team
  working skills you display
• Individual tasks such as presentations to allow
  you to show some of your teaching skills,
  particularly your communication skills
• You will also have to complete an individual
  written task (often a comprehension exercise) to
  assess the quality of your written English

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Group and/or individual question and answer
session

• This will involve the interviewer(s) asking
  you/your group specific questions
• These might include questions related to
• Why you want to be a teacher and why you have
  chosen a particular age phase and subject
• Why you have applied to that particular
  institution
• What personal and teaching skills that you think
  you have
• What makes a good lesson
• Describing any previous teaching or work
  successes
• What your weaknesses are
• How would you teach.
• Relevant educational/teaching items in the news

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Any questions?