How do I research a school before my teaching job interview?
It is important to take your time to research the school and make notes on points that interest you or you want to be able to talk about during the interview i.e. enriched curriculum, latest school trips, Ofsted inspection, FSM %, school ethos/values.
Researching the school before your interview will:
- Give you more confidence
- Show your commitment
- Show your passion for teaching and your students

Where should I look for information about a school before my interview?
School Website
This should tell you about:
- Information about SLT
- Curriculum
- Behaviour Policy
- Ethos and/or values of the school
- What type of extra curriculum/enrichment programs the school does
School Socials
This should tell you:
- What the school has been up to
- The feel of the school and what they are about. Does each year group have their own X (formally Twitter)? If so, scroll through the year group you are interviewing for.
This will tell you lots of important information including:
- Number of pupils on roll
- School Capacity
- Nursery Provision
- Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. (23.8% of pupils who are eligible for FSM is the average)
- Governor information – including how long the head has been in position
- Which ward and parliamentary constituency the school is in
Read the latest Ofsted report, although only a snapshot of the school on any two given days, it can help give you an idea of the school when added to your other research. Knowing it’s current rating is a must, as schools may ask you about it – especially if it’s an outstanding or requires improvement school!
This tells you what parents think of the school, how happy their child is at the school, how the school supports children with SEN, its culture, it’s SLT and it’s curriculum; amongst other things.
The questions have changed over time so some schools will have different questions to others. You can also see how many parents took part – did a large proportion of parents take their time to give their feedback?