The purpose of selection is to assess the skills, experience and general background of a candidate in order to decide on whether that person is a suitable person for a job role. Combining several selection methods increases the validity and reliability of the decision. You should therefore continue to include various selection activities.
For teachers, the assessment process could look like:
A timed presentation (say 10 minutes) on a set topic to either be submitted or recorded in advance of the interview or that can be presented during the online interview. This may include a Q&A. This will assess the applicant’s presentation and communication skills. Another option is to ask the candidate to submit a recording in advance of the interview of them delivering an extract of a lesson.
OR
Asking them in advance to answer and submit a case study, for example based on behaviour management, sent to the applicant ahead of the interview, to assess their strategies of dealing with poor behaviour as an alternative to teaching a class in real-time.
OR
A lesson plan submitted ahead of the interview plus a Q&A during the online interview.
AND
An online panel interview.
For Teaching Assistants, the assessment process could include:
A case study sent to the candidate and to be returned ahead of the interview to assess their communication and behaviour management skills.
OR
A case study with a range of responses presented to the applicant during the interview for them to choose their most likely and least likely response and an explanation why.
AND
An online panel interview.
For support staff, the assessment process could include:
An in-tray exercise, sent to the candidate and to be returned ahead of the interview to assess their organisational, prioritisation and problem-solving skills.
AND
An online panel interview.
For Headteachers, the assessment process could include:
A timed presentation on a set topic to either be submitted or recorded in advance of the interview plus a Q&A during the online interview. This will assess the applicant’s presentation and communication skills.
AND/OR
A case study, for example a data and/or finance task, submitted in advance of the interview plus a Q&A.
AND/OR
An online panel interview.
Consideration should be given at the earliest opportunity if there is a post where a practical exercise is necessary to assess the applicant’s suitability for the post and you are unable to assess these skills any other way, for example a catering post. We recommend you include in the offer letter that a practical assessment will be arranged with the individual at the school as soon as it is safe to do so and that any offer is therefore subject to satisfactory completion of the practical assessment together with pre-employment checks.
If face-to-face interviews are necessary, you should share the school’s control measures in advance and make it clear to candidates that they must follow the system of controls that you have in place. This includes any requirements for wearing face coverings where social distancing cannot be managed safely.
You still have a duty to follow safer recruitment processes in these unprecedented times, including, as appropriate, relevant sections in Part 3 of KCSIE.