Secondary School Teacher Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your Secondary School Teacher interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 25 and added the reason each one gets asked.

Eight Secondary School Teacher interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Talk me through how you would structure a typical lesson, from starter to plenary.

Why they ask: Lesson structure is asked at nearly every teaching interview and shows how you think about learning.

2. How do you manage behaviour in your classroom, and how do you work within a whole-school behaviour policy?

Why they ask: Behaviour management is the top concern for most schools and a very common question.

3. How do you check for understanding and give feedback during a lesson?

Why they ask: Formative assessment drives progress and shows pedagogical knowledge.

4. How would you adapt your teaching for students with SEND in a mainstream secondary classroom?

Why they ask: Teachers share responsibility for SEND under the Code of Practice, and this is asked often.

5. What are the Teachers' Standards and the Early Career Framework, and how have you used them to develop?

Why they ask: Professional standards and the ECF/ITTECF underpin training and appraisal in England.

6. It's your first lesson with a Year 11 class, and several students say 'we don't need to do this, we've got the exam in a few months anyway'. What do you do?

Why they ask: Motivation near exams is a distinctive Year 11 challenge.

7. Tell me about a time you made a significant improvement to your teaching based on feedback or observation.

Why they ask: Openness to feedback is vital for any teacher.

8. Why do you want to teach in a secondary school, and what do you enjoy about this age group?

Why they ask: They want to hear a genuine reason and awareness of adolescence.

A sample answer to question 1

Talk me through how you would structure a typical lesson, from starter to plenary.

I begin by greeting students at the door and setting the tone, with a starter task on the board that they begin silently. It usually retrieves prior learning, so that knowledge is spaced and secure. Then I link to the lesson's learning goal, not as a slogan but a clear explanation of what students will know or do by the end. The main input is explicit teaching in small chunks: I explain, model with worked examples and check understanding through questioning and mini whiteboards before moving on. Next comes guided practice, followed by independent work where I circulate and give live feedback. I plan stretch and support in advance, for instance with scaffolds or extension questions. I finish with a short plenary that tests what they have learned, such as an exit question, rather than asking 'did you enjoy that?'. I use that evidence to plan the next lesson.

Common mistake to avoid: Describing an activity list with no learning focus; rigid formula regardless of content

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 25 questions are on the Secondary School Teacher interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.