Supply Teacher Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your Supply Teacher interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 16 and added the reason each one gets asked.

Eight Supply Teacher interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. You arrive at a school you have never visited and meet a class you have never taught. How do you establish authority in the first five minutes?

Why they ask: To test your classroom presence, which supply teachers rely on more than any other skill.

2. What safeguarding responsibilities do you have when you arrive to cover at a school, and what would you do on the day?

Why they ask: To check you understand safeguarding applies from the first minute in a new school.

3. You arrive for a day of cover and find no work has been left and the class is waiting. What do you do?

Why they ask: To test your resourcefulness when the cover system fails.

4. What vetting and employment checks must be in place before you can work as a supply teacher in England?

Why they ask: To check you understand the legal and compliance requirements of agency work.

5. A Year 9 pupil refuses to give you his name, ignores your instruction to sit down and then walks out of the room. What do you do?

Why they ask: To test how you apply a school's behaviour policy in an unfamiliar environment.

6. You are covering a subject outside your specialism. How do you make sure you still deliver a worthwhile lesson?

Why they ask: To test your adaptability and subject-light teaching skills.

7. Why do you want to do supply teaching, and what qualities does it need?

Why they ask: To check your motivation and whether you understand the realities of day-to-day work.

8. Tell me about a time you walked into a difficult class and turned the lesson around.

Why they ask: To see how you apply your behaviour management skills in practice.

A sample answer to question 1

You arrive at a school you have never visited and meet a class you have never taught. How do you establish authority in the first five minutes?

I arrive early so I can find the room, read the cover work and check the seating plan and behaviour policy. I meet pupils at the door, greet them with a smile, and expect them to enter calmly and sit as directed. Once they're in, I introduce myself, state that I'll be using the school's rules and system, and give a clear, positive instruction: the starter task is on the board, and I want to see books out and pens ready in two minutes. I use names from the seating plan quickly because it shows I know who they are. I'd keep my voice calm and low, give specific praise to pupils who are doing it right, and use the school's sanctions and rewards consistently, with warnings first, so nothing feels personal. I'd stay mobile around the room, and check the work. If someone challenges me, I'd stay calm, avoid public confrontation and speak to them privately. The aim is for the lesson to feel as ordinary as with the usual teacher.

Common mistake to avoid: Trying to be liked rather than clear; inventing your own rules

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 16 questions are on the Supply Teacher interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.