Please note all applicant interviews will now take place by Skype or Zoom. If you have already booked an interview with us, please be assured we will be in contact to offer an alternative arrangement. Our Admissions Team is here to support you and answer any questions you may have. You can give us a call on +44 1752 585858 or drop us an email at admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
This page contains all of the information you require prior to your interview. However, if there are any questions you may have that are not answered on this page please email educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk or call +44 1752 585858.
Congratulations on being invited to interview for BEd Primary. On this page we have provided information regarding the tasks we would like you to complete in advance. It is vital that you are prepared and are able to talk about these tasks when you meet us.
During the interview, we will:
Please ensure you read the interview pre-work below carefully as this provides information on articles/videos you should look at when preparing for your interview.
I look forward to meeting you at your interview and if you should need any help or assistance please do contact us.
Best wishes,
Please ensure you read the article relevant to the programme you have been invited to interview for.
If you have applied for:
Read the article from The Conversation in order to prepare for a 20 minute group discussion with other interviewees. You are encouraged to relate what you read to your current studies, your own experiences with young children as well as any other further reading you undertake. Those interviewing you will make brief notes on your contribution to the discussion as well as your interaction with others in the group. You may bring the article and any notes you wish to make to the interview.
If you have applied for:
Please read this article on the gov.uk website.
As part of the interview procedure there will be a short discussion for you to take part in along with other candidates. You should bring along a copy of this article to the interview. You should have read the article prior to the interview and be ready to contribute to the discussion about it. Please note that there is no one thing we are looking for in relation to the piece; rather we are interested to see how you have understood it, what opinions you have about the issues involved and how you relate it to your own experience in school, as well as how you interact with other potential students.
Watch the Special Needs Inclusion video, available at the TES website.
You should come prepared to discuss the opinions and ideas in the film, and your own opinions on the subject matter.
Please ensure you send copies of your documents/certificates (scan or good quality photo) to admissions@plymouth.ac.uk before your Skype or Zoom interview. If you have been successful in your application, we will ask you to submit your original documents when you start your course.
On the day of your Skype or Zoom interview you must show photo ID with you. Examples of photo ID includes: your passport, driving licence, bus pass or school/college ID.
To prepare for your interview we recommend thinking about the reasons you want to study on the course you have applied for. Current students have said they found it useful to make sure they had knowledge of some of the topical issues in the news.
Specific programmes may require more preparation, further information on this is available from the relevant course link.
Disability and dyslexia advice and support
We talk to students about disability support and any reasonable adjustments available for their programme of study. A disability can be a mental health condition, dyslexia or any other specific learning difficulty, autism, or long term medical condition – such as epilepsy or diabetes.
If you have a disability, please ensure you have read the information on our Disability Services webpage. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page and open the Disability disclosure information document.
If you require any adjustments for your interview, please email educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk prior to your interview date.
We aim to inform you of the outcome of your interview within ten working days.
If you are successful at interview, as part of your offer you will be required to pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure. Further details on these are below.
Our courses require students to work in positions requiring public trust. In order to ensure public protection and safety, all applicants will be asked to declare any convictions or cautions against them, and to declare any pending prosecutions. This can be done on the UCAS application form.
Enhanced disclosures will be made on all students when they hold conditional firm or unconditional firm status. You will be sent details of how to complete the check online as part of your offer, with details of how to do so at this point. This process must be completed, even if a check has recently been completed for another organisation. All information is treated in the utmost confidence.
A disclosure which contains details of an offence does not automatically preclude study on one of our courses. We operate a Professional Issues Committee which will consider each case individually and confidentially. In all instances the committee is assessing whether the disclosure would prevent an applicant from going on placement or obtaining employment on graduation.
How do I book my interview?
Upon successful submission of your application, you will be sent an email with a unique link to our online booking system. You can use our online system to select an interview date that best suits your availability.
If you have not received this email, please be sure to check your junk or clutter folders.
What if I need to reschedule my interview after I have booked onto one?
You can change, move or reschedule your interview at any stage using the online booking system. If you are unable to attend any of the dates shown, then please do email educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk or call +44 1752 585858
What if I have applied for more than one specialism?
If you have applied for more than one BEd pathway with us you will be able to have separate Zoom interviews. When booking these Zoom interviews, if you are hoping to have these on the same day please make sure to allow yourself enough time for each interview to take place
How soon will I hear after my interview?
We aim to let you know the outcome of your interview within two weeks.
What happens after my interview?
If you are successful at interview your offer will be conditional on meeting the academic requirements for the course, satisfactory health and DBS checks. For further information please visit the Department of Education website.
Please note: If you have applied for more than one programme within the Plymouth Institute of Education, you will only need to attend one academic interview. During this interview, you will be assessed to see if you are a suitable candidate for all programmes you have applied for.