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.
Programme of the day
Interview pre-work
FAQs
Course information
From 09.00 – arrival
1 hour – subject talk
30 minutes - interview task
45 minutes – campus tour
45 minutes – lunch
2 hours – specialism interview
16.00 – approximate finish time
Due to the popularity of our BEd Primary courses we run our interview days on both Wednesdays and Saturdays. Interview days on Saturdays are also in conjunction with our Applicant Days. As a result we split the day into AM and PM slots. If you have a preference for AM or PM please do not hesitate to contact us on educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk.
Please note we only split the day on a Saturday and not a Wednesday.
For details on arrival location please see your invite to interview letter and/or email.
Within your subject choice is an article that you should read or a video to watch about education, each is subject specific.
As part of the interview process you will take part in a short discussion with some other candidates.
You should come having read/watched the article and ready to contribute to the discussion about it.
Please note that there is no one thing we are looking for in relation to this piece; rather we are
interested to see how you have understood it and what opinions you have about the issues involved,
as well as how you interact with other potential students.
Please ensure you read the article relevant to the specialism you have been invited to interview for.
Listen to the BBC Radio 4 broadcast and consider the ideas expressed in this interview. You should come prepared to discuss the relevance these ideas may have for your future career as a primary school teacher and the role of art and design in the primary curriculum.
You will need to bring a portfolio of work in art and design, together with any sketchbooks and essays
that you have undertaken. Try to ensure there is clear evidence of drawing in your portfolio. If you
have any large or three-dimensional work which is difficult to transport then photographs of such
items are acceptable to include in your portfolio.
The digital literacy course is demanding. We expect you to engage with policy, theory and research from the very start of the course. We ask that you read a significant government report and come to a seminar with questions prepared about it. We would like you to try that concept on for size, the interview is conducted as we would run a seminar, so that you can establish if our way of working is going to challenge and inspire you.
As part
of that, we would like you to read the following report and come to the interview with three questions that
you would like to discuss: Do we have safer children in a digital world? A review of progress since the 2008 Byron Review.
Read the article on The Guardian website in order to prepare for a 20 minute group discussion with other interviewees. The discussion will be observed by those interviewing you who will make brief notes on your contribution. Consider your views on the issues raised by the article and how you might support these using examples from your current studies, other sources and your own experience. You may bring the article and any notes you wish to make to the interview.
Read the article on the Centre for Longitudinal Studies website or download the PDF and think about your own opinions in relation to the content. You will be asked to discuss this article at your interview, so please be prepared for this.
Allan and Janet Ahlberg’s book Starting School is recommended
as a useful resource for young children to develop a sense of time.
Choose a story that you would recommend as a starter for a humanities topic in key stage 1 or key
stage 2. Bring your story to the interview and be prepared to tell us why you chose it and how you
would use it. This task will form part of a group activity rather than a formal presentation.
Look at the article on the Guardian website and come to the interview day prepared to discuss the ideas on the website.
Questions to consider:
Look at the following Guardian website article: "Young Musician winner Sheku Kanneh-Mason is just what classical music needs"
You should read the Guardian article and browse the comments.
Think about these two questions:
The interview day will include a very short, informal practical session. So please bring your
instrument (or voice!) and be prepared to perform and discuss a short piece of music of your choice.
This could include a study, an orchestral excerpt, a piece of improvisation, an exam piece or anything
else which is special to you and you really enjoy playing.
Look at the ‘Keeping Enjoyment at the Heart of Key Stage Two Physical Education’ article.
You should come to the interview prepared to discuss the ideas from this article.
The interview will include a practical session, during which teaching staff will look at your
engagement in the physical tasks, physical competence and personal interaction. Please ensure that
you bring suitable clothing with you, i.e. tracksuit, trainers etc.
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.
Read the below article in preparation for your interview.
7 July 2010, BBC News Education and Family (2010) Primary schools 'need specialist science teachers' [online] accessed 7 November 2011
How do I confirm I will be attending my interview?
You can confirm your attendance on UCAS Track or by emailing educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk
What if I cannot attend my allocated interview date?
We would be happy to reschedule your interview to an alternative date. Please email educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk or telephone +44 1752 585858 to arrange an alternative date.
What if I have applied for more than one specialism?
We aim to invite you to interview on a day that will cover at least two of our chosen specialisms. A personal schedule will be given to you at registration which will detail the order of your specialism interviews.
How soon will I hear after my interview?
We aim to let you know within two weeks of your interview.
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 and to pass the ITT Skills tests before 1 August 2016. For further information please visit the Department of Education website.
Congratulations on being invited to interview for one of our BEd Primary specialisms. On this page we have provided information regarding the format of the day and 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 day, we will be helping:
Please ensure you read the interview pre-work above carefully as this provides information on articles/videos you should look at when preparing for your interview and any specialism specific materials you should bring with you on the day.
I look forward to meeting you at your interview and if you should need any help or assistance please do contact us.
Best wishes,