Congratulations on being invited to interview for the PGCE Secondary course at the University of Reading.
We want this to be a stress-free process to enable you to perform to your potential and we hope that the information on this webpage will be helpful to you.
Please read all of the information carefully.
What do I need to do before my interview?
- Prepare for the subject-specific elements of your interview – please refer to the interview information webpage for your subject for further details
- Familiarise yourself with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. The full guidance is available in an alternative format.
- Read through the Institute of Education's interview top tips guide.
Do I need to provide any documents at my interview?
Yes - please check the full list of documents you will need to bring to the interview.
What will happen on the day of my interview?
The format of the interview session will be:
- 09:00: Arrival and document check
- 09:30: Welcome talk
- 10:00: Subject-specific elements of your interview, individual interview, and written task.
The interview session will start at 09:00 and is expected to finish by 14:00 at the latest. The interview session may finish before 14:00 but this will depend on how many candidates are being interviewed on the day.
Arrival
The interview session will take place on the London Road campus at the University of Reading. A member of staff from the Institute of Education will contact you via email, closer to the date of your interview, with further details on the location of the interview.
Welcome talk
The welcome talk will be delivered by the programme director and/or the subject leaders.
Subject-specific elements of your interview
Please be prepared for the subject-specific elements of your interview – refer to the interview information webpage for your subject for further details.
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
Individual interview
During your individual interview, you will be asked questions relating to the following topics:
- Your motivations for becoming a teacher
- Your passion for teaching your subject
- Your subject knowledge and specialisms
- Safeguarding and child protection – we recommend that you read the summary of Keeping Children Safe in Education to prepare for this. The guidance is also available in an alternative format.
There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions during your individual interview.
Written task
The title for the written task will be given to you on the day of your interview. Please let us know if any adjustments are needed for you to access this task. You will be given time to plan, and the following will be reviewed:
- Legibility of your handwriting
- Spelling, punctuation, and grammar
- Your ability to plan and compose ideas in a written format.
Who will interview me?
Your individual interview will be conducted by one of the programme tutors from the Institute of Education who will be present in person. There will also be a second interviewer present, either in person or online, during your interview. The second interviewer may be a colleague from one of our partner schools.
Please note that we will share relevant background information from your application form with our partner school colleague, but this will not include any sensitive data that you provided as part of your application. If you have any queries or concerns in relation to this, please email the Admissions Support team.
Questions?
We are looking forward to meeting you at your interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email the Admissions Support team.
We are fully committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our admissions and interview processes. If you would like to request any specific requirements or adjustments around accessibility for your interview, please email the Admissions Support team. Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having specific requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course.