Teaching assistant interview questions

Nearly every teaching assistant interview includes a safeguarding question, at least one behaviour scenario, and questions about supporting a child who is struggling or has special educational needs. Many schools also watch you work with a child or small group for a short task. The panel is usually the headteacher or SENCO plus a class teacher, and they want calm, practical answers that show you know when to act yourself and when to pass something on.

Safeguarding questions

Every school interview in England has to explore suitability to work with children under Keeping Children Safe in Education, so expect one or more of these:

• “A child tells you something that makes you worried about them. What do you do?”
• “What would you do if you were concerned about the behaviour of a colleague?”
• “What does safeguarding mean to you?”

A good answer to the disclosure question runs in order. Stay calm and listen, do not promise to keep it secret, do not ask leading questions, write down exactly what the child said as soon as possible, and report it to the designated safeguarding lead the same day. Do not investigate yourself. A concern about a member of staff goes to the headteacher, or to the chair of governors if it is about the head.

Panels mark down any answer that involves keeping a secret, talking to the parent first, or waiting to see if it happens again.

Behaviour scenarios

Scenario questions test what you would do in the moment. Typical examples:

• “A child refuses to do the task and starts distracting others. What do you do?”
• “Two pupils start fighting in the playground while you are on duty.”
• “A child with an EHCP becomes very distressed in class.”

Good answers begin with the school’s behaviour policy (“I would follow the school’s behaviour policy, which usually means…”) and then describe low-key steps first: standing nearby, a quiet word, a choice, praise for the pupils who are on task. With a physical incident, safety comes first, then help from a teacher or senior member of staff, then recording. For a distressed child with an EHCP, mention following their plan or any known triggers and calming strategies, and involving the class teacher or SENCO.

Questions about learning and SEND

• “How would you support a child who is falling behind in reading?”
• “What experience do you have of working with children with SEND?”
• “How would you work with the class teacher?”

You do not need specialist training to answer well. Talk about breaking tasks into small steps, checking understanding, using visual aids, building confidence, and telling the teacher what the child could and could not do. If you have worked with a child with autism, ADHD or speech and language needs, say what you did and what helped. For SEN-specific roles, our guide to SEN teaching assistants covers what those schools expect.

The relationship with the teacher comes up often. Schools want to hear that the teacher plans and leads, you follow the plan and adapt it within limits, and you report what you noticed.

Questions about you

• “Why do you want to be a teaching assistant?”
• “Why this school?”
• “What would you bring to the role?”
• “How do you handle a stressful day?”

Give concrete reasons. Read the school website first and mention something specific, such as their approach to reading, their SEND provision or their values. A parent applying to their own children’s school can say so, but should talk about the job and the pupils as a whole. If you are coming in with no school experience, draw on childcare, volunteering, coaching or customer-facing work and say what transfers.

The practical task

Many schools ask TA candidates to read a book with a child, run a short phonics or maths activity with a small group, or help in a lesson. Staff watch how you speak to children, whether you encourage them to think for themselves, and how you handle a child who goes off task. Get down to their level, use their names, praise effort, and do not do the work for them.

After the interview

If you are offered the job, ask which grade or spine point the post is on and whether it is term-time only. TA pay in most schools follows the NJC pay spine, with term-time-only staff paid a percentage of the full-time salary spread over 12 months. Our guide to teaching assistant pay explains how to read the advert. Any offer will be conditional on references, an enhanced DBS check with the children’s barred list, right to work checks and a medical questionnaire.