Job interviews
Teaching Assistant Interview Questions and Tips
30 September 2026 5 min read
Practise these 6 questions with the AI panelSchools want teaching assistants who keep children safe, support learning without taking over, and work well with the class teacher. Safeguarding questions are almost guaranteed, and many schools add a short classroom task or a reading session with pupils.
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Answer one question out loud and get scored.
"Why do you want to be a teaching assistant at this school?"
Common questions
- 01Why do you want to be a teaching assistant at this school?
- 02What would you do if a child told you something worrying about home?
- 03How would you manage a pupil who is disrupting the class?
- 04How would you support a child with special educational needs (SEND)?
- 05Tell us about a time you worked closely with a colleague to reach a goal.
- 06How would you encourage a child who says they can't do the work?
The safeguarding answer
Listen calmly, don't promise to keep it secret, don't ask leading questions, write down exactly what was said, and report it the same day to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Mention the school's safeguarding policy and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
If there's a classroom task
Keep it simple and interactive, learn the children's names, praise effort, and check understanding with questions. The panel watches how you relate to pupils more than the activity itself.