In this article
Motivation and standards
Why do you want to teach English?
Give a reason about the subject and the pupils, then a specific example. Say what language and literature let young people do, such as argue a case, understand other lives or write with confidence, and describe one lesson or tutoring moment where you saw it happen. Avoid "I love books" alone, because panels hear it constantly.
Why it is asked: it tests commitment and whether your reason survives hard days. Read more: the education interviews guide and how interview loops are structured.
What do the Teachers' Standards expect of you?
The Teachers' Standards are the statutory baseline for teaching in England. The Department for Education page says the standards themselves, in two parts, have statutory force, and it was first published on 1 July 2011 and last updated on 13 December 2021 (Department for Education, Teachers' Standards page). In an answer, connect them to practice: high expectations, good subject knowledge, planning, assessment and professional conduct.
Why it is asked: schools use the standards to judge readiness. Read more: how to answer interview questions.
What does the English curriculum ask pupils to do at Key Stage 3?
Key Stage 3 (KS3) covers the first three years of secondary school in England, roughly ages 11 to 14. The KS3 programme of study is organised under four headings: reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary, and spoken English. Pupils read a broad range of fiction, non-fiction and drama, including two Shakespeare plays, study at least two authors in depth each year, write for varied audiences and speak confidently, including in formal debate (Department for Education, updated July 2014).
Why it is asked: it checks that you know what you are required to teach.
Reading, writing and speaking
How do you teach a poem to a class that says poetry is boring?
Start with the sound, not the meaning: read it aloud, ask what they notice, and let them argue about what it is doing before you name any technique. Then close-read two or three lines, link choices of word to effect, and end with a short piece of writing. Reluctance often comes from being told the "right" reading first.
Why it is asked: it reveals your classroom method more than any theory. Read more: telling your story in an interview.
Text description of the diagram
- Start with the sound by reading the poem aloud.
- End with a short piece of writing.
How do you teach Shakespeare to pupils who find the language hard?
Begin with the story and performance, then return to the language. Pupils act out a scene, summarise it in plain speech, and only then look at why Shakespeare's words differ. The curriculum expects pupils to study Shakespeare at Key Stage 3, so access matters (Department for Education, updated July 2014). Short extracts, glossed vocabulary and repeated exposure help.
Why it is asked: it tests access, not just enthusiasm.
How do you develop pupils' writing?
Teach writing as a process: plan, draft, edit and proofread, as the national curriculum puts it. Model a piece of writing aloud, show a strong and a weaker sample, let pupils write short pieces often, and give feedback on one or two priorities at a time. Vary the purpose and audience: a letter, a speech, a story, an argument.
Why it is asked: writing progress is a core measure of an English department.
How do you teach grammar without making it dull?
Teach grammar in the context of real writing: show a sentence, change one choice, and ask what changes. Link each point, such as sentence variety or punctuation, to an effect a pupil wants to create. Short, frequent practice beats a single long worksheet, and pupils should see the rule in a text they care about.
Why it is asked: grammar teaching divides opinion, and panels want a principled answer.
How do you encourage reluctant readers?
Find out what they would read, then widen it. Offer choice, short and high-interest texts, read aloud to the class regularly, and protect time for independent reading. Talk about books as a reader, not as an inspector. Track progress privately so struggling readers are not embarrassed, and involve the school library.
Why it is asked: reading for pleasure underpins the whole subject.
How do you give spoken English a place in your lessons?
Plan talk as a learning activity, not an add-on: paired discussion, structured debate, short presentations and reading poems aloud. The national curriculum asks pupils to speak confidently, use Standard English in different settings and take part in formal debate (Department for Education, updated July 2014). Teach the rules of discussion first so quieter pupils can take part.
Why it is asked: spoken English is easy to neglect.
How do you support pupils who find reading difficult?
Find out where the difficulty lies before choosing a strategy: decoding words, fluency, or understanding. Then use targeted, short, regular practice such as pre-teaching vocabulary, reading aloud with support, and chunking a text into manageable parts, and work with the special educational needs coordinator where you suspect a specific need. Keep texts rich so struggling readers still meet ambitious ideas.
Why it is asked: English classes contain the full range of reading ability.
How do you teach pupils to write for different audiences?
Show the same content written two ways, such as a formal letter and a message to a friend, and ask pupils to name what changed: vocabulary, sentence length, tone and structure. Then give a real or realistic reader and purpose for each task, model the form, and let pupils redraft after feedback. Purpose and audience make the conventions meaningful instead of a checklist.
Why it is asked: it tests whether you teach writing as communication, not only technique.
Knowing it is half the job. Saying it is the other half.
Interview Clozo is an AI interview copilot for real interview rounds: it hears the question and puts a strong answer on your screen, and you say it in your own words. See the features or how it works.
Start Free Trial →Planning and assessment
How do you plan a unit on a novel?
Start from the destination: what pupils should be able to write or say at the end. Then choose the key chapters, the ideas and the vocabulary to teach, plan a mix of reading, discussion and writing, and put a short check for understanding at the end of each week. Leave room to reteach what pupils did not grasp.
Why it is asked: it shows whether you can plan beyond a single lesson.
How do you differentiate in an English lesson?
Differentiation is adjusting teaching so every pupil can access and be stretched by the same learning goal. Keep the goal the same, vary the support: sentence starters, scaffolded notes, pre-taught vocabulary, a choice of texts, and extension questions. Do not create three separate lessons; plan one lesson with built-in support and challenge. For pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND) or English as an additional language (EAL), work with the specialist staff.
Why it is asked: classes are mixed, and panels listen for realistic methods.
How do you assess and give feedback without drowning in marking?
Assess against clear criteria, and mark for learning, not for volume. Give detailed feedback on a few pieces, use live feedback in lessons, and use whole-class feedback to address common errors instead of writing the same comment thirty times. Make pupils act on feedback in the next piece of work so it changes something.
Why it is asked: workload and impact are both live concerns for schools.
How do you teach literacy across the school?
Treat literacy as shared work: agree a few common routines, such as how to annotate a text, define a key term or structure a paragraph, and share them with other departments. English teachers can lead short training and model vocabulary teaching. Check that routines are used the same way in each subject.
Why it is asked: many posts carry whole-school literacy responsibility.
Behaviour and safeguarding
How do you manage behaviour in your classroom?
Set clear routines and expectations, teach them explicitly, and apply the school's behaviour policy calmly and consistently. Use positive reinforcement, address low-level issues early and privately, and repair relationships after sanctions. Describe a specific situation in which you de-escalated a problem and what you learned.
Why it is asked: classroom control is the first thing schools worry about. Read more: behavioural interview preparation.
What is safeguarding, and what would you do if a pupil told you something worrying?
Safeguarding is protecting children from harm and promoting their welfare. In England, Keeping children safe in education is statutory guidance setting out legal duties that schools and colleges must follow for under-18s; the 2026 edition came into force on 1 September 2026 (Department for Education, Keeping children safe in education 2026). If a pupil discloses a concern, listen, do not promise secrecy, write down what was said, and report it straight away following the school's procedure.
Why it is asked: no school will appoint someone unclear on this. Read more: the situation, task, action, result (STAR) method.
How do you work with parents and carers?
Be proactive, positive and specific. Contact home about good news as well as concerns, explain what pupils are learning and how families can help, and respond to worries promptly and respectfully. When a conversation is difficult, listen first, summarise what you heard, agree one next step and record it.
Why it is asked: relationships with families affect pupils' success.
Follow-up questions
What questions should I ask at the end of a teacher interview?
Ask two or three that show you are thinking about the pupils and the department: how the English team plans and shares resources, what support new teachers get in the first year, and how the school handles reading and literacy. Avoid asking about pay or holidays first. See questions to ask the interviewer.
How do I answer "tell me about yourself" in a teacher interview?
Keep it to about a minute: why you teach English, one classroom or tutoring moment that shows how you work, and why this school. Lead with the pupils, not your curriculum vitae (CV). See how to answer tell me about yourself.
What should I do in an interview lesson?
Plan one clear learning goal, a quick starter, one main activity and a short check for understanding. Learn pupils' names, ask questions of the whole class and be ready to adapt. Panels watch how pupils respond to you more than how polished the slides are; see also music teacher interview questions for another teaching-role example.
- Answer with a specific classroom example, not a general belief.
- Know the KS3 programme's four headings (reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary, and spoken English), including two Shakespeare plays.
- Teach poetry through sound first, and grammar through real writing.
- Differentiate by changing the support, not the learning goal.
- Safeguarding answers must be exact: listen, do not promise secrecy, record, and report at once.
Sources
- English programmes of study: key stages 3 and 4 (National curriculum in England) — Department for Education (GOV.UK), 16 Jul 2014
- Teachers' Standards — Department for Education (GOV.UK), 13 Dec 2021
- Keeping children safe in education 2026 — Department for Education (GOV.UK), 1 Sep 2026
