8 Interview Questions to Ask SEND Teachers and Support Staff
20 May, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- 8 interview questions to ask SEND teachers and support staff.
- The importance of asking the right questions.
- Discover more about our education recruitment services.
Hiring the right SEND Teachers and SEND Teaching Assistants is crucial to creating an inclusive learning environment that meets every pupil’s needs. When it comes to hiring a new member of staff and establishing how they will integrate into your school community, the job interview itself can establish whether a candidate shares the same goals and will thrive in your school environment.
According to StandOutCV, hiring managers interview an average of 6 candidates for every vacancy. Asking the right questions is key to understanding a SEND Teacher’s character, skills and cultural fit.
In this blog, we’re sharing 8 insightful interview questions designed to go beyond qualifications and explore a candidate’s approach, values, and adaptability. These interview questions will help you uncover how potential SEND Teachers and support staff think, respond to challenges, and align with your school’s ethos.
8 interview questions to ask SEND Teachers and support staff
8 interview questions to ask SEND Teachers and support staff:
- Tell us about yourself.
- What interests you about working with pupils with SEND?
- How have your experiences prepared you for this role?
- Which traits do you believe are key to working successfully in a SEND role?
- How do you support a positive and professional team culture within a school?
- What do you consider to be your main strengths and which areas would you like to develop further with support?
- Can you describe a time when you effectively managed a behavioural challenge in a SEND classroom?
- Can you describe a time you had a significant impact on a SEND pupil’s progress or wellbeing?
Tell us about yourself
‘Tell us about yourself’ is often the first question in an interview and a great way to break the ice and ease into the conversation. Most candidates will expect this question, so it’s important to give them the time and space to talk about themselves and their experience in SEND.
This question also helps determine the tone and direction of the interview. If the candidate leaves out key details about their background or experience, you can revisit those later or if something they mention stands out, such as a unique approach to working with SEND or a successful story where they made a meaningful difference, you can either ask them to elaborate or see if they expand on it as the interview progresses.
From a SEND professional's answer, you can get a sense of their personality and learn what value they could bring to your school.
What interests you about working with pupils with SEND?
Being a SEND Teacher or SEND Teaching Assistant is about more than just having the right skills, training and qualifications, it’s about having a passion for teaching. Good SEND Teachers and support staff need to be enthusiastic about education and providing inclusive support for children with SEND.
It’s essential that the candidate understands the demands of the role and the commitment to evolving and adapting teaching strategies to children and young people's needs. Asking this question can help you establish what drives the candidate and better understand their motivations.
Whether it's a positive attitude to learning, constantly adapting or finding it rewarding to support children with SEND, it’s important to understand what motivates or inspires the candidate. This can help you decide if they would be a good cultural fit and if they have the right attitude towards student growth, wellbeing and success.
How have your experiences prepared you for this role?
In a SEND Teacher interview or a SEND Teaching Assistant interview, it’s important to learn about the candidate's experience in managing student learning and working with pupils with SEND. Armed with this information, you can assess their suitability for a SEND Teacher or support staff role in your school.
By asking this question, you can learn about the interviewees' understanding of SEND provision which can help you predict how they will contribute to your school.
Which traits do you believe are key to working successfully in a SEND role?
This question is designed to encourage interviewees to think beyond generic traits and to articulate how their unique qualities align with the role. Whether you’re interviewing for a SEND Teacher or SEND Teaching Assistant position, it is essential that you provide the interviewee with the opportunity to define the ideal candidate and reflect on how they embody those characteristics.
You can expect the interviewee to highlight the key traits and skills they bring to the role, demonstrating why they’re the ideal SEND professional. If they fail to make that connection, it may be a missed opportunity to leave a strong impression.
Candidates should describe their personal qualities and align them directly to the role, for example, demonstrating how having empathy helps support vulnerable pupils with SEND or how being patient contributes to effective classroom management.
How do you support a positive and professional team culture within a school?
Culture and collaboration directly impacts student outcomes and employee wellbeing and if you’re wondering how the interviewee will integrate into your school, ask them how they contribute to a positive team environment.
SEND Teachers and support staff must collaborate and support each other on a daily basis and strive to encourage positive relationships with students. This question highlights the candidate's ability to foster a collaborative and supportive atmosphere and asks for examples from the interviewee to support their answer.
With this question you can determine how the interviewee will fit into your school culturally to ultimately help you make the right hiring decision. Hiring the wrong person can be costly and negatively impact employee wellbeing, welfare and retention making it essential to find someone who shares the same values as your school.
What do you consider to be your main strengths and which areas would you like to develop further with support?
Introspection and self awareness are valued traits for employers and this question allows candidates to demonstrate their ability to reflect on their experiences and personal growth.
Being aware of strengths and weaknesses is vital and demonstrates that the candidate is passionate about improving themselves and their work.
Should a candidate highlight an area in which they would like to develop, you are able to provide targeted support and plan effective training if you wish to hire that person.
By asking this question, you are demonstrating to the interviewee that you're passionate and proactive about employee growth, especially in an environment that requires Teachers to be up to date with important teaching practices. It also demonstrates a commitment to creating an effective professional development plan and upskilling Teachers to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
Can you describe a time when you effectively managed a behavioural challenge in a SEND classroom?
SEND Teachers and support staff are bound to encounter challenging situations or student conflict in the classroom. It’s imperative that SEND staff have conflict resolution skills and are professional in their approach to managing conflict.
Asking the interviewee for an example helps you evaluate candidates based on past behaviour and determine if their strategies align with your own.
In their answer, the interviewee should explain how they assessed the problem and the impact or outcome of their actions. This can be a strong indicator of future performance and allows you to consider how they would contribute to your school and support SEND students.
Can you describe a time you had a significant impact on a SEND pupil’s progress or wellbeing?
SEND Teachers and support staff are required to provide consistent, individualised support that addresses both educational and emotional needs. This enables pupils with SEND to access the curriculum, develop social skills and make meaningful progress in a supportive, inclusive environment.
Positive outcomes and success stories are great indicators of a candidate's suitability and the strong qualities they may bring to the role. Asking this question in an interview not only prompts a practical example but also reinforces the importance of student wellbeing and the commitment to providing every pupil with equal opportunities to learn.
If a SEND Teacher speaks about building routines to support emotional regulation or about the importance of tailored teaching strategies, you know they are committed to improving pupil progress and wellbeing.
Recruit SEND staff
As a specialist SEND recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their temporary, permanent and temp-perm staffing needs.
We currently work with hundreds of schools and have exclusive access to some of the best SEND Teachers and SEND Teaching Assistants in the North West.
If you’re struggling to fill a teaching vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher
Secondary schools - Liam Jones
SEND schools - Jamie Heath
SEND jobs
If you’re searching for your next SEND job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Meet Jamie Heath
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
