How to prepare for a private school interview

A school interview is an opportunity for the admissions team to get to know your child beyond their application, school reports and entrance assessments. Interviewers are usually interested in how pupils think, communicate and engage with new ideas, as well as their interests, character and enthusiasm for school life.

The aim of interview preparation should therefore be to help your child feel confident having a conversation – not to teach them rehearsed answers.

Practise with a mock interview

One of the most useful ways to prepare is to have a few informal practice interviews at home or with a teacher.

Afterwards, make a note of any questions your child found difficult. Rather than writing a perfect answer for them, encourage them to think about what else they might have said or which examples could have made their answer more interesting and detailed.

Short, regular periods of practice are usually more helpful than intensive preparation immediately before the interview.

What questions might be asked in a private school interview?

Every school conducts interviews differently, but pupils may be asked questions that encourage them to talk about themselves, their interests and how they think.

Useful questions to practise include:

• How would you describe yourself in three words?
• How would your teacher or a friend describe you?
• What do you enjoy doing outside school?
• What are your favourite subjects and why?
• Tell me about a book you currently reading?
• Tell me about something interesting you have learnt recently.
• Tell me about a piece of work or achievement you are particularly proud of.
• What do you find difficult at school?
• What makes a good friend?
• Why would you like to come to this school?
• Which activities or opportunities would you like to try?
• If you could invent something, what would it be?
• Should homework exist?
• What would you change about schools?
• If you could run any company, which would you choose and why?

An interview may also include something your child cannot prepare for in advance. They could be given a problem to work through on paper or aloud, or be asked to discuss an unfamiliar text, image, graph or article.

In these situations, the interviewer may be more interested in how your child thinks than whether they immediately reach the correct answer. Encourage them to explain their reasoning, ask questions if something is unclear and be willing to explore an idea aloud.

There is rarely one perfect answer to an interview question. The aim is to show curiosity, communicate ideas clearly and engage naturally in conversation.

Avoid over-rehearsing answers

The strongest interviews often come from pupils who feel relaxed enough to be themselves.

Interviewers are not looking for memorised speeches. In fact, heavily rehearsed answers can sound unnatural and may make it harder for a child to respond when the conversation moves in an unexpected direction.

Instead, encourage your child to practise explaining their ideas, giving examples and expanding on short answers. For example:

Instead of:
“I like science.” 

Try:
“I particularly enjoy biology because I like understanding how different systems work, especially the human body. Recently, we did a practical in biology where…”

Or

Instead of:
“I like debating.” 

Try:
“I became interested in the debating society because I’ve started to really enjoy public speaking. Last year, for example, I…”

The aim is not to learn these answers. It is to practise the habit of explaining why, adding an example and giving the interviewer something they can ask about next.

Help your child practise having a conversation

A successful school interview should feel like a conversation rather than a test.

Encourage your child to listen carefully to the question, take a moment to think and give an answer that develops beyond a single sentence. They should also feel comfortable saying that they are unsure about something and thinking aloud where appropriate.

Being curious, engaged and willing to discuss ideas is often more important than producing an immediate polished response.

Questions to ask at the end of a school interview

Most private schools will give candidates an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. It is worth thinking of one or two in advance.

Good questions might include:

•  What do pupils enjoy most about the school?
• What is your favourite thing about the school?
• If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be?
• How does the school support new pupils when they join?
• What opportunities are there to try new activities?

Preparing on the day of the interview

As with any assessment, knowing what to expect can help reduce unnecessary nerves.

Before the interview:

• Check the time, location and format
• Arrive with plenty of time to spare
• Make sure your child has slept and eaten well
• Encourage them to listen carefully and speak clearly
• Remind them that it is fine to pause and think before answering
• Encourage them to be positive, interested and themselves.

Ultimately, the purpose of a school interview is not to catch a child out. It is an opportunity for the school and the pupil to get to know one another. Good preparation should help your child enter the interview feeling comfortable and ready to talk – while still allowing their personality, interests and individual way of thinking to come through.

Top tips for a school interview

Do

• Smile and make natural eye contact.
• Listen carefully to each question.
• Take a moment to think before answering if you need to.
• Speak clearly and calmly.
• Be yourself and answer honestly.
• Give examples to help develop your answers.
• Ask thoughtful questions at the end of the interview. 

Don’t

• Memorise or recite scripted answers.
• Interrupt the interviewer.
• Pretend to know something you do not.
• Give one-word answers where you could explain more.
• Worry if you need a moment to think – a considered answer is often better than a rushed one.