Recruitment and induction
Contents
3 articles
Advertising and applications
- Job adverts: requirements and guidance (academies) Learn how you can advertise your vacancies and get up to speed on the expectations in Keeping Children Safe in Education for what to include in your job advert.
- Job adverts: requirements and guidance (maintained) Find out which roles you're required to advertise for under staffing regulations for maintained schools. Get up to speed on the expectations in Keeping Children Safe in Education for what to include in your job advert.
- Recruiting school staff: template application form Adapt our template job application form for all your teaching and support staff roles. Find out when you can ask about criminal records and be clear on your requirements when recruiting staff who are from, or have lived or worked, outside the UK.
5 articles
Early career teacher (ECT) induction
- Early career teacher (ECT) induction: checklist Download our checklist to make sure you're following statutory requirements before and during early career teacher (ECT) inductions.
- Early career teacher (ECT) induction: deciding your approach There are 3 approaches to choose from to deliver early career teacher (ECT) induction. Read this advice to help you pick the best option for your school, including important factors to consider.
- Early career teacher (ECT) induction: performance management and pay Understand the types of formal and informal assessment you need to carry out during an ECT's induction, and actions to take if they're not progressing. Plus, find out about pay rises and appraisals after the induction periods ends.
- Early career teacher (ECT) induction: summary Read about your requirements and responsibilities for the statutory 2-year induction period for early career teachers (ECT)s.
- ECT induction mentors: who to choose and how to support them Induction mentors play an important role in early career teacher (ECT) induction. Read up on the best candidates and ways you can support them in their role.
4 articles
Induction and probation
- A guide to subject leader handbooks Find out what should be included in a subject leader handbook, how it differs from a subject leader file, and how it can help you prepare for Ofsted inspections.
- Probationary periods for teachers Find out when you should seek legal advice about introducing probationary periods, and see an example of a school's probation policy.
- Staff handbook: guidance and examples Save yourself time by reading what to include in your staff handbook, and using our examples from schools for inspiration.
- Staff induction: your step-by-step guide Use our tips and checklist to plan effective staff induction so that new employees buy into your school's culture and settle into their role well.
6 articles
Interviewing and selection
- Holding an interview: template record sheet Use our downloadable interview record sheet to set out your questions and score candidates' responses when you're interviewing for school staff.
- Holding an interview: your step-by-step guide Know the rules and best practice for organising and running interviews for any role. Learn about who should sit on the panel, how to prepare your questions and how to stay compliant with discrimination law.
- Reference request for volunteers: guidance and templates You should seek references for volunteers to help check their suitability to volunteer in your school. Download our template reference request forms and get advice on what to do if it's difficult to get references.
- Reference requests for staff: guidance and template Check your procedures for getting reliable references meet the expectations set out in the statutory safeguarding guidance, KCSIE. Download our template reference request form and get advice on how long to keep copies of references for.
- Shortlisting candidates: guidance and template Download our template shortlisting grid to help you identify which candidates to invite for interview. Find out how to make sure your process is fair and that you shortlist the right people.
- Unsuccessful job applicants: template letters Download and adapt our template letters to inform candidates of an unsuccessful outcome during recruitment for a role at the shortlisting or interview stages.
24 articles
Interview questions and tasks
Show all articles
10 articles
Job offers and pre-employment checks
- Checks for agency staff Understand which checks you must carry out on agency staff such as supply teachers. Find out whether you need to get DBS certificates and what to record on the SCR, and download a template form to record written confirmation of checks.
- Checks for new school staff, governors and trustees Use our checklist to stay compliant with all the pre-employment checks you need to carry out and record for new staff, volunteers, governors and trustees.
- Checks for staff who have lived or worked overseas You must make 'appropriate' further checks on staff who have lived or worked outside the UK. Find out how to mitigate risk early on in the process, assess risks with your candidates and what 'appropriate' further checks you can carry out.
- Checks on teachers' qualifications You must check qualifications for new teachers. Find out how to carry out these checks.
- How to carry out an online search of shortlisted candidates Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) recommends you consider doing an online search on shortlisted candidates to explore at interview. Find out how to search fairly and effectively, and download our form to record your online searches during recruitment.
- Job offer letter: template Download our template job offer letter to save yourself some time and make sure you're including the right information. You'll also find more information on written statements of terms and conditions of employment.
- Medical checks for new school staff You need to verify an applicant's mental and physical fitness for the role before appointing them. Read the rules around how to do this and avoid leaving yourself open to discrimination claims.
- Missing references for existing staff: template risk assessment Download our template risk assessment and use it to determine whether you need to seek references where they're missing from your records.
- Prohibition from teaching checks You must carry out a prohibition check on all teachers and support staff who will do 'teaching work'. Understand what counts as 'teaching work' and how to do the check.
- Right to work checks Get to grips with how to carry out these required pre-employment checks to verify a person's right to work in the UK.
7 articles
Recruitment processes and requirements
- Employing teachers from overseas: what you need to know UpdatedFind out how Brexit has changed your requirements when hiring teachers from overseas. See how these teachers can get qualified teacher status (QTS), and understand how to recruit them – by becoming a visa sponsor or by other routes.
- How to manage a criminal records disclosure Learn how to handle disclosures of criminal records information on a self-disclosure form or DBS check. Use our templates to help you discuss the issue with the candidate and assess their suitability for the role.
- How to recruit internally Learn how to recruit existing staff into a new role at your school fairly, and download our handy checklist to make the process easier.
- How to reduce unconscious bias in your recruitment process Learn how to minimise the influence of unconscious bias when you're making hiring choices at the advertising, CV shortlisting and interview stages of your recruitment process.
- Recruitment checks: cheat sheet Do you know your DBS check from your section 128? Barred list check from prohibition from teaching? Learn the difference between the key recruitment checks, why they're important and how to do them. Download our cheat sheet for a handy reference.
- Recruitment: your step-by-step guide Keep on top of every stage in the recruitment process with links to our guidance and resources all in one place. Get to grips with everything from finding applicants and shortlisting candidates, to pre-employment checks and staff induction.
- Writing references: guidance Find out what’s expected of you if you receive a request for a reference. Understand whether you need to provide references when asked, what to include, and whether an individual can see copies of any references you provide about them.
