Deputy Headteacher (DOS) interview questions and answers

"How would you support a teacher whose learners are performing poorly?"

Start with evidence rather than blame. Look at the results, observe lessons, examine learner exercise books and talk to the teacher about what they find difficult. The cause might be subject knowledge, classroom management, planning, attendance or something outside the classroom entirely.

Then describe support: agreeing a plan with the teacher, pairing them with a strong colleague, arranging professional development, modelling a lesson, and observing again after a set period. Say that you would record the plan and follow it up, and involve the headteacher if there is no improvement.

"The school's examination results have fallen. What do you do?"

Analyse before acting. Break the results down by subject, class and teacher, and compare them with previous years and with learners' earlier performance. Identify whether the problem is broad or concentrated in particular subjects or groups.

Then act on what the data shows: syllabus coverage, quality of assessment, teacher support, learner attendance, remedial classes for those behind, and closer monitoring through the term rather than at the end of it. Set measurable targets with heads of department and review them regularly.

"How would you build the school timetable?"

Show that you understand the constraints: subject periods required, teacher availability and workload, room and laboratory capacity, practical subjects needing longer blocks, and a spread that avoids putting demanding subjects in the worst periods of the day. Explain that you would consult heads of department, publish a draft for checking, and keep a process for handling clashes when they appear.

"A parent complains that their child's work is not marked regularly. How do you respond?"

Listen and take the complaint seriously without judging the teacher before you know the facts. Check the learner's books and the teacher's marking records. If the complaint is justified, address it with the teacher constructively and confirm the improvement. Return to the parent with what you found and what will change, within the time you promised.

Panels want to hear fairness to both the parent and the teacher, and a system that prevents the problem recurring.

"How do you work with the headteacher and other deputies?"

Describe clear roles and regular communication: agreeing who handles what, meeting regularly, keeping the headteacher informed of academic matters, and supporting decisions once they are made. Mention that disagreements are raised privately and professionally rather than in front of staff or learners.

"How would you lead colleagues who were your peers last term?"

Acknowledge the difficulty honestly. Describe earning authority through fairness, consistency and usefulness: being prepared, following through on commitments, supporting rather than policing, and applying the same standards to yourself. Say that you would be clear about the role's responsibilities while keeping good relationships.

"How do you keep the curriculum on track through the term?"

Explain monitoring: collecting schemes of work at the start, checking lesson plans and coverage regularly against the syllabus, reviewing learner exercise books, and holding short review meetings with heads of department. Where a class falls behind, plan catch-up rather than allowing the gap to grow.

"A head of department disagrees with your decision in front of other staff. What do you do?"

Deal with the moment calmly and the substance privately. Say that you would not argue in front of colleagues, that you would hear them properly afterwards, and that you would change your decision if their reasoning is better. Add that a pattern of public disagreement is itself something to raise with the headteacher, because it affects how the whole staff works.

"How do you decide which lessons to observe first?"

Point to evidence: results that dropped, a class that complains, a teacher new to the school or to a subject, and the departments that have gone longest without a visit. Say that you would also observe strong teachers, both to learn from them and so that being observed is not read as a sign of trouble.