CRITIRIA FOR SHORTLISTING AND INTERVIEWING

OF APPLICANTS FOR SCHOOL BASED POST

POSSIBLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS MADE EASY

1. LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE.

i. Briefly refer to some of the leadership position you have held and how they have equipped
you for the post you have applied for.
 Having been SDT chairperson, I have with the other members developed colleagues QMS.
This position in this post will enable me to the effectiveness of QMS from advocacy to SIP.
 As DH, I controlled and manage the department utilising the circular NO.41 of 2012. This
position equipped me with skills of curriculum implementation to promote QLTC.
 As a successful teacher librarian, formed library committee and library policy.
 As a staff secretary,……..
 As an educator representative, in the SGB in which I gain how to kick start the budget. This
has a bearing in this post in sense that I‘ll support to school committees and SGB.
 As fully participated on SMT activities, I have learnt how to formulate and communicate with
school vision and mission statement, provide pastoral care, involve my colleagues in taking
informed decisions, enhanced sound humanity through staff birthdays,……….
 With computer literacy, I’ve always developed my colleagues and managing SASAMS
effectively.

NB TO BE MORE RELAVANT, USE YOUR CV TO REMIND YOURSELF ON EXACT POSITION OF

LEADERSHIP YOU HAVE HELD.

i. A DH/ DEPUTY principal/ principal must have most leadership skills to lead the staff by
examples on administration, management and governance duties. Enumerate such
leadership skills and suggest how they equipped you for this post.
 Communication skills help me to interpret well education policies, hold staff/ phase
meetings effectively, write legible and understandable circulars/ donation latters, write
official correspondence to various structures.
 Counselling skills assist in providing professional advice to my colleagues regarding their
personal problem.
 Networking skills help me liaise with people with necessary expertise.
 Induction and monitoring skills were effectively used to orientate and guide throughout
newly appointed staff.
 Motivating skills boosted staff morale and self-confidence.
 Problem-solving skills increase my knowledge of providing solution to learners, staff,
parents’ problems. After the process, they always see things with new eyes.
 Intra and interpersonal skills which I always use to do self-assessment/ introspection and
assist my colleagues to communicate with themselves.
 Planning skills that have equipped me to be pro-active and prevent problems before they
occur.
 Need assessment skills that assist me to identify, procure and provide relevant resources.
 Computer skills that make me march with the technology dynamic era and teach learners to
use technological teaching resources. Also submit to the department computerise
documents and download appropriate resources.
 Proof reading skills always help me edit my work before I submit.
 Administrative skills that have help me to admit learners using SASAMS admission system.
Administer stock using stock book, implement retrieval policy effectively, effect well policy
on learner and educators attendance.
  Skills of meeting deadlines. In this regard, I jot the important dates for pending submission
and start preparation 4 days ahead. I utilise a delegation skills also where I coach a person
with sense urgency and monitor progress during the process.

NB TO BE MORE RELAVANT USE YOUR CV TO REMIND YOURSELF ON EXACT LEADERSHIP SKILLS

PORTYED THEREIN.

ii. What goals you set for this school and how you go about to achieving them?
 Vision and mission are major goals that I would set together with the relevant stakeholders.
They determine the future of the school & suggest what in each day need to be done to
reach the endpoint.
 Subject target: set what % each subject has to achieved in every term. Monitor daily the
possibilities. Promote subject committee meetings.
 High performing learners: ensure learner punctuality to school and from break. Use period
absenteeism. Control educator absenteeism and late coming by using time books. Have
homework policy in place. Hold monthly parent meetings. Assess the amount of writing
work weekly. Determine & provide adequate teaching & learning in time. Work beyond the
call of duty. Design subject improvement plan after task analysis.
 Motivated educators, learners and parents. Show direction, hold meetings, get
motivational speakers, be the first to honour teaching time, recognise and award their
performance, expose learners to career activities.
 Sufficient teaching and learning resources: provide if there are cutbacks in education,
fundraise seek donation/ use available local resources.
 Reading notion: set library tone.

ii. Given cutbacks in education, what ideas/plans do you have to keep this poorly resourced
school operational?
 Engage in fundraising to supplement little school basic allocation.
 Determine unavailable resources, determine which school have them & twin with them.
(networking)
 Design collaboratively and review School Development Plan in order to prioritise needed
resources in the action plan.
 work closely with finance committee to revisit school budget & make it context-based.
 Outsource donation from potential donors.
 Create opportunity for alumni meetings so that ex-learners can meet the school needs
somehow.
 Liaise with the local stakeholders/local municipality.
 Recycle old book in exchange for photocopying papers/money or engage into collect a-can
campaign.
 Improve using local available resources.

2. ORGANASATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT.

iii. Currently SMTs are facing numerous challenges. Outline briefly how you are going to cope in
this post you applied.
 Experience of working with SMT on policy implementation.
 With capacity to plan ahead, I have planned successfully the ff. activities as they appear in
the year planner: …………………………………………………..etc.
  I’ve read intensively latest education policies such as CAPS, JIKIMFUNDO, CPTD, LABOUR
LAWS ……………. Etc.
 I am a creative leader who has initiated school choir, soccer team, ………. Etc.
 I’ve accepted delegated tasks and completed them accordingly. The principal acknowledge
my efforts in these ways ……………………………………

iv. Giver the past two years and beyond you might have planned and organised some
educational activities/event. Outline the role you played and the steps you took in in
ensuring its success?
 Name the educational activity. I took the leading role to the following, the following steps:
a. Inserted it in the year planner.
b. Discuss with my phase colleagues.
c. Found out details of the place of visit.
d. Negotiated with the principal.
e. Parent were informed about the event and date in their 1st term meeting.
f. When it was about to take place, they were made to sign consent forms, g sought
transport credentials and sought permission a month before from provincial department
of education.

v. Tabulate important factors in determining the educator establishment and how would you
identify a surplus educator with the?
 First discuss the circular SMT.
 Go to the staff with common understanding of the circular.
 Expose the circular and list educator according to the phase/subjects/grades and display the
date for appointment for each educator.
 Identify which phase has a surplus educator.
 If two educator compete apply the principle of LIFO.
 Fill in necessary form indicating the subjects, the phase and grades taught. Submit to the
circuit manager as per management plan.
 Level one educator are done alone and the school the school management at their level.

vi. A dedicated staff is a must-be for quality teaching and learning. In this regard, suggest the
ways you would take to improve the level of commitment and dedication of educators.
Identify the area where the staff lack self-confidence and workshop them through staff
development programmes.
 Ensure that QMS demands are followed according to performance standards.
 Since CPTD is about sharing educator’s knowledge of teaching, I’ll ensure that each educator
engages well with 3 types of activities (self-initiated, school initiated and external initiated
activities).
 Have a staff fun days, create topics for motivation, award excellence performance, make
know to all others, expose & celebrate academic achievement, arrange staff tours.
 Model the excellence (do demonstration activities). Be role model.
 Recognise their personal needs, attend to them & treat staff persona affairs with
confidentiality.
 vii. What part does the principal play in promoting and developing good school governance?
 Develops SGBs after being elected.
 Make sure each SGB member understand his or her role e.g. the secretary his/her
responsibilities.
 Develop them on the line between management & governance.
 SGBs must understand that their major role is to develop school policies and school
management has to implement them.
 They must be developed that they can survive with establishment of sub-committees.
 Assist the principal on professional matters.
 They must understand that they operate within the parameters of SASA, Act No 84 of 1996
as amended.

[Link] wold you plan and develop the school budget?


Advise the treasurer to distribute budget preparation forms to various committees.

If received back, the finance committee analyses budget preparation forms.

Once drafted, the treasurer present it to the SGB.

Advise the treasure to distribute budget presentation form to various committees.

Of received back, the financial committees analyse the preparation forms.

Once drafted, the treasure present it to the SGB.

SGB member make their input and adopt it.

Thereafter, they resolve that are presents are inform of the budget preparation forms.

Parents’ budget meeting notice is 30 days.

Invitation must have the agenda of the meeting.

After resolution explanation and parents engagement, the majority of parents approve the
budget.
 The chairperson, the treasure and the principal sign the approval budget.
 It is implemented and monitored on the ensuing year.

3 Professional Development, Education Experiences & Insight).

i. What would you employ at this school to improve QLTC should you be appointed to this
post?
 Have a vibrant QLTC structure in place and play a major role in it.
 Have all system in place (working and winning plans).
 Involve all stakeholders on regular basis.
 Demonstrate that it is possible for teachers to be in school on time, in class on time,
teaching in the safe environment at least seven hours day.
 Implement circular number 41 of 2012 by virtue of it being the curriculum practice.
 Persuade educators to adopt the culture of weekend/ winter/ holidays/ morning and after
hours classes.
 Encourage adherence to the class time tables.
 Implement homework policy.
 Monitor implementation of lesson preparations, ATPs assessment plans, feedback, remedial
work and goal strategic plans.
 Enforce positive discipline utilising code of conduct for learners and teach them like never
before.
 Invite subject experts/advisors.
  Apply all requirement of whole school evaluation.
 Provide sufficient teaching & learning resources.
 Continuously celebrate good performance.
ii. Outline the challenges facing by the Departmental Heads, Deputy Principal/ Principals in
respect of encouraging an ethic of teaching and learning and how would you deal with them.
 SMT ARA FACING ILL-DISPLINE LEARNERS: work closely with their parents, encourage
teaching them as planned, call SAPS, Social Development, local councillor, local induna etc.
for awareness.
 DEMOTIVATED COLLEAGUES: develop self-confidence, provide incentive, invite motivational
speaker, etc.
 RUNNING UNER RESOURCED SCHOOL: Think about fundraising strategies, get sponsors.
 UNCO-OPERATING STAFF AND PARENTS: organise staff and parent day, staff must
understand educators disciplinary measures.
 OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS: build more classrooms.
 COMPUTER ILLITERATE STAFF: encourage staff development on computer practise.
 PPN RESULTING TO SHORTAGE Of EXPERTS: request retention of subject experts. Twin with
school that have subject experts.
 COLLEAGUEA IN LONG LEAVES: advise colleagues taking leaves to submit leave form in
advance and apply substitute asap.
 TOO MANY CURRICULUM CHANGE NOW & THEN: read and be ahead of changes, don’t miss
curriculum workshop/seminars/conferences, upgrade your teaching status.
 SOME COLLEAGUES STILL BELIEVES ON CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: provide awareness of
section 10 of SASA in staff meetings. Develop the staff on alternatives to corporal
punishment.
 UNDERPERFORMED LEARNERS: all of the above on 3. i.
 UNABLE TO BE SASAMS USE-FRIENDLY: be computer literate and attend SASAMS
workshops.
iii. Briefly outline important measures and strategies would you utilise to promote professional
development of your staff.
 Monitor the effectiveness of the SDT & DSGs and part and parcel of such structures.
 Hold staff internal workshops.
 Keep abreast on educational issues and Labour Relations Act matters.
 I am the 1st one to have informative CPTD file.

4. Leadership and Community Involvement.

a. How would you arriving at a decision on a thorny school issue.
 Identify the thorny issue.
 Identify the origin of the thorny issue/ investigate the root cause.
 Listen attentively.
 Seek advice when necessary/ Identify the relevant people who can offer solution if
necessary.
 Record down every details.
 Build trust if it a colleague’s personal matter.
 Ask the person if he can brainstorm the alternative solutions.
 Allow the moment of crying if needs be.
 Reach the consensus.
 Do not postpone handling the issue.
  Do no inform others if their entrance is locked.

b. ii. See 2. V. above.

iii. To what extent and how would you involve all role players in a decision-making in the
community?
 Understand that all people are equal. Avoid confidantes. (favourites)
 Put in one basket their views. Listen to them.
 Lead them with questions but bear in mind you may not be cleverer than them.
 Reach their level of understanding (disposition)
 Offer professional advice that is policy informed.

iv. How important is community involvement for a school Principal/ Deputy Principal/DH?

It is important:

 Because I am a community servant. I am nothing without it.

 The school admits learners from the community. To understand and solve their needs, I
must understand their backgrounds.
 Organise school function that require their attendance. When learners see their parent at
school they become disciplined & perform well.
 Have community visits more especially the poor of the poorest (Mandela 67 minutes day).
 Let community members have 1st priority to use their skills if there are school projects for
constructions.
 Invite them to train learners on different life skills that the school require but educators
cannot offer.

v. Why, in your own opinion, is parental involvement an important consideration in staff

selection and promotion?
 To recommend the educator of their own choice.
 The best candidate is to serve their interests.
 Once appointed, parents would easily access the services of the selected/ promoted
educator.
 The get the opportunity to understand the personality of the educator.
 They match the educator with their school.

vi. In term of SA Schools’ Act, how would you involve parents as stakeholders to play a more
meaningful role in the education of their children?
 Involve them as policy makers.
 Involve them when doing fundraising activities.
 Involve them on budget approval.
 Involve them when monitoring homework activities.
 Involve them when checking learner progress.
 Involve them when offering their expertise in sub-committees and directly to their children.
  Involve them when financing educational activities/ tours.
 Involve them when offering services to school like paintwork, vegetable garden cultivation.

vii. What are the most leadership skills a Principal/ Deputy Principal/ DH should have with
regard to interaction with the community?
 Communication skills to socialise and show them education direction.
 Networking skills to reach them in their sitting.
 Unconditional love to offer pastoral service.
 Disposition skills to come down to their level.
 Persuasion skills for absorbing them into new developments.
 Social skills for at war against social ills that manifest into their children’s education.
 Empathetic skills to come into their shoes.

viii. Reflect some of the important position of leadership you have held in the community and
explain how this experience would help you in this post?
 IEC presiding officer to help them to vote freely and fairly. This will help to deal with
different personalities.
 Treasurer in the church. This help me to couch treasurers is the various school structures.
 Secretary etc.

5. Personal and Human Relations

i. Describe your most single personal attribute and indicate how this attribute will help
you to function effectively in the post which you have applied.
 Working and extra mile: it help me meet deadlines, to get outstanding learner performance,
to excel on my work, to meet all my client as I wish, to know individual need and give
guidance where I can, to get more time to shoulder my responsibility outside tight
schedules.
 Sensor of humour: it help me to ease communication, to promote a sound relations among
colleagues, to allow even a shy colleague to contribute to decision-making with ease, to
increase the sense of belonging, to enhance the spirit of collegiality and congeniality.
 Approachability:
 Good listener:
 Problem-solver:
 Pastoral care:
 Professionalism:
 Open door policy etc.

ii. reflect on some of your experiences that have considerably to enhance your
professional integrity.
 Dealing with difficult learner, colleague/ parent: it taught me to be calm, resilient, it taught
me disposition, read about labour issues, to prepared for awkward situations, to network
with high authorities.
  Working under the under-resource condition: improvised, searched information, sought
help from veterans, twined for resources with other schools, fundraised, sought donations
etc.

iii. ?
 One of my responsibility to induct and mentor novice colleagues. Never lose sight to
veterans as well.
 Network with professional societies as well as professional bodies and encourage my
colleagues to do the same.
 Encourage my staff to listen, watch educational programmes and make same educational
cuttings from newspapers.

iv. How would you inducting new educators in your school?

 Introduce the new colleague to the staff.
 Tell a brief story about your personal attributes, leadership and management democratic
leadership styles.
 Unpack school vision, mission statement and values.
 Dwell on reviewed school policy.
 Discuss the culture and achievements.
 Marry her/him with the DH.
 DH introduce the educator to the phase policy and curriculum ethos.
 The new colleagues is given a phase mentor and working curriculum weapons.
 DH provide the colleague with three files e.g. Educator’s Teacher’s File, CPTD file and IQMS
file.

v. Comment on recent developments in education focusing particularly on those having

impact on your functions.
 Pam document: if advises me on my job descriptions and educational polies in general.
 CAPS documents: they provide me with a broader picture on each subject has to be
handled.
 CPTD file: it guides on professional development portfolio-planning, recording and reporting
my three year engagement cycle.
 Learner policy on attendance: it facilitates my understanding of my role and responsibilities
of each education stakeholders regarding the control of leaner late coming and
absenteeism.
 Religious policy: its tells me and my colleagues to treat learner with dignity and respect
regardless of their religious background. In doing so, we promote the spirit of encouraging
each other’s religious differences.
 SASA ACT 84 OF 1996 as amended: it assist to promote democratic school governance.
 Operational Sukuma sakhe: it encourage me to effectively deal with social ill that may
hamper individual learner progress.
 Whole School Evaluation: it assist me to assist holistically the availability of working and
winning school tools.
  KZN Circular No 41 0f 2012: if help me to understand the quality indicators of curriculum
implementation.

vi. Describe the level of competency for the post you have applied for and suggest the steps
you are taking to improve your competency
 This includes the ff. competencies, my educational qualifications, teaching experience,
curriculum delivered as well as leadership and management skills.
 To improve the above, I read intensively education issues, I attend workshops and do
feedback to my empower my colleagues, I continually upgrade my qualifications and
influence my colleagues to do so.