The Caretakers' Forum

Hi guys family are moving to the country so I am looking at moving job's the commute will just be to much....got an interview for a school where they have mentioned on the day there will be be a task to complete a work scenario ? I am experienced in this role but any pointers, advice would be great especially if anyone has been to an interview and had something like this presented to them.

thanks.

If you are experiences in the role then I would act just as you if it happened for real in the workplace. Just be polite, helpful and if possible come up with a solution if it is not practical or feasible. Also the love of saving money may just come into play. Good luck in advance.

It could be anything really. hanging a picture, a cleaning task, paperwork task (writing a letter) to many scenario's to consider. but id say the best preperation would be to rememeber H&S precautions. For example, if its a cleaning task, rememeber your signage, PPE and go about the task as you would normally.

Maverick wrote: ↑16th Apr 2024 at 2:25pm If you are experiences in the role then I would act just as you if it happened for real in the workplace. Just be polite, helpful and if possible come up with a solution if it is not practical or feasible. Also the love of saving money may just come into play. Good luck in advance.

I think this is the right way to go..

Above all remember safeguarding and H&S when considering any tasks given to you.

My practical task was a walk around with the deputy around the site picking up on health and safety issues, then prioritising what I found.

This also formed part of my job list when I started

Good luck.

Taz wrote: ↑16th Apr 2024 at 3:12pm My practical task was a walk around with the deputy around the site picking up on health and safety issues, then prioritising what I found.

This also formed part of my job list when I started

Good luck.

Taz has just reminded me. Indeed I had a walkround with the Head and even though I had not done the role before I made a point of highlighting some trip hazards. And sure enough they went to the top of my to do list when I got the job.

I have an aversion to practical tasks.

A few year ago, i was interviewed for a primary CT role. The practical task was to put up a shelf.

Now, i can use a spirit level, whoever put the previous shelf could not, or did not. so the bay of shelves looked awful.

Also, as part of the interview process that school had a bay of shelves installed FOC!

I would ask if there was a written risk assessment before doing the task and if they answer no then say to avoid any implications on their insurance if anything were to happen I cannot perform this task until a written risk assessment has benn done.

The reason for this, if anything happens the school will be liable and they will get sued, if they don't want that to happen then they should be understanding of you mentioning the risk assessment and it shows them that you understand H&S.

Its going back more than a few years now, but on the walk around with the DH, I noticed some tables and chairs set up in a corridor that was clearly a fire exit route, indicated by the fire action signage. The corridor was quite narrow, and you had to go single file to pass them. I mentioned this to the DH who shrugged his shoulders saying its always set up like that.

My task on the interview was to shortlist some quotes for redecorating 4 classrooms, indicating reasons as to why I chose the winning quote. During the interview one of the governors asked me to spell the word naive and explain its meaning, they also gave me a set of figures I had to add up and call out the answer.

I was successful in my interview, a few weeks later when I started, I noticed the tables and chairs in that corridor were no longer there. Plus, the 4 classrooms to my knowledge were never decorated, I gradually inherited that task...
Good luck with your interview

The most common "Scenario based task" i have come across is being given a list of "Events/Incidents" that have happened that morning, you then have to prioritise the order in which they are carried out/actioned with an explanation as to why, examples of these being:

Main kitchen has no gas

Water leak in toilet

Rubbish/litter strewn across school site

Potential Asbestos disturbance

Member of Premises team being rude/obstinate



I have also had the "walk around site and list some improvements/repairs and any H&S issues that you may see"