10/06/2026
Since the DfE updated its Reading Framework in 2023, the focus on phonics fidelity has sharpened, and primary schools are increasingly looking for teachers who can show real depth in this area rather than simply a passing screening-check score.
If you're going for primary roles, here's what tends to set candidates apart at interview.
Start with the specifics of what you've actually taught.
Schools want to know which systematic synthetic phonics programmes you've delivered and for how long, whether that's Read Write Inc, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, Sounds-Write, Floppy's Phonics, or another validated scheme.
Talking about phonics in general terms rarely lands; being able to explain a programme's progression sequence and how you've worked through it shows you know the job from the inside.
It also helps to talk concretely about the children who are behind age-related expectations, because this is where genuine understanding shows.
Be ready to explain how you've identified the specific phonemes a child is struggling with, what extra practice you put in place, and how you accelerated progress for pupils who arrived without secure phonological awareness.
Schools are far more interested in how you designed an intervention and what it achieved than in your theory of reading.
Recent professional development is worth raising too, since phonics pedagogy keeps moving and schools value teachers who keep pace with it.
If you've had training on the Reading Framework, worked with an English Hub, or completed recognised CPD since 2023, say so, because it signals that your practice is current rather than something you last thought about years ago.
Expect to be asked how you'd help a pupil who is stuck on a particular sound, and have a real answer ready.
This is where specific strategy matters more than philosophy, so think about your diagnostic approach, how intensive your intervention would be, and how you judge when a child is ready to move on.
Finally, don't undersell experience with Year 2 children resitting the screening check, which is a genuine specialism in its own right.
If you've supported second-language learners, children with speech and language needs, or pupils who need multi-sensory approaches, that's exactly the kind of insight schools are actively looking for.
Bamber Education places teachers across primary, secondary and independent settings in the Bristol area.
If you're preparing for interviews and want a hand, contact [email protected] or call 0117 422 0915.
