Hi Rachel
We do our interviews in two ways.
For last minute or imminent enrolments we arrange with a Senior member of staff to interview as soon as practicable. If there is a group of students we would try and block a time for the member of staff to do a few in a row. We find it is best not to have too many on the same day as they can become a blur for the interviewer to remember each individual child and their attributes & conversation. Most of them we either schedule first thing – so from 7.30am to 8.30-9am or from around 2-5pm in the afternoon, so the staff can fit around their academic program.
The rest of our interviews we do on a rotating schedule each year at the time we are formally enrolling our entry years for future year groups.
So for instance Year 7 is always done at the beginning of when the students are in Year 5. Year 5 is done around 18 months in advance. Kindy to Year 3 are done 8-12months in advance and Year 10 are done 8 months in advance. These dates can be flexible based on circumstances at the time but in general it is a set pattern each year. For some year groups, such as Year 10, we also do interviews in multiple rooms on a Saturday and have a team of interviewers going at once.
We have a team of Senior Academic staff for each part of the school who conduct the interviews, with myself as Director of Enrolments & the Head of Boarding, School Counsellor and Learning Support brought in as appropriate. I will interview students as required for last minute, staff illness/meetings, Scholarships etc.
We find it best for the child & family to meet with those who will be involved in their day to day academic & pastoral care rather than just myself as I will not be part of their daily school life.
The interviews are done in blocks of 3-6 students with a member of the Senior Staff given a series of dates & times and they each do a group of potential students. So the Head of Junior/Middle/Senior School, their Deans and or/Deputies take the interviews. We send families a link to choose from a calendar a time that suits them and they self manage their booking – saves endless emails & phone calls, and then we give the agenda to the interviewer. This year we have been doing all our interviews via Microsoft Teams instead.
Does that help for a basic outline? Please let me know if you want to chat further.
regards
Sarah
