Questions to Ask at the End of an International School Interview
Thoughtful questions to ask when the panel asks if you have any questions for them, grouped by what you need to find out, plus what to avoid.
Almost every international school interview ends the same way: "Do you have any questions for us?" It can feel like a formality, but it is one of the most useful minutes of the interview, for both sides.
For the panel, your questions show how much you have thought about the school and the role. For you, they are a chance to find out whether this is a place you would genuinely be happy for the next two years or more, often in a country you have never lived in.
How many questions to ask
Prepare five or six and expect to ask two or three. Some will be answered during the interview, and time often runs short. If the panel has already covered everything, it is fine to say so and ask one follow-up on something they mentioned: it shows you were listening.
Write your questions down and keep them beside you. Nobody minds you glancing at notes at this point.
About the role
- What would success look like for this role at the end of the first year?
- What are the biggest priorities for this department (or grade level) over the next year or two?
- How is the curriculum planned here: collaboratively across the grade or department, or more individually?
- What does a typical week look like in terms of teaching load, planning time and other duties?
- Why is this position open?
About students and learning
- How would you describe the student body, and how many students are learning in English as an additional language?
- How does the school support students with additional learning needs?
- What is the school most proud of in how students learn here?
- How are students' voices included in school decisions?
About professional growth
- What professional development do teachers usually take part in here?
- How are teachers supported if they are new to the curriculum?
- How does the school give teachers feedback on their practice?
- Are there opportunities to take on leadership or coordination roles over time?
About community and settling in
These matter more in international schools than almost anywhere else, because the school often becomes your first community in a new country.
- How do new teachers usually settle in during their first few months?
- Is there an induction or orientation programme for new international staff?
- How would you describe the staff community?
- How involved are parents in the life of the school?
- What do teachers here tend to enjoy most about living in this city?
About the school's direction
- What changes or developments is the school planning over the next few years?
- What makes a teacher successful in this particular school?
- How would you describe the school's culture in three words?
Questions to save for later
Salary, housing, flights, insurance, tuition for dependants and contract details are completely legitimate questions for international teachers, and important ones. In a first interview, though, it usually works better to let the school raise them, or to ask once there is an offer or a later conversation with HR. A good neutral phrasing, if you need to ask earlier, is: "Could you tell me more about the package and support for teachers relocating from overseas?"
Questions to avoid
- Anything clearly answered on the school's website. It suggests you have not done your research.
- "Did I get the job?" or "How did I do?" A better version is: "What are the next steps in the process, and when might I hear back?"
- Questions that sound like complaints about your current school or leaders.
The best questions come from your research
The questions that make a panel sit up are the ones only someone who has studied their school could ask: a question about a programme mentioned on their website, the curriculum they are developing, or a value they mention in the job posting. That takes research for each school, which is exactly what a Kairos Brief does for you: alongside likely interview questions, every Brief suggests smart questions to ask that particular school.
For the other side of the conversation, see our guide to common international school interview questions and how to answer them.