Receiving an invitation to interview at a preferred Sydney private school is exciting.
Then comes the next question:
What are they going to ask?
Private school interviews vary considerably, but the purpose is generally broader than determining whether a child can produce impressive answers.
The school wants to meet the student behind the application.
What Might a Child Be Asked?
Depending on age and school, conversations may touch on questions such as:
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Tell me about yourself.
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What do you enjoy at school?
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What subjects interest you?
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What do you like doing outside school?
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Tell me about something you are proud of.
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What do you find challenging?
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What have you been reading?
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Why would you like to come to this school?
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How would your friends describe you?
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How do you contribute to your current school community?
The exact questions matter less than the child's ability to engage naturally.
What Is the School Looking For?
Parents sometimes approach an interview as though there is a hidden set of perfect answers.
There usually isn't.
An interview may help a school understand the student's interests, communication, curiosity, maturity and potential fit with the school community.
Trying to transform a child into an artificially polished applicant can therefore be counterproductive.
Should Children Practise?
Yes — but there is a considerable difference between preparation and scripting.
A child who has never thought about why they like a particular school may struggle to articulate themselves under pressure.
Preparation helps them reflect beforehand.
Scripting gives them sentences to memorise.
Barr House strongly favours the former.
The “Why This School?” Question
A generic response such as “because it is a really good school” says very little.
A stronger answer comes from genuine familiarity.
Perhaps the child is excited about a particular subject, musical program, sport, club, facility or opportunity they encountered while visiting or researching the school.
Specificity makes an answer authentic.
What If My Child Is Shy?
A quieter child does not need to become extroverted overnight.
Interview preparation should give them strategies for managing nerves, maintaining conversation and expanding short answers without asking them to perform a personality that isn't theirs.
Confidence and loudness are not the same thing.
Parents May Need to Prepare Too
Parents can also be asked why they are interested in the school and what they value in their child's education.
This is not the moment to recite the prospectus.
Families should be capable of articulating why the school's environment genuinely aligns with their child and their educational priorities.
The Biggest Interview Mistake
Over-rehearsing.
When every answer sounds polished to perfection, the person conducting the interview may learn less about the child rather than more.
The objective of preparation is not to manufacture an applicant.
It is to remove enough anxiety and uncertainty that the child can communicate naturally.
Barr House Interview Preparation
Barr House provides private school interview preparation for children and families applying to Sydney independent schools.
Our approach is individualised around the student, the school and the circumstances of the application.
We help children think, articulate and engage — rather than memorise.
The strongest interview should still sound unmistakably like your child.