Abingdon & Witney College strives to celebrate diversity and promote equality of opportunity for all who learn and work here; to create a culture and ethos where inclusion, equality and diversity are embraced; where employment and educational opportunities are open to all; and where everyone involved with the College is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

Our commitment to equality and diversity is written into all job descriptions, and all members of staff are expected to support this commitment on a day-to-day basis.

We serve a diverse community and seek to develop a workforce that is representative of the community, at all levels and across all areas. No applicant will be treated less favourably than others on the grounds of age, gender, disability, family or marital/civil partnership status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious or other beliefs, or for any other reason which cannot be shown to be justified.

Our policy is to ensure that the recruitment and selection process is as fair and objective as possible. Applications are considered purely on the basis of merit. All candidates are assessed against the same criteria and asked the same set of questions when interviewed – you will not be asked questions about your domestic or personal circumstances that have no relevance to your ability to carry out the job. We appoint on the basis of the best candidate for the job, in line with Equality and Diversity Policy.

The pages of our application form which hold personal details and equality and diversity monitoring information, will be removed by HR staff prior to the start of the shortlisting process.

AWC values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all appointments are subject to satisfactory clearances including enhanced DBS checks.

Read the guidance notes very carefully before completing your application form. We base our selection processes purely on the person specification for the job and you therefore need to make sure you have given us as many examples as possible of how you match every one of the criteria on the person specification. Use extra sheets if you can’t fit the information into the spaces provided.

Our Staff Services team pass submitted forms to the selection panel, which is usually made up of managers and supervisors who will have direct contact with the role. There are normally 2 people on the selection panel, all of whom have been trained in recruitment and selection. They will score every application form using a standard system.

You will be informed either by telephone or in writing, including email if you have one, of the interview date and if you have to do any tasks as part of the interview. Unsuccessful candidates are informed at this stage as well.

Interviews are conducted by the panel of staff who shortlisted the forms. They will ask candidates a series of questions based on the person specification and will use the same scoring method as above to score your answers. It is therefore essential that you give as many examples as possible to answer the questions asked of you.

All candidates will be asked the same questions in the same sequence. The panel may wish to query aspects of your application form at the end of the interview. You will have an opportunity to clarify any points or ask questions at the end. You are allowed to take notes into the interview with you and are allowed to refer to them throughout the interview process.

You may also be asked to do a task or a series of tasks which relate to the job:

• For teaching positions, this may be some observed teaching
• For administration roles, this may be tasks which test your ability to use IT
• For management roles, this may be a series of tasks, such as a presentation and involvement with a group discussion.

You will be informed of what the tasks will be prior to interview to give yourself some time to prepare.

At the end of the interview process the panel will make an appointment based on your scores for the answers you gave at interview and the results of any tasks (if relevant).

We try and let candidates know as soon as possible after an interview whether they have been successful or unsuccessful.

If you are successful, we will negotiate a start date and starting salary with you. At the same time, we will request your references and conduct DBS and occupational health checks. Your offer of a post is dependent on satisfactory references and the outcomes of these checks.

We will send you a contract which you must sign and return to the College. We will also ask for copies of identification and your educational certificates.

Once we have completed all of these checks, you are ready to start with us!

Disclosure and Barring Service Policy