Are you an English teacher looking for a better work-life balance? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Lecturer in English to join our stable and expanding English department. The role will involve working across our Dartford and Gravesend campuses delivering up to GCSE at Foundation level to learners as part of their vocational programme.
At North Kent College, we are very proud of our achievements within the Maths and English department, with our students achieving English GCSE and Functional Skills above the national average for the FE sector, in addition to very high attendance through our internal actions and continued support from the vocational curriculum areas. We have also recently been part of an evidence collection process by the FE Commissioner’s Team on good practice of English and Maths. A final report will be produced in February and sent to all colleges nationally.
We would welcome any visits to the campuses, prior to application, please contact HR to arrange this.
The vacancy has arisen as a result of the external promotion of one of our team members.
The Role:
Where you’ll work: This role is based at our Dartford and Gravesend campuses. You will not need to travel between sites during the day.
Your hours: 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per annum (1 FTE).
Your pay: £35,862 to £44,121 per annum full time equivalent, dependent on qualifications and experience.
Here are some comments from current English and Maths staff:
“I can honestly say that this is the best teaching role I have ever had - I've been teaching for nearly 20 years. The work-life balance is so much better than in Secondary Education. The students are great. Any challenges are met with teamwork, incredibly supportive managers and colleagues, and with humour. We're encouraged to be creative and to develop our teaching practices. Lesson visits (observations) are a joy - never intimidating, always supportive.”
“As a new team member at NKC I've been made to feel very welcome and supported, especially at the start of the teaching year. The teaching programme and resources are super helpful and the staff on the Maths and English teams have really enhanced my enjoyment of the role. The students are great, and I really have liked getting to know and assist them. They make me look forward to coming into work and hearing their stories and watching them progress.”
“Since moving from Primary Education to FE, I have managed to achieve a better work life balance. I teach English and I really like teaching the Edexcel English Language 2.0 exam. We are encouraged to be creative in our planning and to look at new ways of engaging students. We all share the load of planning - meaning that we plan 1 GCSE lesson every 4/5 weeks for the rest of the team …”
(Please see more current team testimonials in the appendix).
We have had several teachers move from the primary and secondary phases to the Further Education phase and for any prospective candidates considering this, we have listed some benefits of this transition which you may wish to consider.
• No tutor group
• No duties
• No parent evenings
• The vast majority of classes have no more than 20 learners
• Repeat delivery of lessons with only minor changes based on learner needs and backgrounds, so planning is manageable
• Part time teachers welcomed
• Greater opportunity for flexibility of working from home for some of the contracted hours (when not timetabled to teach)
• Functional Skills is just a smaller subset of GCSE and allows lower ability learners to revisit the basics
• Functional Skills learners have up to 3 opportunities to take the exam
• Greater opportunity for CPD sessions during non teaching weeks
• Planning and marking are manageable within the contracted week
• Opportunity to take holidays in early July (outside normal school term time)
Continuing/no change to expectations
• Plan and deliver high quality lessons
• Annual supportive lesson visits for personal development
• Use of a classroom base and office
• Continuation of the Teacher Pension scheme
• Learners complete regular assessments to track progress
• A written report for each learner once a year
Differences
• We have a strong focus on attendance as well as achievement
• Each learner receives a 3-hour Maths session for approximately 33 weeks
• Slightly longer days (start at 8:45am, finish at 5:15pm) but over a shorter delivery time (i.e., teaching starts 2nd week in Sept and teaching ends towards the end of June)
• The majority of the delivery is to learners aged 16+ (the vast majority are 16-18).
• Earlier return than schools; always the day before GCSE results in 3rd week in August.
The College:
North Kent College (including Hadlow College) is proudly rated as an Ofsted ‘Good’ provider, with ‘Outstanding’ learner behaviours and attitudes (April 2024). With four campuses across Kent and 4,000 students, we strive to equip the young people who study here with an inclusive and innovative education experience to enhance their future career prospects, which, as noted by Ofsted, is supported through our high-quality, industry standard facilities. Each and every staff member plays a key part in delivering the success of our learners’ experience, and we want those who join our curriculum and support teams to share our passion in achieving this.
The Benefits:
In addition to a competitive salary, you can expect the following as a Lecturer at NKC:
• 42 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time contracts).
• Enrolment onto the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), one of the most generous in the country.
• Access to free parking and a number of onsite facilities, including gyms, restaurants, on-site nursery and coffee shops.
• CPD and support from our in-house Teaching & Learning team, who coach, train, and guide our Lecturers through their teaching journey, from unqualified and new to teaching to qualified and experienced.
• All of our campuses are outside the ULEZ zone.
How to Apply:
If this sounds like the next role for you, please visit the North Kent College staff vacancies page to see the full job description and apply.
Please note that the closing date for applications is 7 January 2026, with interviews scheduled to take place on 15 / 16 January 2026.
North Kent College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and all staff have a responsibility to share and maintain this commitment. In line with the requirements of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, appropriate safeguarding checks (including an enhanced DBS check) will be undertaken on all individuals selected for appointment. Posts at the College, a specified establishment where the work gives opportunity for contact with children, are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. It is an offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so. Please be advised that, again in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, shortlisted candidates (who wish to accept an invite to interview) will be required to complete and submit prior to their interview a self-declaration of their criminal record or information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Further guidance / information from the Ministry of Justice can be found on GOV.UK.
North Kent College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and all staff have a responsibility to share and maintain this commitment. In line with the requirements of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, appropriate safeguarding checks (including an enhanced DBS check) will be undertaken on all individuals selected for appointment. Posts at the College, a specified establishment where the work gives opportunity for contact with children, are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. It is an offence to apply for a post which involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so. Please be advised that, again in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, shortlisted candidates (who wish to accept an invite to interview) will be required to complete and submit prior to their interview a self-declaration of their criminal record or information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Further guidance / information from the Ministry of Justice can be found on GOV.UK.