Education & Early Years Lecturer (Hourly Paid)

Job description

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification / criteria. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Salary: £28.62 - £37.08 per hour

Hours per week: Variable, to be confirmed at interview stage

Working pattern: Weekdays, with teaching hours between 8:30 and 17:00

Location: Abingdon

Start date: October 2026

Contract type: Fixed term until September 2027

Abingdon & Witney College is seeking an enthusiastic and committed Education & Early Years Lecturer to join our growing Education & Early Years team at Abingdon campus. This is an exciting opportunity to inspire and support students who are preparing for careers working with children from nursery through to reception age. You will play a key role in shaping the next generation of early years professionals by delivering high-quality teaching, learning and assessment across a range of Early Years programmes.

We welcome applications from individuals with a range of experience in early years education, whether you are an experienced Early Years Lecturer or bringing valuable industry expertise. This could include those who have worked as a Nursery or Reception Teacher and are keen to share their knowledge, or a qualified Level 3 Early Years Practitioner looking to take the next step into teaching.

Responsibilities:

• Plan and deliver high-quality, inclusive teaching across Education & Early Years courses.
• Develop engaging learning materials using digital and paper-based resources.
• Support students in developing practical knowledge of working with children from nursery to reception age.
• Maintain accurate learner records and respond to individual support needs.
• Use college systems to support course delivery and quality processes.
• Adapt teaching methods to meet a range of learner needs.
• Plan and deliver assessments, provide feedback, and support exam processes.
• Deliver tutorials and guide learners through their Individual Learning Plans.
• Promote safeguarding, child development knowledge, and best practice.
• Reflect on teaching practice, engage in CPD, and contribute to course development.

Essential criteria:

• Passion for Early Years education
• Relevant qualification (Early Years, Childcare, or Education) at Level 3 or above.
• Industry experience working with children (nursery, preschool, or reception).
• Teaching qualification (or willingness to work towards one).
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and child protection.

Desirable:

• Experience teaching within a post‑16 or Further Education setting.

Why Join Us?

At Abingdon & Witney College, you'll be part of a passionate team dedicated to transforming lives through education. We believe outstanding teaching comes from creativity, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to student success. You'll have the opportunity to make a real difference every day, working with learners who need an inspirational teacher to help them unlock their potential.

*Abingdon and Witney College reserve the right to close all applications before posted closing date.

Any successful candidates will be required to complete a structured training pathway, unless they already hold the relevant qualifications. This includes a two-week teacher induction, followed by the Award in Education and Training (AET), and then the Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher (LST) apprenticeship. There is also the option to pursue Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at a later stage.

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.

Abingdon and Witney College are committed to safer recruitment practices. In addition to our pre-employment checks, we will conduct an online search. This includes checking Google main results feed as well as the 'News' and 'Images' tab. We will be checking for any publicly available information that suggests the applicant may not be suitable to work with children or young/vulnerable people or content that could potentially damage Abingdon and Witney College's reputation. This may include inappropriate posts, comments or images displaying evidence of offensive or inappropriate behaviour, jokes or language, discriminatory comments, inappropriate photos, drug or alcohol misuse.