- English___Maths__Staff_Testimonials
- Lecturer_Job_Description
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.
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@northkent.ac.uk 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.
APPENDIX : Staff Testimonials based on “What do you enjoy about teaching English/Maths at NKC and Hadlow ?”
“I’ve really enjoyed working in EM as the whole team is very supportive. I also appreciate the shared planning we do in English, which helps distribute the workload and has been especially valuable for me as a new member of staff who is still becoming familiar with GCSE teaching.”
“Very supportive team and calm atmosphere. I have loved my classes and getting to know the students. I feel very heard and supported and if I have any issues/concerns, they are addressed immediately.”
“This has been the smoothest and calmest start to a teaching job that I have ever had. I feel so settled and part of the team already and really love coming to work.”
“I am enjoying the pace of being a Lecturer in English i.e. without tutor groups and parents' evenings. “
“I've loved becoming part of the EM team and everyone has been so incredibly welcoming. It's so lovely to be a part of such a great team, and Zoe has been so unbelievably helpful in my starting this new career.”
“It's been a pleasure to work with such a committed team, the rapport and dynamic within the team is great and everyone is friendly, productive and helpful. It goes without saying that being managed by the AP and HoC has also been great and supportive.”
“I have found teaching at NKC an almost stress-free process and this is largely down to the systems and teams in place. My colleagues within the department are always willing to offer support and the existing lesson presentations are an a really helpful starting point for developing my own lessons each week.”
“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.”
“I enjoy the incredibly supportive environment, which not only allows me to develop professionally, but helps me feel I am able to show up to work as myself and thrive. The team are always ensuring I’m doing ok, I am able to maintain a work-life balance and get the support with students/classes when needed. The vast majority of the students are lovely to teach and make turning up to teach them a rewarding endeavour.”
“I enjoy teaching Maths at NKC because the staff are supportive, and the management is dedicated to helping us improve our practice. The friendly atmosphere makes it easy to share ideas and improve together. Plus, the coaching model for observations is great—it’s less stressful and helps us work on our weaknesses in a constructive way.”
“Students
The opportunity to teach students from a variety of backgrounds knowing that I’m helping them develop valuable skills and knowledge that will benefit them in their future careers.
Colleagues
I also appreciate working with colleagues with a wealth of experiences (probable collective average of more than 90 years of teaching experience). Their shared expertise and teaching experiences from my colleagues are invaluable to my professional development.
The College
Opportunities to participate in workshops, conferences and other training programs to enhance my teaching skills.”
“When seeking employment as a teacher in a school or college, one of the first concerns is the department : Will my future colleagues be friendly and accommodating? Will the head of the department be approachable? Will I receive the support I need when necessary?
The answer to these questions is that you are in the right department, where you will receive strong support from the curriculum manager and colleagues. There is no bureaucracy dictating how you manage your lessons or classroom, allowing you the flexibility to teach effectively.
Teaching Maths at NKC is a rewarding experience, with a supportive department that encourages collaboration and professional growth. The curriculum is well-structured, and there is flexibility in lesson delivery, allowing for creativity in teaching methods. Students come with diverse abilities, which makes for a dynamic and engaging classroom environment. Additionally, the department fosters a strong sense of teamwork, ensuring that teachers receive the support they need from colleagues and management.
Looking forward to meeting you all! “
“Generally, it is just a more relaxed environment - with great support from the subject Assistant Principal, HoD and colleagues - always checking if everything is ok and if not – it is immediately addressed and resolved with the student/s involved.
Also, generally smaller classes - hence reduced workload - less marking, etc. - more individual support to students can be offered where necessary; no additional pastoral duties - i.e. form/tutor-time, playground duties, assemblies, tutor class activities; no early am Monday briefings; after school clubs for the year groups - hence more time for planning etc.”
“Good opportunities for staff development diverse team of staff.
Different vocational areas attending maths and English.
Much better than working in secondary school.”
“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. This is then adapted and delivered multiple times to a range of students. You soon get to know your classes and understand what they need. It is a revision course so there shouldn't be anything new that they haven't come across before, but we try and deliver it in a range of ways - this year we have used song lyrics and short films to engage the students. In class, we tend to give verbal feedback to students rather than written comments. We give the students opportunities to take mock papers throughout the year, as well as shorter assessment tasks. Where possible we mark these with the students, so that our marking load does not become unmanageable. We also have to provide a written progress report for students once a year. Although the teaching day is slightly longer, this is off-set by the fact that I don't need to mark 4 lots of books per day, or do parent's evenings or playground duty!! Class sizes are generally much smaller than in school too. I have found the team to be helpful and supportive and I have felt that my strengths and skills have been recognised and valued. This has been a successful and beneficial move for me.“
“I enjoy the friendliness of not only the English department but the English and Maths team as a whole. Lesson planning is shared within the team, but there is still a lot of scope to adapt lessons and teach in a way that is intrinsically you, which is one of the best things about working here.”
“Much better than working in a school environment. Love it.”
“I enjoy working in the English/Maths team because of the supportive atmosphere and collaborative spirit. Colleagues share ideas and resources, creating a positive and motivating environment focused on student success.”
“I have worked in the secondary sector for over 20 years and love working at the college. I would never consider going back into the school sector.”
“I enjoy working at NKC for many reasons. The team is collaborative, sharing ideas and supporting one another, with this support extending to management as well. The manageable class size allows for flexible and personalised delivery, adapting to individual teaching styles. Additionally, working in FE ensures a healthy work-life balance, which is essential in education.”
“After teaching in a secondary school environment for over 13 years I moved to FE and it was the best move I ever made. The workload and stress are much less than at school. Our team is supportive, approachable, and collaborative. And we even get a whole hour for lunch! I will never go back to secondary teaching. “
“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.”
“Becoming part of the college maths department has been a really rewarding experience. The supportive and collaborative team members have allowed me to adapt smoothly both professionally and personally to an educational environment that, for me, is relatively new. It has always been clear that the college is committed to excellence in teaching and provides ample opportunities for training and professional development. The diverse and inclusive community here also makes every day refreshing and fulfilling. I highly recommend North Kent College to anyone looking to make a meaningful impact in education.”
“One of the aspects I enjoy most about working in the English & Maths department is the variety it offers - no two days are ever the same! My colleagues within the department and throughout the college are incredibly supportive and it’s a very friendly team.”
“The English and Maths department is always open to suggestions on ways to improve. Workload and pay issues that are found in any similar educational setting are always taken seriously and management actively work with HR to find solutions that benefit the staff. This has affected me positively on a few occasions now.
The flexibility that I have had working here has allowed me to balance childcare and work really well and there is a good understanding of the importance of helping staff obtain a good work life balance.
I have worked here a number of years now and feel it is a college moving in the right direction.”
