At a Glance
- Tasks: Inspire young learners by delivering engaging literacy sessions in primary schools.
- Company: Join Quest for Learning, a charity dedicated to closing the education gap.
- Benefits: Earn £21.53 per hour with flexible hours and holiday pay.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team committed to inclusivity and safeguarding.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while developing your teaching skills.
- Qualifications: Experience with primary-aged children and a relevant education qualification required.
The predicted salary is between 21.53 - 21.53 £ per hour.
Pay: £21.53 per hour
LOCATION: Didcot, Banbury, Oxfordshire and Camberley, Croydon
SALARY: £21.53 per hour (approx. 30 - 90 hrs per 10-week teaching block, plus holiday pay)
EXPERIENCE: We’re looking for an experienced education professional who’s passionate about making a difference to disadvantaged children’s engagement and attainment.
About us
For over twenty-five years, Quest for Learning has been supporting the educational engagement and attainment of disadvantaged Oxfordshire children. We’re passionate about playing our part in closing the attainment gap between rich and poor, by working in partnership with local primary schools to provide literacy and numeracy interventions that complement their own work.
We work with primary schools that have identified children who are falling behind in reading or maths and who would benefit from our programmes. In particular, we support:
- children in Years 2 and 3 who are struggling to become readers, through our ReadingQuest programme;
- children in Key Stage 2 who can decode but whose reading comprehension is low and may lack motivation to engage with books, through our BookQuest programme;
- children across both Key Stages who lack confidence in numeracy, whose skills in mental maths are limited, and who struggle with number facts and flexible number work.
The majority of our tutors combine working for Quest for Learning with other professional or personal commitments and value the flexibility to set their own working hours in agreement with the partner school. Most of our tutors continue to work with us after completing their initial assignments, either in the same or new partner schools.
About the role
We’re looking to appoint an experienced educational professional to deliver our KS1 and KS2 reading programmes, at one of our partner schools in Didcot, Banbury, Camberley or Croydon. The position is from September 2026.
Literacy Tutors will work during school hours with pupils identified by partner schools, in groups of two (ReadingQuest) or groups of three (BookQuest). They will deliver a total of 10 hours of tutoring to each group over the course of 10 weeks through twice weekly sessions. The role of the Literacy Tutor is to increase individual children’s strategies, confidence, knowledge, and skills in reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension to enable them to be successful, independent learners. Tutors will also encourage and support parents and carers to help pupils with literacy learning at home. The typical working pattern is two afternoons per week, further details are available on request.
Main responsibilities:
- To undertake group literacy teaching in one of our partner schools.
- To encourage and facilitate parent/carer engagement.
- To report on individual pupil progress.
- To work as part of the Quest for Learning tutor team.
Duties:
- To teach an agreed number of groups of pupils for a total of 10 hours per group across ten weeks.
- To keep detailed records of each child’s progress, and produce reports for Quest for Learning, the partner school, and parents/carers.
- To work in partnership with each child’s parents/carers, encouraging and supporting literacy learning at home.
- To work closely with class teachers to identify initial learning needs and to regularly update them on pupil progress.
- To be committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being and welfare of children.
- To participate in Quest for Learning tutor team meetings.
- To collaborate with the Quest for Learning teaching team in the fulfilment of the monitoring and evaluation requirements set out by the DfE and other funders.
About you
We’re looking for enthusiastic and experienced individuals who are committed to the aims and ethos of Quest for Learning and have experience of working with primary-aged children in an educational setting. If you’re passionate about improving the life chances of disadvantaged children through education and have the drive and initiative to work with minimal supervision, we would love to hear from you.
Successful candidates will be required to undertake BookQuest, ReadingQuest and Generalist Safeguarding (including Prevent) training prior to commencing teaching and to undergo an enhanced DBS and Barred List check. We strive to create a truly inclusive culture and we’re committed to improving the diversity of the QfL team. We’d be particularly keen to receive applications from candidates from global majority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities, who are currently under-represented in the charity. We’re open to hearing how we could make our recruitment process and working culture more inclusive.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Skills
- Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate in a friendly and effective manner with primary-aged pupils and their parents/carers (E)
- Good self-management skills including the ability to self-motivate, meet deadlines, and organise own workload (E)
- Good written skills, including the ability to produce observational notes and formal written reports (E)
- Ability to professionally represent Quest for Learning within partner schools (E)
- Ability to work sensitively with disadvantaged pupils and their parents/carers (E)
- Ability to work sensitively within a multi-cultural setting (E)
Knowledge
- Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and ethos of the charity (E)
- Ability to encourage and facilitate parent/carer engagement with literacy (E)
- Understanding of, and commitment to, safeguarding principles and practice (E)
- Pedagogic understanding of early literacy learning (E)
Experience
- Experience of working with primary-aged children in an educational setting (E)
- Experience of data collection for analysis and evaluation (E)
- Experience of working with educational attainment targets (D)
Qualifications
- Relevant professional education qualification (e.g. PGCE, BEd, EYPS) (E)
- GCSE English and Mathematics Grade 9-4 (A*-C) or equivalent (E)
- OSCB Generalist Safeguarding and Prevent training (to be completed prior to start date) (E)
Work-related circumstances
- Commitment to working in a child-centred manner (E)
- Willingness to work flexibly in agreement with the charity and partner school(s) (E)
- Willingness to undertake relevant training as required by the charity (E)
- Willingness to comply with Quest for Learning policies and procedures (E)
An application form can be downloaded from our website - www.questforlearning.org.uk/current-vacancies/
Quest for Learning is an equal opportunities employer and it welcomes applications from all sections of society and the communities it operates in. Quest for Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being and welfare of children and young people and requires all individuals who are associated with the Charity, including all Trustees, employees, and volunteers, to share this commitment. Importance is placed by Quest for Learning on rigorous selection processes. Incomplete application forms will not be considered. A CV will only be accepted in support of a complete application form.
Job Type: Part-time
Education: Certificate of Higher Education (required)
Experience: Teaching: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
KS1 and KS2 Literacy Tutors (p/t) - Didcot, Banbury, Camberley and Croydon employer: Quest for Learning
Quest for Learning is an exceptional employer dedicated to making a meaningful impact on the lives of disadvantaged children in Oxfordshire. With a strong commitment to flexibility, our tutors can tailor their working hours to fit personal commitments while contributing to vital literacy programmes that foster educational growth. We pride ourselves on our inclusive culture and provide ongoing training and support, ensuring that our team members not only thrive in their roles but also play a crucial part in closing the attainment gap in education.
