Functional Skills English Tutor

[Change2026]

Hi. Is anyone a functional skills English teacher who could tell me more about the job? The workload, if you manage to get everything done in the weekly hours and if FE would consider a primary teacher who is considering a change. Experienced upper ks2. I also lead English across the school.

I was previously, first in the prison service then in local colleges. I was always sessional/ hourly paid. It was very hard to get full time hours. You obviously had to plan your sessions in your own time but the hourly rate paid a proportion of planning and prep. Most colleges would have you delivering ESOL as well which is a completely different teaching skill, not everyone likes or wants to do it.

the other problem is that every summer you’d never know your hours/ shifts or even if you had a job for September. Then suddenly you’d be in and expected to do all your enrolling and funding and lessons with very little notice.
that’s just my experience. It’s not like school teaching really in my experience although they’d probably accept your quals and experience.

Thank you. Did you find it less responsibility than school?
It certainly isn’t as well paid so I wouldn’t want to be working crazy hours like in school.
What training were you provided with? Do colleges tend to have a scheme/ resources there ready to be used?

Well I never taught in school, my pgce is specific to post compulsory. But definitely you don’t have parents evening and clubs and detentions and homework etc. I provided all my own resources to fit a scheme of work (loose) that was provided.

i don’t recall working extra hours other than a couple of hours planning. I taught an entry 123 level mixed class and a level 1&2 mixed class once a week and then an entry ESOL. Bear in mind the range of abilities in one level can be very broad.

Thanks very much for taking the time to respond.