If you are passionate about supporting children to access and enjoy learning and reading, and you have relevant experience and skills, we encourage you to contact us.
Through our programmes, we offer opportunities to follow a structured teaching approach while also giving our tutors the freedom to use their creativity and expertise to engage learners—especially those who may find learning challenging for a variety of reasons.
If you feel this is something you could do, click here to register your interest or call/email Beata Gawthrop (07738 719536 / beata.gawthrop@theclc.org.uk) for an informal discussion. Even if we don’t have any immediate vacancies, please sign up as we are keen to build a bank of potential tutors.
This is what some of our fantastic tutors say about their work:
Kevin
Kevin is an experienced writer, former bookseller and teacher of English, with a background that brings together performance, literature and creative writing. Over the years, he has worked with learners of all ages, developing a thoughtful and encouraging approach that helps children feel comfortable, motivated and curious about language. His time as a bookseller has also given him an appreciation of how the right book, at the right moment, can spark a lifelong love of reading.
Kevin says:
“The benefits of literacy are truly life-changing, opening doors to learning, confidence and opportunity. But just as importantly, it is about helping children discover that reading can be a joy rather than a challenge. Working in small groups allows us the space and time to really get to know each child, build their confidence and celebrate every step forward. We can move at their pace, respond to their needs and make reading feel achievable and enjoyable. Seeing a child who once struggled grow into a reader is what makes this work so rewarding.”
Ellis
Ellis has worked in primary education for 10 years, starting as a teaching assistant and then working as a primary teacher for 5 years. She has found that her experience working throughout the primary setting has helped her support the children she works with in both Reading and Literacy Lab.
Ellis says:
“As a primary school teacher, I was used to teaching large groups of children with a wide range of abilities. Reading for pleasure has always been something I’ve tried to pass on to the children in my class, but I was noticing more and more that the pressures of the curriculum and the lure of other more ‘exciting’ hobbies meant children weren’t reading as frequently and that more children were struggling with their reading.
Working at the CLC has given me the skills and confidence I needed as a teacher to support those children to make progress with their reading and writing skills. The small group nature of Reading Lab creates a welcoming dynamic for the children to interact and learn from each other, while the 1:1 aspect of Literacy Lab has allowed me to build deep relationships with the children. Seeing them make progress not just in their reading and writing but in their overall confidence makes coming to work every day easy.”
Carole
Carole worked as an Adult Speech and Language Therapist for more than 20 years and has found that she uses many of the skills and knowledge she has built up in this role to support the children she tutors. Carole believes that literacy is the cornerstone to learning and achievement at school as well as in life.
Carole says:
“Knowledge of communication is central to literacy skills and I became a tutor with The Children’s Literacy Charity because I wanted to help children, and the 1:1 approach suits my teaching style. There is no child who comes to the Literacy Lab who does not make progress.
We give children confidence in their ability to read and write; we help them overcome barriers to literacy and create the opportunity for them to be on an even playing field with their peers. The individual approach works because they have someone who focuses on their strengths. Gaining a high degree of literacy gives a child choices”.