Lecturer and Programme Director of PGCE Early Years

Location: London Road Campus

Job details: Part-time 0.60 FTE

Contractual hours: 21

Job description

Closing date: 23:59 Sunday 19th April 2026

Interviews will be held: Friday 1st May 2026

Due to the complexity of the Skilled Worker Visa route and eligibility criteria, applicants requiring sponsorship are recommended to check their eligibility on the Home Office website. We cannot provide advice to candidates at the application stage and will only discuss visa routes with candidates who are invited to interview. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website UK Visas and Immigration Website.

At the Institute of Education (IoE) we offer a variety of courses, from a foundation degree, undergraduate courses, through to postgraduate qualifications, Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses and additional CPD opportunities. We are one of the largest providers of education programmes in the South-East of England.

• Training 400+ teachers every year
  • Partnerships with 400+ schools
  • Strong focus on research-led teaching

Our programmes combine:

• Theory
  • research
  • real-world educational practice

Students who study with us can be confident to receive high-quality, research-informed teaching that will challenge their thinking. We provide the highest levels of support to ensure our students get the best possible outcome alongside academic tuition that will facilitate students' career development, whatever their entry point or previous academic background. 

The Programme Director of PGCE (Early Years) is responsible for programme planning, development, implementation and quality assurance (including Ofsted). As such, the Programme Director is responsible for:

• Acting as the IoE expert and specialist in the age range birth to 5 years;
• Ensuring cohesive and competent delivery of the whole programme;
• Representing the PGCE (Early Years) programme externally, engaging with external stakeholders (including the DfE and UCET) and horizon scanning for potential developments in Early Years provision;
• Liaison with admissions and marketing teams to organise recruitment for prospective applicants;
• Engaging in improvement planning;
• Contributing to preparation for an Ofsted inspection;
• Membership of and strategic contribution to the ITE Management group;
• Providing a consistent, strong contribution to research and / or professional scholarship and enterprise within the Institute of Education;
• Other activities as may be agreed with the Head of the Institute or Senior Academic Line Manager.
• A DBS check is required for this position
• The University’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and make clear that safeguarding checks will be undertaken
• The safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification, and whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

Contact details: Professor Sarah Marston, Head of School, s.m.marston@reading.ac.uk

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. We are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.

Advert information