Role description

ABDO College uses ‘blended learning’ as a basis for the courses offered. Within this structure, Distance Learning Tutors play a crucial role in supporting students through their programme.

As a Distance Learning Tutor, you will be a valuable source of advice and guidance for students when completing their coursework. This takes the form of assisting with queries on the course topics themselves, to marking and providing feedback on submissions, to signposting and providing support where appropriate in a pastoral capacity. You will need to have excellent time management and communication skills as well as a thorough understanding of the FBDO syllabus and topics. You will need to be regularly contactable by students and respond to queries quickly. You will be fully FBDO qualified and GOC registered. Applications from those with Contact Lens and Low Vision speciality qualifications are also most welcome.

The Tutor role is also the basis for potentially working as an Apprenticeship Coach in future.

ABDO College provides support to the Distance Learning Tutor team by organising regular ‘Tutor Workshops’ which take the form of both online and face to face events where Tutors can get to know their peers and receive training and guidance. Attendance at these events is required on a bi-annual basis, though more regular attendance is encouraged.

Training programme

Trainee Tutors have the support of a Senior Tutor to act as their mentor and aid their development throughout the programme. These Senior Tutors are well experienced in the field and are ideally placed to help new trainees flourish in this new role for them.

The Training Programme lasts 6 weeks to begin with and includes written assignments around the elements of supporting students and feedback, online interactive sessions, regular marking tasks and a flipped classroom session to demonstrate communication and ability to explain optical concepts to learners.

Following successful completion of this course, trainees then move on to marking students under mentored conditions whereby their feedback and marking is quality assured by their Senior Tutor Mentor before being formally returned. This process happens at each academic level marked at.

Successful applicants will commence their 6 week initial training course at the beginning of January 2026.

Application process

The application process is made up of 2 parts:

• Applicants will be required to upload a CV and covering letter explaining why their skills and experience lend themselves to the tutor role.
• Applicants complete a short assignment in order to demonstrate their knowledge of the syllabus and basic IT skills. This assignment is available to download below for completion. This should then be submitted as part of the application.

The deadline for applications is the 1st December, with reviews of all applications and selection due within 2 weeks of then to allow successful candidates to commence their studies at the beginning of January.