Primary Teaching with Early Years with QTS

Our BA (Hons) Primary Teaching course provides quality training to teach in the 3-7 age range (Nursery, Reception and Key Stages 1) enabling you to graduate as a qualified teacher at the end of your three-year degree. On successful completion of the course your details will be passed to the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) who will award you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Our courses offer four integrated elements of teacher education – school experience, professional studies, subject specialism study and curriculum study.
School Experience is structured to allow students to progress from planning, teaching and managing the learning of a group of children for the core curriculum to meeting the needs of a class of pupils in all curriculum areas from the foundation stage to key stage one (3 - 7 year olds). You’ll get the opportunity to go into a school early in the course. These placements will usually provide distinctive opportunities in which to develop your professional and teaching skills. In particular, efforts will be made to place you in schools with different organisational characteristics and in contrasting socio-economic catchment areas.

You will pursue the advanced study of Early Years, where you will develop deeper knowledge and understanding of pedagogy and practice for teaching younger pupils and how this relates to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. As a key part of the programme, you will gain vital hands-on experience of working within the classroom through our school experience modules, which develop your confidence and competence to teach effectively.

Year One
The specialism module in semester 1 provides a grounding for early years practice. It considers the principles of the EYFS, how these can be embedded in practice and their relevance to KS1 teaching and learning. A visit to an outstanding setting allows for effective theory to practice links.

Year Two
In semester 1, early years student teachers explore modules in child development and implications for teaching practice. Semester 2 focuses on the concepts of play and pedagogy and their value and place in primary classrooms.

Year Three
Your third year modules allow you to investigate a topic of your choice related to early years through the final independent project.

We use strategies that are designed to enable you to effectively master a broad base of concepts, skills, knowledge and understanding that will inform your teaching practice.

You will join lectures and small seminars led by experienced tutors, in which discussion and debate are key to developing your knowledge and skills.

Our dedicated learning areas simulate real world classrooms, allowing you to become more familiar, confident and comfortable in teaching spaces ahead of your professional placements.

Many of our staff have a strong background within education and use their experience to inform their teaching, as the help your development into a professional and capable teacher.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Primary