Overview
This course allows you to study Primary Education with QTS as a single honours degree, giving you an in-depth knowledge of the subject.
The three-year Primary Education course at BGU is designed to allow you to study a vocational honours degree in Primary Education leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It provides an integrated academic and professional preparation for teaching. If you believe that you can inspire children to learn and are passionate about the role that primary education plays in shaping a child’s future, then this is the course for you.
Key Facts
| Award: | BA (Hons) |
| UCAS Code: | X120 |
| Academic School: | School of Teacher Development |
| Duration: | 3 years |
| Mode of Study: | Full-time |
| Start Date: | September |
| Awarding Institution: | Bishop Grosseteste University |
| Institution Code: | B38 |
Why Study This Course?
Entry Requirements
You will normally need 112 UCAS tariff points (from a maximum of four Advanced Level qualifications). We welcome a range of qualifications that meet this requirement, such as A/AS Levels, BTEC, Access Courses, International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge Pre-U, Extended Project etc. We will accept one AS Level as part of the 112 points, in a subject not included as an A2 subject. We also accept an extensive list of combinations of the qualifications above. However this list is not exhaustive – please click here for details of all qualifications in the UCAS tariff. You will also need GCSEs in English Language, Mathematics and Science at grade C or above (or equivalent). Please see our list of accepted equivalents.
Further Information
In accordance with University conditions, students are entitled to apply for Accredited Prior Learning, AP(C)L, based on relevant credit at another HE institution or credit Awarded for Experiential Learning, (AP(E)L).
About The Course
Have you been taught by someone who has truly inspired you? Are you ready to pass your knowledge and enthusiasm on to children to help shape their futures? This course will provide you with an integrated academic and professional preparation for teaching, leading to Qualified Teacher Status.
Our course team will work with you to enhance and develop your understanding of learning and teaching. You’ll spend a significant amount of time in school throughout the course, and will be encouraged and supported as you learn to develop effective ways to teach the whole primary curriculum. You will explore the theory and practice of primary education and develop a personal philosophy that will underpin all that you seek to achieve with the children you teach.
Initially, you’ll work with small groups of children, progressing on to working with a whole class, leading up to assessed school placements in your second and third years where you’ll take full responsibility for whole classes of children.
Our course is organised into six strands: core subjects, foundation subjects, research, placement, critical thinking and professional skills to ensure you are well prepared to teach during each of the placements and to prepare you for your future career in the classroom.
You’ll study six modules in year one which will help you to begin to reflect on the nature of learning and teaching. They will introduce you to the requirements of the national curriculum, classroom management (behaviour, assessment, planning, SEN and Inclusion), the core subjects of the primary curriculum (English, Mathematics, Science), along with the foundation subjects. You will also spend time working with children both at the university and in school.
In your second and third years, you will specialise in one age phase – 3-7, 5-9 or 7-11. The modules in year two build on and extend understandings developed in the first year of the course, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to research, curriculum knowledge, the global classroom and SEN and Inclusion. You will also widen your school experience, perhaps by visiting multicultural and special schools, as well as undertaking more extensive, solo placements focusing on your chosen age range.
Your third year will help you to prepare for your NQT year and beyond. There are five modules in the final year, which all build further on the six strands that you will have already studied in year one and year two. The research module, where you are able to develop a small piece of research in an area of interest to you, is one that students particularly enjoy. Your final school placement provides the opportunity to take on responsibility for a whole class. At the end of the course, you will undertake a transitional placement to further develop your school-based knowledge and skills.
On completion of your degree, with your Qualified Teacher Status, you’ll be fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to work as a primary school teacher.
Delivery
There is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching at BGU – we shape our methods to suit each subject and each group, combining the best aspects of traditional university teaching with innovative techniques to promote student participation and interactivity.
You will be taught in a variety of ways, from lectures, tutorials and seminars, to practical workshops, coursework and work-based placements. Small group seminars and workshops will provide you with an opportunity to review issues raised in lectures, and you will also be expected to carry out independent study.
Placements are a key part of degree study at BGU. They provide an enriching learning experience for you to apply the skills and knowledge you will gain from your course and, in doing so, give valuable real-world experience to boost your career.
Assessment
We recognise that individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, so we use a variety of assessment strategies on our courses.
We recognise that individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, so we use a variety of assessment strategies in our courses. These include presentations, essays, group discussions, and a research report. All of these individual assessments allow you to reflect on your practice and theory as you evidence your learning.
Careers & Further Study
The teaching profession has a well-structured career pathway which moves progressively from initial teacher training through to newly qualified (NQT) status to qualified teacher. Your career can progress in a variety of ways, including leadership and management roles. BGU can help with your continued professional development through the Master’s programme.
Year 1 Modules
In this module, you will develop your understanding of the role of a teacher and the professional attributes this requires. There will also be an introduction to professional skills (such as planning and assessment) and you will begin to consider how to adapt teaching to meet the needs of all learners, in particular those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
This module is designed to introduce you to theories of learning and to support you in learning to reflect with developing criticality, to support your own academic writing in other modules. This will enable you to develop new, and enhance existing skills; providing opportunities to grow as a writer and researcher and allowing you to consider relevant seminal and current education practice.
A short school experience focussed on observation early in the year runs alongside university based sessions which will enable you to explore the importance of key aspects of teaching and learning in a professional setting with the support of other trainees. The Introductory Placement later in the year introduces you to planning and teaching and is normally a paired, 5 week school placement, with the addition of a preparation week also at the school.
This module focuses on issues of child development and the theories and research, both long-established and recent, which inform them. You will be supported in your ability to search for, read, understand and use academic literature in your written work.
You will be expected to develop subject knowledge alongside practical skills and positive attitudes, with regard to foundation subjects and Religious Education. You will develop a knowledge of planning and assessment, together with an understanding of how to apply a range of different teaching approaches.
This module will introduce you to the core subjects of the curriculum, focusing on both subject and pedagogical knowledge. On successful completion of this module you will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated with teaching and learning in the core subjects, and evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to developing concepts in the core subjects.
Year 2 Modules
You will complete this module if you are aiming towards recommendation for QTS. It comprises a solo school placement, usually of 6 weeks, in your chosen age phase, allowing you to develop your knowledge, understanding and application in that age phase.
This module focuses on inclusive teaching and learning, in particular meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). You will enhance your knowledge of specific SEND, learning how to adapt your practice to promote the inclusion of all pupils (including considering the inclusion of pupils with English as an Additional Language and those with other identified needs).
You will build on your academic writing skills and will investigate a range of differing perspectives on learning. You will also have the opportunity to explore a variety of approaches to teaching, examining the effectiveness of each of these, as well as exploring relevant issues – for example, the use of social media as a teaching tool – and their impact in the classroom.
This module will introduce you to the processes of conducting your own research, including ethics and a range of methods commonly used in education. It will see you working together in groups with other students, supported by a tutor.
During the study of this module you will build on your knowledge of foundation subjects and religious education, and consider global aspects of learning. You will explore a range of approaches to teaching and learning, considering different cultural contexts.
This module will further develop your subject and pedagogical knowledge in the core subjects. You will be expected to take responsibility for identifying and developing your needs, with a particular focus taken on different approaches to planning in the core.
Year 3 Modules
You will complete this module if you are aiming towards recommendation for QTS. It comprises a solo school placement, usually of 7 weeks, in your chosen age phase, allowing you to develop your knowledge, understanding and application in that age phase.
Explore aspects of critical thinking relating to current issues in education, such as obesity amongst younger children, as well as looking forward to future career directions. You will consider your wider role in the school environment and your transition from student to teacher, examining how this can be undertaken effectively.
This module builds on previous experience with research and will see you conducting individual research projects in education. You will design your own study, formulating questions, choosing appropriate methods for the methodology, collecting and analysing data, and taking responsibility for ethical practice.
This module continues to develop your understanding of teaching and learning in the core subjects but expands to consider national and international perspectives, contemporary and alternative approaches. You will be expected to draw on what you have learned to articulate and justify your own beliefs about teaching and learning in the core.
This module will allow you to develop your leadership skills so that you will be prepared to take on leadership skills when you start working in schools. It will also cover writing a school policy, monitoring, assessment, target setting and using statistics, and current issues in your subject.
Academic Staff
Aimee Quickfall
Academic Staff
Aimee is the Head of Programmes for Primary and Early Years Teacher Development. She works across the postg
Rebecca Geeson
Academic Staff
Becky Geeson lectures in the School of Teacher Development and leads our two successful primary undergradua
Support
Studying at BGU is a student centred experience. Staff and students work together in a friendly and supportive atmosphere as part of an intimate campus community. You will know every member of staff personally and feel confident approaching them for help and advice, and staff members will recognise you, not just by sight, but as an individual with unique talents and interests. We will be there to support you, personally and academically, from induction to graduation.
Fees & Finance
A lot of student finance information is available from numerous sources, but it is sometimes confusing and contradictory. That’s why at BGU we try to give you all the information and support we can to help to throughout the process. Our Student Advice team are experts in helping you sort out the funding arrangements for your studies, offering a range of services to guide you through all aspects of student finance step by step. Click here to find information about fees, loans and support which will help to make the whole process a little easier to understand.
Undergraduate course applicants must apply via UCAS using the relevant UCAS code. The application fee is £12 for a single choice or £23 for more than one choice. For all applicants, there are full instructions at UCAS to make it as easy as possible for you to fill in your online application, plus help text where appropriate.
