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 |
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 six 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 three-week 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
Year 2 Modules
Year 3 Modules
Academic Staff
Rebecca Geeson
Programme leader
Becky Geeson lectures in the School of Teacher Development and leads our two successful primary undergradua
Steve McNichol
Academic Staff
Steve joined Bishop Grosseteste University in 2015 after eleven years teaching in primary schools in Nottin
Maxine Purvis
Academic Staff
Placement Leader (undergraduate)
Maxine leads the undergraduate school placement mo
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.
