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BA (Hons) Secondary English Education with QTS course preparation

To help you feel prepared for your university studies, we’ve gathered together a range of course related activities including suggested reading, useful websites and some things to do right now. Open the links below to find out more:

Your Launchpad sessions

The Faculty of Education have organised a number of virtual Launchpad sessions. Although not all of these sessions will be relevant to your specific degree, you may find a number of these sessions useful.

Access the Launchpad sessions

Suggested reading

You will be given lots of information about which textbooks to read and introduced to the University Library, as well as the many ebooks we have for you to access, when you begin your studies in September.

The following reading list will give you an overview of the development of this subject area and will enable you to prepare for the start of your course. The books listed are either core texts or will be directly referenced on one of your year one modules. We recommend that you read all these books.

Recommended books to buy:

  • Beginning Theory: an introduction to literary and cultural theory, by Peter Barry. 2019. Manchester University Press
  • The Western Canon: the books and schools of ages, by Harold Bloom. 1995. Picador
  • The History Boys, by Alan Bennett. 2004. Faber
  • Teaching English: developing as a reflective English Teacher, by Evans, Midgley, Rigby, Warham and Woolnough. 2009. Sage#

These books can be bought second hand from Amazon, you do not need to buy new copies.

Suggested reading, you do not need to buy these books:

  • Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. 2008. Oxford University Press
  • Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. 2008. Oxford University Press
  • New Selected Poems, by Carol Ann Duffy. 2011. Picador

Useful websites

Keeping up to date with the latest developments in the Education world is a great way to prepare for your course. Here are some websites that you will be useful, you should also try and find some good websites of your own:

Things to do now:

We have created a selection of tasks which will help you to prepare for your course and enhance your professional profile.

We recommend that you keep your responses and notes together in a portfolio of pre-course work as they may well come in useful in the future.

Task one – Research
Task two – Enhance your skills

Meet your course leader:

Michaela Smith
[email protected]

Additional ways to prepare

Preparing to start

This session examines how to make a successful transition to university. From planning your results day, accommodation and commuting tips, extra support available to you and general advice on uni life.

Watch the session

Find out more about who you are

The following information provides an insight into what to expect when coming to university along with some good advice on how to navigate some of the potential challenges you may face.

Start preparing yourself