Primary Education with QTS (Part-Time) BA (Hons)
Gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status as you develop the skills, knowledge and professional experience required to inspire children aged 5-11 on a degree that enables you to combine working or volunteering in a primary school with academic study.
Overview
| Course length: | 4 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2023 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University or Wigan and Leigh College |
| Example offers: | CCC (A Level) or MMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Education and Teaching |
| Faculty: | Education |
| Department: | Primary and Childhood Education |
Successful completion of the programme leads to recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Become the inspiring, creative teacher that young children will always remember. On our part-time Primary Education degree, you will develop as a professional with all the qualities needed for a rewarding and challenging role nurturing young minds aged 5-11. This part-time initial teacher training programme is suitable for those who have experience of working in a school, such as higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) or learning mentors. It is delivered through fortnightly evening campus-based sessions which you can attend at either Edge Hill University or Wigan & Leigh College. These fortnightly sessions are complemented by two full-time study weeks per year, school-based tasks to enhance your knowledge and skills, and assessed professional practice.
You will gain practical experience and develop your own individual teaching personality and personal principles, along with the essential professional skills, knowledge and understanding required for a career in primary teaching. You will study in a dynamic teaching and learning environment where expert university and school-based colleagues work side by side to ensure that you have the best possible initial teacher training experience. Successful completion of the programme leads to recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status.
Course features
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Professional accreditation
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Professional practice placements
What you'll study
You will study a range of modules which will fall into one of four strands:
- Studentship – you will develop effective higher education study skills and take ownership of your own academic development. Exploring the significance of research in education and its impact on policy and practice, you will develop and carry out your own small-scale, practice-based research project
- Values in Education – you will consider the values that underpin primary education and consider historical, political and social influences. As you begin to develop your own personal values as a professional teacher you will consider how these might influence your approach to teaching and to leadership in education
- Professional Studies – you will spend a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements in key stages 1 and 2 in schools and other educational settings. Academic modules that connect directly to professional practice placements will support you in developing the skills, knowledge and understanding associated with meeting the Teachers’ Standards
- Curriculum – a range of varied curriculum modules will provide you with opportunities to develop essential subject knowledge across all subjects in the national curriculum for primary education. You will select a subject specialism to explore in more depth and further individualise your programme by selecting options for focused study. You will consider wider issues related to curriculum such as creativity, working beyond the classroom, and curriculum design.
How you'll study
When you join this part-time programme, you must be employed or volunteering for a minimum of one day per week in a primary school. Your head teacher must agree to support your progress with the degree for the duration of the course.
Your learning experience will include lectures, seminars, workshop sessions and tutorials. This campus-based study will be supported by independent study through the virtual learning environment, along with school-based tasks.
University-based activities will be planned as fortnightly twilight sessions and two full-time study weeks per year. You will also engage with a series of online and school-based tasks as part of each module. Your university-based experiences will be underpinned by reference to current research with some modules giving you the opportunity to engage with your tutors’ current research interests and projects.
You will undertake formally assessed professional practices in your own setting in preparation for a final professional practice in an alternative school. During these experiences you will have opportunities to observe the work of expert practitioners. You will reflect on and discuss this practice with those practitioners and your trained school-based mentor. As you take on increasing responsibilities for children’s learning and development, you will start by working with small groups under the direction of the class teacher and progress to planning for and working with the whole class for significant periods of time, managing the learning of every child.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment strategies will include submitting portfolios of school-based work, written assignments, in-class tests, poster presentations, and group and individual oral presentations.
During professional practice your school-based mentor will assess your development through reflective conversations, reviewing and discussing your planning and assessment records, observing your teaching, and gathering the perspectives of other adults and of the children who work with you.
In all cases, you will be given clear assessment guidance. The assessment criteria will be shared with you and you will be given constructive feedback to help you to set targets and identify actions to help you make further progress.
You will compile an electronic portfolio throughout your degree that builds to become a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate your professional development and your ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.
Who will be teaching you
You will be taught by a range of highly qualified and experienced teachers and tutors who are dedicated to excellence in primary education and who will model high quality practice to enable you to develop your own teaching style.
You will be supported by a partnership trainer in school and a Personal Tutor who will help you to manage your workload, engage with your academic studies, prepare for professional practice placements and secure your first teaching post.
Entry criteria
Entry requirements
Typical offer 96 UCAS Tariff points, for which no specific subjects are required, plus GCSE English Language, Mathematics and Science at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent).
You are expected to have a commitment to, and understanding of, primary education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher.
You should also be able to demonstrate a commitment to ongoing part-time experience in the role of the teaching assistant or learning mentor (voluntary or paid), equivalent to a minimum of one day a week for the school year for the duration of the programme with the approval of the Head Teacher (and their commitment to support your progress).
Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and Mathematics.
An interview forms part of the selection process, which can be conducted online or face to face. The admissions panel will prioritise for interview those with the greatest strengths in relation to:
- Experience of working with children in a primary school setting
- Knowledge of the Primary National Curriculum
- Personal and presentational qualities as well as the use of spoken and written English
- Intellectual and academic ability, supported by a recent academic reference.
If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of ‘Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. Further information will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.
Example offers
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A Level | CCC. |
| BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) | Merit, Merit, Merit (MMM). |
| T Level | Overall grade of Pass (C or above on the core). |
| International Baccalaureate (IB) | We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points. |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | 45 credits at Level 3, for example 45 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations. |
Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.
If you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven't been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.
How to apply
There is an online application process for this course.
Please choose the application form for your preferred intake date and mode of study.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
If you join a full time undergraduate degree at Edge Hill University, we will guarantee you the offer of a room in our halls of residence for the first year of your course.
Discover our accommodation
Facilities
Housed in a state-of-the-art £9million building, the Faculty of Education enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.
Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology. The lakeside building is also home to a popular vegan and vegetarian cafe where students can meet to socialise and discuss their studies.
The nearby piazza building offers modern facilities including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.
Where you'll study
Faculty of Education
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Part-Time
£77 per credit
for 360 credits
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please see our EU student finance page for further details.
Your future career
This degree is accredited by the Department for Education. Successful completion of the programme will enable you to gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Our graduates obtain work in schools across the UK and abroad and we offer excellent support to help you gain your first post as a newly qualified teacher. The programme will prepare you to teach in key stages 1 and 2 in primary schools and support you in developing strong subject knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of primary education.
Before the end of your degree, you will need to complete a Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) which acts as a useful bridge between your initial teacher training programme and your two-year induction as an early career teacher.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
