Program Overview

---

Primary Education with QTS - BA (Hons)

Overview

This exciting degree provides you with a variety of opportunities to explore your interests and develop core skills and experience in Primary and Early Years teaching.

What's covered in this course?

Our course offers you the chance to gain the professional qualification of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) as well as a degree, helping you walk into your dream job as a primary school teacher immediately after graduating from university.

This course allows you to specialise in age phases 3-7 or 5-11, qualifying you to deliver primary education in schools and early years settings and gives you the opportunity to work in a Special Educational Needs school.

Your placements in local schools in the wider Birmingham area give you practical experience right from the start of this training course. We believe working in schools with experienced teachers and children is key to developing you into a committed, creative and confident teacher with existing relationships to benefit from when seeking employment after graduation.

Our course is underpinned by a commitment to your well-being and achievement in a supportive and nurturing environment. Your learning will be led by highly experienced tutors who facilitate a wide range of practical experience and taught sessions to engage you in reflective and critical evaluation of research, policy and practice. You will be well supported during the course in your journey to becoming an outstanding teacher.

Why Choose Us?

• We have partnerships across the West Midlands, which means that you can benefit from training in a range of schools and early years settings, preparing you for work a wide variety of schools.
• Practical hands-on experience in schools right from the first year of your programme.
• Study in our specialist facilities such as the Primary Innovation Room, art room and Primary Science Lab.
• We have international links in countries such as Spain, France and Germany to enable you to experience primary education in another country if you wish.
• We meet the Department for Education's (DfE) Criteria for Initial Teacher Training and successful candidates on our Initial Teacher Training courses will be recommended to the DfE for Qualified Teacher Status.

Similar Courses

• Early Childhood Studies - BA (Hons)
• Education Studies - BA (Hons)
• Working with Children, Young People and Families - BA (Hons)
• Conductive Education - BA (Hons)
• Secondary Science (Biology) with QTS

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

• Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points.
• Accelerate offer: 80 UCAS Tariff points.

Applicants will also need to complete an interview for this course.

If your level 3 qualifications do not meet the UCAS Tariff for this course, you may be offered a place on our Foundation Year instead.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Successful candidates must meet Department for Education requirements for Initial Teacher Training prior to enrolling on this course. This includes obtaining a satisfactory occupational health check and an enhanced DBS check, as well as prohibition and children’s barred list checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance.

GCSE and other level 2 requirements

In addition to the A Level, BTEC and other level 3 requirements below, applicants for this course also need GCSE English Language or English Literature, GCSE Maths and GCSE Science at grade C/4 or above.

A Level, BTEC and other level 3 requirements

• A Level: 112 UCAS Tariff points from three A Levels
• Pearson BTEC (Diploma / Extended Diploma/ Extended Certificate): 112 UCAS Tariff points
• T Level: Merit overall
• Access to HE Diploma: Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3
• OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 112 UCAS Tariff points
• NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 112 UCAS Tariff points
• WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 112 UCAS Tariff points
• Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers): Minimum of 112 UCAS Tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects
• Scottish Higher / Advanced Higher: 112 UCAS Tariff points from three Advanced Highers (CCD) or two Advanced Highers (CD) plus two Highers (CC)
• Welsh Baccalaureate: 112 UCAS Tariff points
• UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma: Merit overall

Fees & How to Apply

UK students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study.
• The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
• Award: BA (Hons)
• Starting: Sep 2025
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 3 years
• Fees: £9,535 in 2025/26

International students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study.
• The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.
• Award: BA (Hons)
• Starting: Sep 2025
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 3 years
• Fees: £17,690 in 2025/26

Course in Depth

Year One

• An Introduction to Core (40 credits)
• The Developing Child (20 credits)
• The Emerging Teacher (20 credits)
• Understanding the Foundation Curriculum (20 credits)
• Subject Learning and Teaching (20 credits)
• School Based Training 1 (0 credits)

Year Two

• Promoting Progress in Core (40 credits)
• Assessing and Reporting (20 credits)
• Special Educational Needs and Disability and Inclusion (20 credits)
• Developing the Foundation Curriculum (20 credits)
• Subjects in Action (20 credits)
• School Based Training 2 (0 credits)

Year Three

• Critical Issues in Core (40 credits)
• Current Issues in Education (20 credits)
• Creative Teaching in the Foundation Curriculum (20 credits)
• Research in Education (40 credits)
• School Based Training 3 (0 credits)

Employability

Enhancing your employability skills

On the BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS programme you will experience a wide variety of learning and teaching approaches that are designed to develop your confidence, knowledge and skills as you progress through the course.

We will support you in the transition to university through a careful induction process, confidence building activities, group work and a carefully planned programme with a range of formative and summative assessments.

Your programme will be interactive, practical, engaging, thought provoking and challenging and is designed to promote independence so that you become a confident, committed and creative teacher ready to join the teaching profession.

Placements

We have developed a shared vision for educational excellence with the schools in our partnership. You will benefit from working with and learning from outstanding classroom teachers in schools and at University. Working in schools with teachers and children is key to you becoming a committed, creative and confident teacher.

The new concept for the school based elements of the programme provide greater opportunities to spend time in school. Over the three years, you will spend some days in your allocated school to allow you to get to know the school and pupils before starting your block placement. On your block placements you will start working with individuals and small groups building to more and more whole class teaching and responsibility over time. This will enable you to develop reflective practice, confidence, knowledge and skills drawing closely from the curriculum sessions in university.

Facilities & Staff

Our facilities

This course is primarily based at our City Centre Campus, in the Benjamin Zephaniah Building (formerly University House), however, for some practical activities, such as sport, cookery or science lab sessions, you may be based at our City South Campus in Edgbaston, or the Alexander Stadium and Doug Ellis Sports Centre in Perry Barr.

Our staff

• Dr Kate Glanville
• David Grist
• Gary Pykitt
• Dr Imran Mogra
• Liz Lawrence
• Mark Stares