Primary Education

Course details
The BA Primary Education ensures that what we teach is informed by a range of high-quality research evidence.
The Primary Education degree is ideal if you are committed to a teaching career in a primary school. You will complete a minimum of 120 days school experience, including training about whole-school issues that affect children’s learning environment. You will also engage in Intensive Training and Practice opportunities which strengthen links between evidence and classroom practice.
Develop your expertise and deepen your knowledge at one of the UK’s leading Schools of Education. Gain all the knowledge, skills and experience you’ll need to become a first-rate primary teacher or choose a multidisciplinary course that takes a broader look at the role of education in society.
The degree programme offers the opportunity to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and this is awarded through an accredited provider, Newcastle University.

Why Durham University?
At Durham University, our vision is to be a leader in the development of high-quality teachers who aspire, through their scholarly, reflective and inspirational practice, to make a difference to the lives of their students, both now and in the future.
To achieve this vision, Durham’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) curriculum is co-designed and delivered in collaboration between university-based and school-based expert colleagues.
The Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) explains the areas of expertise that trainees need to learn during the ITT year, as a minimum entitlement.
The careful integration of all elements of the ITTECF forms the core of Durham’s BA Primary Education curriculum. Durham’s ITT curriculum places great emphasis on enhancing trainees’ subject knowledge and teaching for understanding – trainees ‘learn that’ and ‘learn how to’.
Central to our teaching qualifications is the partnership between the University and schools in the area. We work with a diverse network of schools covering a wide geographical area

Rankings
Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2026
21 subjects in the World Top 100 (QS World University Rankings 2025)
5th in the UK Complete University Guide 2026
5th in the UK Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
6th in the Guardian University Guide 2025

Careers Opportunities
Our students graduate with a broad range of transferable skills which open the door to careers across a wide range of sectors in the education sector and beyond.
Our BA in Primary Education offers the opportunity to gain Qualified Teacher Status with most graduates progressing directly into teaching. Graduates of the BA in Education Studies degrees move into a diverse range of roles including educational research, publishing, education administration, policy making and management as well as roles in the commercial or public sector.
Some students choose further study, progressing to doctoral programmes, while others choose a Masters degree or a PGCE in primary or secondary education.