Primary Education (With QTS)

Our education courses rank in the UK top 5 overall in their subject field (The Guardian University Guide, 2026).

This course is designed to help you become a creative, innovative and reflective teacher of primary-school children aged 5-11. It equips you with the knowledge, skills and understanding you need to take on this important role and help young children make sense of the world. You will learn through taught sessions and supported teaching practice where you apply the theory you have learnt in educational settings, developing your knowledge and skills to teach the national curriculum across Key Stages 1 and 2.

Course accreditation

This course is accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) and meets the requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Mock classrooms with specialist technology so you can watch and assess your lesson.

• Forest School where you can deepen your understanding of the long-term educational benefits of outdoor learning opportunities.

• Specialist Early Years and Sensory Centre to support your understanding of how teachers teach and children learn, within early years and SEND contexts.

• Multimedia space for webinars and podcasting.

• Sports facilities including a sports arena, multi-use games areas, sports pitches and playing fields.

• 80-seat black-box theatre and 260-seat professional theatre for drama-based activities.

Career-powered links

As one of the largest providers of teacher education in the eastern region, we have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations, including lead training partnership agreements for closer collaborations.

You also benefit from our regular, on-going collaboration with the local education authorities for Bedford and Central Bedfordshire, and the National Association of Primary Educators (NAPE).

This network puts us ahead when it comes to national priorities, issues and developments in educational practice.

Our lead training partners have regular, on-going involvement with our students including contributing to placement, course delivery, and on-campus visits, talks and masterclasses.

We also work closely with Martin Bacon Academy, a special education school in Northstowe; Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust (BILTT); and Trauma-Informed Schools UK, who provide training in creating settings where people feel safe, understood and are able to thrive.

Your student experience

Learn from an experienced teaching team that includes previous early years and primary teachers as well as middle and senior leaders within schools and early years settings.

Learn through taught sessions, supported teaching practice and independent learning, applying theory to your teaching practice.

At the University, you benefit from the support of your own personal tutor as well as a unit and course coordinator.

On placement, mentors and University partnership liaison tutors support you in teaching individuals, small groups and classes.

Gain hands-on experience of teaching through four ‘Broadening Experience’ placements (one per year) in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS); Key Stage 3 (KS3); a enrichment placement related to your chosen elective; and a final personalised placement.

Benefit from conference days with guest speakers talking on subjects ranging from employability to SEND provision, wellbeing to lesson planning.

Take learning outside the classroom with our on-site Forest School.

Extend your learning through relevant field trips to places you would be likely to take your pupils, such as theatres, museums and art galleries.

Course modules

Year 1
Child development and theories of learning – Through observing children learning, explore how they develop over time – physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Early literacy and reading – Prepare to be a teacher of early literacy with good subject knowledge across grammar and punctuation, reading and systematic, synthetic phonics. Mathematics and science – Develop your subject knowledge of maths and science alongside your practical teaching skills. Professional studies: multi-dimensional classrooms – Learn the core skills and knowledge to be a reflective, resilient teacher delivering dynamic classroom practice.

Year 2
Literacy in the primary school – Gain ideas for teaching literacy in primary school, including effective ways to plan lessons in writing and comprehension. Further mathematics and science – Continue to develop your subject and teaching knowledge of maths and science within the primary curriculum. Professional studies: planning for learning across subjects – Prepare to teach foundation subjects like physical education, art, computing, music, RE and the humanities. Meeting the needs of individual children – Explore inclusion and the opportunities it offers to promote good progress and outcomes across all pupils.

Year 3
Exploring core subjects – Continue to develop your teaching skills, subject knowledge and theoretical understanding in English, mathematics and science. Research for teaching – Research an area of personal educational interest and run a small-scale project designed to enhance your teaching and improve pupils’ learning. Professional studies: preparing to work with children in the 21st century – Develop the skills to be an autonomous, reflective and adaptive long-term professional.

In Year 3, you can also choose from three optional units:
Primary SEND enhancement
Primary foundation-subjects enhancement
Leading high-quality teaching in the early year.

Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• National College for Teaching and Leadership

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Has qualified teacher status