BA/BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary)
Scotland’s newest Education Studies (Primary) degree provides a fresh, innovative approach to teacher education, recognising the rewards and challenges that teaching presents in the 21st century. The dynamic course will give you the expertise, confidence and professional qualification you need to teach in primary schools.
Why QMU?
- This course offers a forward-looking, evidence-based approach to teacher training.
- Our teaching degree is distinctive in its forward-looking focus on education in community settings, as well as in schools, and builds on our strong existing collaborations with local and national community organisations.
- This is an intellectually inspiring course that is your first step on a rewarding career in education.
- A curriculum and ethos suited to those with a social conscience who want to engage with socio-political issues and make a difference.
On this course you will:
- Develop the skills, confidence and passion to make a real difference in the lives of young learners as a teacher.
- Study contemporary issues in education, psychology and sociology to develop a sound knowledge base of children’s developmental pathways and the range of factors that affect them.
- Gain an understanding of how pedagogic theory and knowledge informs classroom practices at early years and primary school level.
- Develop a detailed knowledge of all areas of the curriculum, including outdoor learning and become skillful at integrating literacy, numeracy and wellbeing throughout your teaching.
- Benefit from practical experience in educational and community settings, learning how to build positive relationships with children and work alongside other professionals.
- Develop your academic literacies including digital and data literacy.
- Develop research skills to enable you to develop as an autonomous, critically thinking, reflective professional.
The course offers an approach to teaching that is founded in evidence-based research in the social sciences. If you want a career as a primary school teacher where you will genuinely make a difference in the world and inspire our future citizens, this course is for you.
This course is about more than simply preparing you to inspire a class of young learners; it will engage you in the wider socio-political issues that affect education on every level and how this in turn influences educational outcomes for children.
Our education courses draw on our expertise in, and focus on, wellbeing, resilience, child welfare and inequality. You will learn how to assess individual needs and plan inclusive learning experiences taking account of diversity and difference.
This is a fresh, modern and ambitious approach to teacher education. We hope you feel as passionate about this new direction as we do and look forward to receiving your application. At QMU we are committed to widening access to education and we welcome applications from all backgrounds and genders.
You will study for four years to become qualified to work as a primary school teacher. Progression into Year Two will be dependent on successfully completing all modules, placements and a reflective report in Year One. If, after the first year you decide not to pursue teaching there is an option to transfer to our Education Studies course. This is a broad based social sciences degree with an emphasis on broader aspects of education.
Year One
You will:
- Begin to develop and understanding of education theory.
- Complete a 5 day (or equivalent) Community-based education experience. See 'Placement' tab for more information on this.
- Work towards a qualification in British Sign Language (BSL).
Modules
- Introduction in Education Studies in 21st Century
- Developing Academic Literacies for Learning
- Introduction to Psychology 1
- Learning through the Lifespan (Primary)
- Sustainable Human Behaviour Learning for Sustainability
- Diversity, Identity and Wellbeing (Education)
Year Two
You will:
- Complete two placements: 4-week introductory placement and a 6-week teaching placement. These are based within the early level and first level of (nursery to primary 3).*
- Develop your knowledge and understanding of numeracy and literacy education as well as early childhood development.
- Develop practical teaching skills in creative education, including expressive arts, drama and health and wellbeing.
*See 'Placement' tab for more information on this.
Modules
- Early Childhood Development and Learning in Context
- Language & Literacy: Theory and Pedagogy
- Society and Sustainable Lifestyles
- Mathematics & Numeracy: Theory and Pedagogy
- The Inclusive Curriculum: Theories of Learning & Teaching
- Creative and Cultural Curriculum in 21st Century
Year Three
You will:
- Complete a 10-week placement in a school with primary 4-5, including whole class teaching.*
- Further develop your skills in literacy and numeracy education.
- Develop your skills as a reflective teacher, in key areas such as planning and inclusive practices.
*See 'Placement' tab for more information on this.
Modules
- The Creative Curriculum: Planning for Assessment and Continuity
- Languages, Literacy and Children’s Literature
- Everyday Life Contexts: A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics
- Teacher as Reflective Practitioner
- Inclusive Practice: Difference and Diversity
Year Four
You will:
- Complete a further 10-week placement in a school with primary 6-7*.
- Complete a 3-week (or equivalent hours) community-based education experience*.
- Look at the role of a teacher in working with other professional agencies (eg education psychologists and social workers).
- Carry out a Professional Enquiry into Practice linked between your school placements and community-based experience.
*See 'Placement' tab for more information on this.
Modules
- Teaching as Professional: Inter-agency Working
- A Global Curriculum: Planning a Pedagogy for Social Justice
- Community-based Education
- Professional Enquiry into Practice
Teaching, learning and assessment
You will learn through lectures, seminars, workshops, enquiry-based, student-led activity, independent study, online group tutorials, school experience/community placements. An innovative feature of the course is the incorporation of outdoor learning that includes a Forest and Outdoor Learning Award, as well as the opportunity to undertake a British Sign Language course. Assessment methods are varied, including essays, reports, presentations, blogs and audiovisual submissions.
Placements
School experience
- School experience is a core element of the course.
- You will complete a total of 30 weeks school experience split into three blocks across the four years.
- School placements are allocated through the Student Placement System (SPS) which is automated and administered by the General Teaching Council, Scotland (GTCS).
- Placements are allocated by matching students to schools based on information provided by universities, local authorities and schools. Placements are based on a student’s term-time address and students are not required to travel in excess of 90 minutes each way to a school placement.
- Students are not permitted to seek placements independently.
- Students are continually assessed throughout each school experience by maintaining a professional development portfolio.
- All students are supported on placement by school and university tutors.
Community experience
- Undertaking a community-based education experience is a unique aspect of this course and enables students to learn about the integration of formal and informal education through a range of community projects.
- In Year One you will complete a 5-day (or equivalent) Community-based education experience
- In Year Four you will arrange and complete a minimum of three weeks (or equivalent hours) community-based experience.
- Students are responsible for sourcing the placement host organisation that can be in the UK or abroad. To help with the process, we hold a recruitment event on campus to help pair you with a suitable organisation.
- Students are responsible for any travel expenses to and from their school placements.
Careers
You will graduate fully qualified to work as a primary school teacher.
By law graduates must register with the GTCS before they can be employed as a teacher in a Scottish education authority nursery, primary, secondary or special school. A teacher’s fitness to teach (ie in terms of conduct) will be considered at the point of application for registration.
Graduates will be provisionally registered with GTCS, and Home/RUK/ROI students will be eligible to join the Teacher Induction Scheme and undertake a one-year induction in a Scottish primary school to become fully registered with the GTCS.
For information on teacher’s salaries in Scotland, visit the Teach in Scotland website.
Entry requirements
Scottish Higher: Standard - ABBB, Minimum: BBBB
A Level: BBC
Irish Leaving Certificate (ILC): H2 H2 H2 H3
International Baccalaureate: 30 points
International: IELTS of 6.0 with no element lower than 5.5
Required subjects:
- Higher English grade B AND Maths at Nat 5
- A levels: GCSE English Literature B/6 AND GCSE English Language B/6 AND GCSE Maths B/6
- ILC: English H2 AND Maths O3
Am I a Widening Access student?: We apply the minimum entry criteria to applicants who meet one or more contextual factor. To see if this would apply to you, please refer to the access and application page.
Mature/Access: We welcome applications from mature students with relevant qualifications or experience. Visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page for more information.
Direct Entry:
Year One
- HNC in a related subject with B in the graded unit, plus Higher English B and Maths S/Int2/Nat 5 C or equivalent. Visit our College Leavers and Mature Students Advice page for more information.
Year Two
- There may be limited places for applicants with HNC Childhood Practice (120 SCQF credits), A in the graded unit, evidence of 40 placement hours, plus Higher English B and Maths Nat 5 C.
Other requirements: A satisfactory criminal records check is required.
Open Day presentation
Please note:
• The modules listed here are correct at time of posting (Feb 2022) but may differ slightly to those offered in 2023. Please check back here for any updates.
• The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2023/24 Entry Terms and Conditions (Undergraduate).
• Teaching staff may be subject to change.
