Early Education Primary (3-7) with QTS BA (Hons)
 Early Education Primary (3-7) with QTS.jpg)
UCAS Code: X102|Duration: 3|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Work placement opportunities|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
Our Early Education (3-7) with Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) degree will give you the skills to engage, motivate and inspire children.
The three-year degree will equip you with the depth of knowledge, skills and understanding required to become an outstanding and ambitious Primary Teacher with a specialism in Early Years and Key Stage 1. You will be given opportunities to gain significant teaching experience in a wide range of our partner schools.
From your second year, you have the opportunity to develop in an area of interest: communication, language and literacy. This will develop your knowledge and understanding as well as your teaching skills and prepare you for leadership.
At Hope, we aspire to enable teachers who are creative, proactive and reflective practitioners. As an ambitious Hope Teacher, you will have moral purpose and an enthusiastic, innovative, flexible and collaborative approach to learning and teaching indoors and outdoors.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, and seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students.
As well as classroom-based study, you also spend time on placement in our partner schools. Your placements are organised in relation to your training needs and often with a school partner. This system allows you to work closely with colleagues to support each other with planning and teaching.
Alongside the yearly block placement you will also benefit from Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) opportunities. These give you the opportunity to explore an aspect of pivotal knowledge/skill in greater depth.
There are six ITAPs in the UG programme. These are carefully sequenced to allow you to consolidate and develop in your craft of teaching as you move through the different phases of the course.
In school, you will have the support of a dedicated school-based mentor, while at University you will also have a professional placement tutor who will be on hand to support you.
In addition to teaching hours you will be expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
Assessment and feedback
Throughout your three years of study you will have a number of assessments, including formal written exams, essays, portfolios, poster presentations, a professional viva, case studies; and a dissertation.
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
Year One
Initial Professional Development
This theme allows you the opportunity to study the key educational theory and pioneers of Early Years education. You will look at child development in the Prime Areas and study the legal responsibilities for safeguarding and welfare of young children.
The Hope Teacher
You are introduced to policy and practice in education, promotion participation of all learners. You also explore contemporary perspectives on language and vocabulary development.
Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy
This topic introduces you to key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the requirements of the Primary Curriculum from EYFS to the beginning of Key Stage 3. You also study Early Years Specific and the primary teaching of foundation subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages, P.E, Art, History, Geography, Music and Computing.
Professional Placement Learning
You will have a six week placement in one of our partner schools. You have approximately 6 school familiarisation days getting to know your class and teacher.
ITAPs
ITaPs in year one focus on pivotal concepts of Early Reading and Phonics, Early Mathematics, Curriculum Design- Planning and Adaptive Teaching- Science.
Year Two
The Hope Teacher
Your second year develops a range of pedagogical approaches. You will look at how children learn creatively through risk and challenge, including international approaches.
Initial Professional Development
You will look at effective learning environments and promoting positive relationships. You study the theories and principles of pupil progress and adaptive teaching, effective assessment in the EYFS and Primary School, securing impact for all learners.
Subject Knowledge, Curriculum and Pedagogy
This theme teaches you how to identify and plan for progression, to meet the needs of the unique child. You will develop skills of effective curriculum design and planning. You explore phase and subject-specific strategies for organisation and management, as well as resources to support effective educational models of teaching and learning. You continue to study EYFS and primary teaching including Art, Computing, Geography, History, P.E and Religious Education.
Enhanced Specialism area in Early Years
The ESA for Early Education is the national priority of communication, language and literacy.
Professional Placement Learning
You will have a placement in one of our partner schools. You have a seven-week block placement, one-week placement induction an enabling environments enhanced placement and a one-week Special Educational Needs setting placement and a Multi-lingual focused placement.
ITAPs
ITAPs in year two continue the focus on the pivotal skill of planning for progress and scaffolding for multilingual learners.
Year Three
The Hope Teacher
Your final year teaches you the philosophies of education and contemporary issues/debates of the different notions/purposes of education. You will explore critical perspectives on the role of early year’s educator.
Initial Professional Development
During this theme, you look at the theoretical underpinning and associated national policy and guidelines of education. You critically reflect on key theories, associated research and teaching strategies, as well as the nature and evolving purposes of teaching and learning in the twenty-first century. You will learn about the theoretical foundations of teaching and learning initiatives and professional ethics. You also discover how to use data to inform planning, and current issues pertinent to initial and continuing professional development.
Subject Knowledge, Curriculum and Pedagogy
You gain an advanced understanding of how children develop their knowledge. You also study in-depth topics such as assessment, inclusion, diversity and partnerships with parents. You will learn how to develop creativity in the early years and primary curriculum, and how to take a creative and constructively critical approach to innovation. You explore innovative practice in Early Years and its relationship to developing the curriculum across the primary phases.
Enhanced Specialism Area
Staying with your chosen specialism area you will look at contemporary Early Years leadership and management aspects and the nature of educational enquiry.
Professional Placement Learning
You will have a 12 week block placement in one of our partner schools.
ITAPs
ITaPs in year three focus on pivotal concepts of targeted assessment to support children with SEND and curriculum design.
Entry requirements
| A-Levels | BBB |
|---|---|
| UCAS Tariff Points | 120 UCAS Tariff points must come from a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent). Additional points can be made up from a range of alternative qualifications. |
| BTEC | DDM |
| Access to HE | 120 Tariff Points |
| IB | 24 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
| T-Levels | Merit |
| Subject Requirements | You will require a GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent) in English, Mathematics and Science (Grade 4 or above in the new grading system). Alternative equivalency tests or assessments for English, mathematics and science (where required) may be considered to meet the GCSE requirements. Please contact us for further information if you hold, or intend to apply for, an equivalency test or assessment. Offers will be subject to a successful interview, as well as a Health Check Statement and an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. |
Enhancement opportunities
Work Placement Opportunities
Each year you will complete at least one block placement. Each placement enables you to gain a broad experience teaching across the Early Years' Foundation Stage and Key Stage One. You will also have the opportunity to complete enhanced placements.
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
Opportunities to study abroad outside of the taught environment with our international partners. This opportunity is self - funded.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
On top of tuition fees you will need approximately £200 for travelling to your placements. You also need approximately £200 for purchasing of core textbooks. There is also a cost for the optional short placement abroad, costs vary dependent on location and will be fully discussed with you beforehand.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at University.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.