BA Hons Primary Education (5-11) with QTS

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Liverpool Hope University

Program Overview

The BA (Hons) Primary Education (5–11) with QTS degree prepares you to become a fully qualified primary school teacher — covering all core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum for children aged 5 to 11. It’s ideal if you love working with young learners, want a meaningful career shaping childhood education, and prefer a mix of academic study plus real‑world classroom training.

Curriculum structure

Because this is a professional teaching degree, you’ll combine educational theory, subject knowledge, pedagogy and hands‑on school placements throughout your three years.

Year 1
You’ll begin by working on your professional identity as a future teacher — through modules such as “The Hope Teacher/Initial Professional Development.” This will help you understand how children learn and develop, how to support diverse learners, and how to plan inclusive, engaging lessons. In parallel, you’ll start studying the full breadth of the National Curriculum: core subjects like English, Maths, Science — plus foundation subjects including history, geography, religious education, music, modern languages, computing and more.
Also in Year 1, you’ll begin undertaking early professional placements in partner schools — giving you first‑hand classroom experience and grounding your theoretical learning in real teaching practice.

Year 2
In your second year, you’ll build on those foundations: deepening subject-knowledge and pedagogical skills, while refining how you deliver different parts of the curriculum. The “Enhanced Specialist Area” module lets you begin specialising: for example in special educational needs (SEN), physical education, science, English, or another subject of interest — setting you up to lead in that area in future.
You’ll also continue with professional placements, teaching across different school settings and key stages, which broadens your classroom experience and helps you understand the varied needs of pupils aged 5–11.

Year 3
In the final year, you refine your teaching skills, subject mastery, and professional readiness. The focus will be on advanced pedagogical methods, curriculum design, and preparing to lead learning in different National Curriculum areas. Through placements you’ll gain substantial, assessed teaching experience — by the end you will be ready to enter work as a Qualified Teacher.
If you’re interested in further academic qualification, there’s also an option (for some) to progress to a Master’s level QTS‑qualifying route.

Focus areas

The programme covers: full National Curriculum delivery (English, Maths, Science, plus foundation subjects like history, geography, RE, music, languages, computing), plus enhanced specialism options (SEN, PE, English, Science, etc.), classroom pedagogy, child development & learning psychology, inclusive teaching, and real‑world school experience through placements.

Learning outcomes

By graduating you will: be qualified to teach children aged 5–11 across all National Curriculum subjects; be skilled in lesson planning, classroom management, inclusive education and adapting teaching for different learners; have hands‑on experience from school placements; and be ready to lead subject or specialist-area teaching (e.g. SEN, PE) in a primary school context.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

This course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) — the standard UK qualification for primary school teachers — meaning on graduation you’re eligible to work as a fully qualified teacher in state and independent schools.

Reputation & Employability

Employment outcomes are strong: about 96% of graduates are working or studying 15 months after completing the course.
Graduate earnings are good: around £28,000 on average 15 months after graduation (for teaching‑training graduates at Liverpool Hope).
Feedback from recent students highlights high satisfaction: the course is repeatedly praised for supportive staff, practical teaching experience, and preparation for real‑world teaching roles.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Liverpool Hope, the BA Primary Education (5‑11) with QTS is designed so you don’t just study theories — from early on, you get real classroom experience in real schools. You’ll alternate academic learning with professional placements in partner primary schools, giving you direct, on‑the‑job training in teaching — planning lessons, delivering classes, managing a classroom, and supporting children. As a student here, you’ll graduate not just with a degree but also with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) — the credential you need to teach in primary schools in the UK.

This means that over three years you’ll build both your subject knowledge (in the full Primary curriculum) and practical teaching competence, under guidance of experienced teachers and academic tutors.

What this degree offers — your “on‑the‑ground” advantages

Complete coverage of the Primary National Curriculum — You’ll study all core areas (English, Maths, Science) plus foundation subjects (history, geography, RE, modern languages, music, computing), so you become confident teaching a wide range of topics to 5‑11 year olds.
Specialist focus from Year 2 onward — From the second year you can specialise in areas such as Special Educational Needs (SEN), English, Maths, Physical Education, Science, Early Years or other themes. This allows you to tailor your strengths and interests and prepare for leading these areas in a school context.
Year‑by‑year professional placements in partner schools — Every year includes assessed placements across different age-phases within primary schools, giving you a broad, varied classroom experience. You’ll get hands‑on teaching practice and mentorship.
Preparation for real‑life teaching from day one — The programme includes modules on child development, pedagogy, curriculum design, teaching methodology — preparing you not just academically but professionally to “be a teacher”.
Pathway to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) — On successful completion, you’ll be recommended for QTS — meaning you legally qualify to work as a primary teacher in the UK.
Strong graduate outcomes — Many graduates go on to become teaching professionals. The course consistently reports high student satisfaction with learning opportunities, assessment feedback, support, and resources.

Who this course works best for — and why you might thrive

If you are passionate about working with children, shaping young minds, and committed to teaching across a wide curriculum — this course gives you both the theory and the practical toolkit. You’ll graduate ready to step into a classroom with confidence, having already experienced what teaching in a real primary school feels like. The specialist‑area options give you a chance to develop strengths (say, SEN, PE, or STEM), making you more versatile and employable.

Progression & Future Opportunities

What you can do after graduation: You’ll be qualified to work as a primary school teacher (ages 5–11), and commonly graduates also go into roles like supply teacher, teaching assistant (senior level), education support, or move into leadership and coordination roles in schools or educational institutions.

Why this programme stands out:

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS): On successful completion, you earn QTS — the standard certification required to teach in maintained primary schools in England.
Strong employment outcomes: About 96% of graduates from this course are working or studying 15 months after graduation.
Salary potential: Around 15 months after graduation, typical earnings are about £28,000 (with a common range of £21,000–£30,000). Over 5 years post‑graduation, median earnings trend toward ~£31,000.
Hands‑on teaching experience: The course emphasizes real school placements through partner schools, giving you direct classroom exposure and preparing you to step into teaching roles confidently.
High graduate satisfaction and demand: Students report high relevance of what they learned to their current work, and the vast majority end up in “highly‑skilled” jobs (teaching professionals) soon after graduation.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this degree, you could consider:

Postgraduate courses such as a Master’s in Education, Leadership in Education, Special Educational Needs, or Curriculum & Pedagogy — which can lead to senior roles, maybe as head of year/department or educational policy/administration.
Additional professional qualifications (e.g., specialist certifications) for special needs education, educational leadership, or international teaching credentials — widening your career scope beyond classroom teaching.
Teacher‑training roles or educational consultancy/training roles, especially if you enjoy curriculum design or teacher development.