Primary Education (3-7 years) BA(Hons) with QTS

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Brighton

Program Overview

Program Overview
This degree qualifies you as a primary school teacher with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status), giving you the skills to inspire and support young learners. It’s an ideal choice if you’re passionate about child development, creative teaching, and want a career where you can make a lasting impact.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
Your first year introduces you to how children learn and how to plan engaging lessons. You study modules such as Education Studies: How Children Learn, English and Language Acquisition, Exploring Learning and Teaching in Mathematics and Computing, and Teaching Primary Science. You’ll also complete your first school-based training placement, giving you early classroom experience and confidence in supporting children’s learning.

Year 2
You’ll explore diversity, inclusion, curriculum design, and how to support different learners in the classroom. Key modules include Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment, Deepening Subject and Pedagogic Knowledge to Impact on Children’s Mathematical Understanding, and Curriculum Design and Enhanced Practice in Foundation Subjects and RE. Your second school placement involves increased teaching responsibility, allowing you to deliver lessons more independently.

Year 3
In your final year, you move towards being an independent teacher, taking on a full (or near-full) teaching timetable during your major school placement. You study advanced modules such as Contemporary Developments, Theories and Practices in Primary English and Contemporary Issues in the Teaching and Learning of Primary Mathematics. By the end of the year, you’ll be fully prepared to step confidently into your first teaching role.

Focus areas:
Primary teaching for ages 3–7 (or 5–11 depending on route), child development, inclusive classroom practice, core primary curriculum subjects, reflective teaching practice, and extensive school-based training.

Learning outcomes:
Graduates leave able to plan and deliver effective lessons across primary subjects, create inclusive learning environments, apply theory into real teaching, reflect on their practice, and meet the professional standards needed to gain QTS and begin a teaching career with confidence.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

If you’re looking for a degree that prepares you to step confidently into the classroom from day one, the BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS at the University of Brighton is designed around hands-on experience. You won’t just learn about teaching—you’ll be in real classrooms, teaching children, using specialist facilities and resources that mirror primary school environments. Right from Year 1, you’ll combine university-based training with carefully structured school placements, gradually building from observing and assisting to independently planning and leading learning.

You’ll also have access to purpose-built spaces including specialist classrooms for science, art, design & technology, and performance, which are set up like real primary school learning environments. Brighton’s Curriculum Centre is another huge asset—packed with thousands of teaching materials, children’s books, games, and digital resources you can borrow to support your lesson planning and creativity.

Three structured school placements across the 3-year course, increasing in length and responsibility—from an initial short placement in Year 1 to a substantial final block placement where you’ll teach up to 75% of a timetable.
A strong mentoring system, including a university tutor and a school-based mentor to support your professional development during each placement.
Use of a specialist Curriculum Centre, containing extensive teaching resources such as storybooks, curriculum guides, classroom tools, and digital materials to help plan and enhance lessons.
Specialist teaching rooms on campus, including science labs, art and design studios, a design & technology workshop, and performance spaces that replicate real primary-school environments.
Training with digital teaching and learning tools, including an e-portfolio system you’ll use to record your progress, plan lessons, and reflect on your practice.
Subject-specific workshops and modules that help you develop deep knowledge in areas such as mathematics, phonics, computing, science, and foundation subjects—preparing you to teach with confidence across the primary curriculum.
A wide network of partner schools, allowing placements in a variety of school settings so you experience different teaching environments, styles, and pupil communities.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from the BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS at the University of Brighton move directly into rewarding teaching careers, with most securing roles within months of finishing the degree. You’ll qualify with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), meaning you are fully recognised to teach in state-maintained primary schools across England and Wales. This degree sets you up for a long-term, successful future in education and leadership.

Strong employment prospects – a very high percentage of Primary Education with QTS graduates from Brighton gain their first teaching post soon after qualifying, supported by the school-based training included throughout the degree.
Accreditation value – the QTS awarded upon graduation is officially recognised and ensures you are fully qualified to teach in primary schools, giving you a secure and in-demand career pathway.
Outstanding school partnerships – Brighton has long-established partnerships with over 600 schools and educational organisations, giving you varied placement opportunities and direct routes into employment through networking and school-based experience.
Practical career support – you’ll be guided by the University of Brighton’s specialist education careers advisors, including support with job applications, interview preparation, and securing your first teaching role.
Professional growth – this degree builds the skills needed for future progression into roles such as subject leadership, mentoring trainee teachers, or moving into senior leadership positions later in your career.

Further Academic Progression:
Graduates can advance their expertise with postgraduate study, typically in areas such as Educational Leadership, Inclusive Education, Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND), or a Master’s in Education (MA Ed). Many also progress to further professional qualifications that support career development into senior leadership, educational consultancy, or teacher training roles in the future.