Masters degrees in Primary Education equip postgraduates with the skills to engage with and reflect upon strategies for improving education practise and policy within primary or elementary schools.
Taught MA and MEd (Master of Education) degrees are typical for the field. Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, such as Education or Communications.
The Primary Education (Policy and Practice) MA meets the rapidly changing needs of professionals educating young children, in examining critically the bases for current practices in primary schools, providing insight into international developments in primary education and in offering opportunities to work with leading researchers and practitioners in the field.
The Primary Education (Policy and Practice) MA offers opportunities to engage with the latest research and international debate concerning curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and its implications for professional practice in primary education. Students will develop knowledge and skills to evaluate and conduct educational research related to their professional interests and develop their own perspectives as leaders in primary education.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), and either a dissertation (60 credits) and one optional module (30 credits), or a report (30 credits) and two optional modules (60 credits). Some modules are available to study remotely.
Core modules
Optional modules
A range of optional modules is available to students each year. Students can select optional modules to reflect their personal and professional interests. Recommended modules taken by students in recent years include:
Other modules are also possible - please contact the programme leader,%[email protected], for advice.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in primary education (policy and practice). The project culminates in a dissertation of 20,000 words or a report of 10,000 words on a topic agreed with their tutor.
Teaching and learning
A range of learning and teaching approaches is employed across the programme, including lectures, student presentations, group discussion, directed reading/writing tasks and contributions to the Virtual Learning Environment, designed to promote active engagement and capitalise on participants' diverse backgrounds. Student performance is assessed through coursework assignments and the dissertation/report.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Primary Education (Policy and Practice) MA
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of this programme are currently working in a broad range of careers, both nationally and internationally. Many have leadership roles in schools, for example as school mentors for early career teachers, subject leaders, phase co-ordinators, assistant head teachers or head teachers. Others work as education advisers and consultants across a range of schools or as inspectors and policymakers at both local and national levels. Graduates can also be found working as researchers, lecturers and teacher educators in higher education and in educational services outside schools such as museums, publishing or children's support services.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Participation in the programme fosters the development of a number of key skills and personal qualities important in a range of professional contexts including:
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The Department of Learning and Leadership at UCL Institute of Education (IOE) has developed an internationally recognised reputation for early childhood and pre-school and primary education studies.
The department has a vibrant teaching programme, providing opportunities for specialist study of early years and primary education in initial teacher education and at graduate and doctoral levels. It offers a range of enriching events including research seminars and conferences in the field.
In all its work, the department is strongly committed to working in partnership with government agencies, education authorities, schools, early years and community groups and other departments within the IOE.
This programme will prepare students in line with the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (2012) for the award of QTS. UCL works in partnership with around 350 primary schools to enable Primary PGCE students to fully prepare to be a primary teacher. We encourage a wide range of students to study for the Primary PGCE, and have a good record of attracting traditionally under-represented groups.
Our Primary PGCE develops effective, confident teachers whose classroom practice is informed by an advanced knowledge of educational theory, and who will continue to learn and reflect throughout their careers. We will help students to acquire the skills and expertise to support children’s learning, prepare them to teach in an inclusive urban environment, provide professional development in all national curriculum subjects and ensure that students show a concern for professional values and demonstrate the positive attitudes and behaviour expected from pupils.
Students undertake two Master’s-level (level 7) modules as part of the PGCE, with a total of 60 Master’s credits on successful completion.
The programme consists of three core modules, two at Master’s-level (level 7) and one at Undergraduate-level (level 6) and three school placements.
Where less than 60 credits are achieved at level 7, but are successfully passed at level 6, a Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PgCE) - including a QTS recommendation - will be awarded. Students who complete the level 7 modules but fail the Professional Practice module will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) which excludes the QTS.
Core modules
Optional modules
Placement
As part of the programme students will spend time on placements at schools or Early Years Centres, during which time their teaching experience will be supported by a tutor and mentor. Students will spend 120 days on placements.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered via a combination of lectures, workshops, tutorials and self-study. Students will be supported though a virtual learning environment and will participate in school placements. Assessment is through assignments, presentations, audits, feedback and tutorials. A final assessment is based on a range of evidence including observations of teaching, assignments, subject knowledge development, professional conduct and responses to self-study.
Further information on modules and programme structure is available on the department website: PGCE Primary
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the UCL Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Most are working as classroom teachers and mentors to PGCE students, while others have jobs as deputy and assistant headteachers. Graduates in this area can also be found working as headteachers and educational consultants.
Recent career destinations for this programme
Employability
The Primary PGCE was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2013. IOE student teachers are rated highly by headteachers across London and beyond.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
Students on the Primary PGCE programme benefit enormously from the complementary skills and expertise of staff in partnership schools and at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE). The schools offer placements for teaching experience, and their teachers serve as tutors, mentors and joint assessors for our student teachers. IOE tutors have extensive experience of teaching, school management, inspection, research and consultancy.
Primary PGCE students can gain experience of teaching across one or more key stages; the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2; lower Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 9) and upper Key Stage 2 (ages 9 to 11). Students will learn to teach all the primary curriculum subjects. They will also select one subject for specialist study from the range that we offer (i.e. Children’s Literature and Language, English Language and Literacy, French, Geography, Mathematics, Music, New Media and Computing, Religious Education, Values and Identity and Science).
Accreditation:
Students who successfully complete this programme will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
PGCE Primary will train you to teach children aged 5 to 11.
This ten-month course provides training in all primary-stage National Curriculum subjects, with a particular focus on mathematics, English and science. It leads to both a postgraduate qualification and qualified teacher status (QTS).
The course combines master's-level academic study of primary education with a range of practical experiences. A significant amount of your time will be spent in partnership schools developing practical teaching skills with the support of trained mentors and experienced teachers. This course is run in partnership with more than 200 local primary schools which allows us to personalise your school experience to your individual needs.
Your practical training will be underpinned by education theories, ideas and concepts, and by enhancing your awareness of current educational issues and developments.
The course will provide the range of experiences necessary to support and guide you as you develop into an excellent primary teacher with:
Professional studies are a central component of the course, covering topics such as:
You will spend a significant amount of time studying each of the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. You will also spend time studying religious education, PE, history, geography, art, music, and design and technology. We use the expertise of experienced teachers from our partnership schools to complement the teaching of University-based sessions.
Your University tutors, who are all highly experienced Primary practitioners, will provide excellent support for your academic work and your personal development. School mentors will provide advice and guidance whilst you are on placement. The culture of team working and best practice sharing amongst students will provide you with a support network available when you need it the most.
The structure of our Primary PGCE includes both school-based and University-based learning. You will also need to undertake self-directed study in the evenings and weekends, such as background reading, creating lesson plans and completing written assignments.
The course is run in partnership with more than 200 local primary schools and you will spend more than 50% of your time in primary schools on placements. When on placement, you will observe and teach classes under the guidance of an experienced primary teacher. You will also have a mentor to help you to plan lessons, deal with marking and assessment and improve your teaching skills.
Our partnership schools are located across Greater Manchester, including Bolton, Trafford, Tameside, Manchester, Bury, Stockport, Rochdale, Salford and Oldham, and also north Cheshire and south Lancashire.
In University-based sessions, a wide range of teaching methods are used, including seminars, group discussion, practical workshops, lectures and presentations. You will be an active participant and driver in your own professional development.
You will be assessed during your school placements and you will receive high-quality feedback to enhance your development.
Your subject knowledge in English, mathematics and science will be audited regularly and you will also complete assignments relating to the teaching of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). The written assignments will allow you to gain a maximum of 60 master's-level credits and guidance and support to complete these assignments will be available from your University tutors.
Home/EU students may be eligible for a repayable tuition fee loan. Home students in England may also be eligible for a repayable student maintenance loan. The loans support available to PGCE students is similar to what is available for undergraduate students and information about government financial support for undergraduate students is available here .
If you have graduated in the last three years from The University of Manchester with a 1st class honours degree, you may also be eligible for our Alumni Scholarship .
Information about additional funding options for September 2018 will be available on this page shortly.
Your University-based learning will take place at The University of Manchester's Oxford Road campus, adjacent to Manchester's city centre. The campus is easily accessible by road or by an extensive network of public transport including trains, trams and buses.
Our Oxford Road campus is home to The University of Manchester Library and the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. The University's library is one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK. Studying with us will open up a wealth of learning resources to you, including over four million printed books, more than 500,000 ebooks and access to over 40,000 electronic journals and hundreds of online databases.
The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons offers you a stimulating 24/7 environment for study. It is the UK's first digital library and home to the most up-to-date IT facilities, a range of versatile learning spaces and a relaxing cafe area for breaks or meeting friends.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
This programme will prepare students in line with the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (2012) for the award of QTS. UCL works in partnership with around 350 primary schools, enabling students to fully prepare to be a primary teacher. Students learn to teach all the primary curriculum subjects, emphasising mathematics as a subject in its own right as well as the link between mathematics and other subject areas.m subjects, with mathematics as a speciality.
Our Primary PGCE develops effective, confident teachers whose classroom practice is informed by an advanced knowledge of educational theory, and who will continue to learn and reflect throughout their careers. We will help students to acquire the skills and expertise to support children’s learning, prepare them to teach in an inclusive urban environment, provide professional development in all national curriculum subjects with a strong focus on mathematics and ensure that students show a concern for professional values and demonstrate the positive attitudes and behaviour expected from pupils.
Students undertake two Master’s-level (level 7) modules as part of the PGCE with a total of 60 Master’s credits on successful completion.
The programme consists of three core modules, two at Master’s-level (level 7) and one at Undergraduate-level (level 6) and three school placements.
Where less than 60 credits are achieved at level 7, but are successfully passed at level 6, a Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PgCE) - including a QTS recommendation - will be awarded. Students who complete the level 7 modules but fail the Professional Practice module will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) which excludes the QTS.
Core modules
Optional modules
Placement
As part of the programme students will spend time on placements at primary schools, during which time their teaching experience will be supported by a tutor and mentor. Students will spend 120 days on placements.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered via a combination of lectures, workshops, tutorials and self-study. Students will be supported though a virtual learning environment and will participate in school placements. Assessment is through assignments, presentations, audits, feedback and tutorials. A final assessment is based on a range of evidence including observations of teaching, assignments, subject knowledge development, professional conduct and responses to self-study.
Further information on modules and programme structure is available on the department website: PGCE Primary (Specialist Mathematics full-time)
Primary mathematics trainees may be eligible for a bursary of £6,000, depending on previous qualifications. In particular applicants must have A level Mathematics at Grade B or above. To find out what funding may be available to you, please visit the Department for Education website.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the UCL Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as classroom teachers and mentors to PGCE students, while others have jobs as maths subject leaders, deputy and assistant headteachers. Some graduates go on to work as mathematics teachers.
Employability
The Primary PGCE provision was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2013. IOE student teachers are rated highly by headteachers across London and beyond.
Students on the Primary PGCE programme benefit enormously from the complementary skills and expertise of staff in partnership schools and at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE).
The schools offer placements for teaching experience, and their teachers serve as tutors, mentors and joint assessors for our student teachers. IOE tutors have extensive experience of teaching, school management, inspection, research and consultancy.
Primary PGCE mathematics students spend time across the Foundation stage, Key Stage 1 and 2 and they gain experience of teaching across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Students will learn to teach all the primary curriculum subjects, with mathematics as a speciality.
Accreditation:
Students who successfully complete this programme will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Specialist pathways in Early Years (3-7), Primary (5-11), Special Educational Needs, Mathematics and Foreign Languages Leadership available. The pathways enable you to specialise in one area or phase but you will also train to teach across age ranges. The programme leads to 60 master’s credits and QTS.
PATHWAY: PGCE Primary with Foreign Language Leadership (5-11)
PATHWAY: PGCE Primary with Special Educational Needs
PATHWAY: PGCE Early Years (3-7)
PATHWAY: PGCE Primary with Mathematics specialism
PATHWAY: PGCE Primary (5-11)
Sample modules:
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
In addition to the many masters' and PhD graduates, each year we have over 500 students become newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Our excellent links with local schools ensure that our employment rates are consistently high, with well over 90 per cent of our NQTs finding a teaching job last year.
With pay scales to match other industries, job security, an excellent pension and better work-life balance, teaching is becoming one of the most sought-after professions of today. Our masters' and professional courses have allowed many teachers to gain promotion within their institutions. A number of students also continue their studies onto EdD/PhD courses to develop a career in educational research.
Do you have a passion for educating children, particularly those with Special Educational Needs (SEN)? If your aim is to become a reflective, critical and enquiring primary school teacher then our PGCE Primary Education with Specialism in SEN and QTS is the course for you.
Our aim is to help you become a committed, confident and creative teacher so we’ll train you in the essential tools you need to kick-start your career in education. You’ll increase your ability to handle the ever-evolving teaching environment, and by the time your course is complete, you’ll be in a position to continue developing your understanding, knowledge and skills throughout your professional life.
You’ll discover that the way we teach you and the time you spend in schools in the Birmingham area will give you a broad experience of working with children who come from a wide range of different social, economic and cultural backgrounds so you’ll be well placed to take on your NQT year.
In addition to the above, for entry onto a teaching course you will also be required to pass the Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy.
Pre-Interview School Experience
For teacher training there is an expectation that you will have had some general experience of working with primary age students in a school setting. In preparation for the selection interview you are required to engage in a teaching episode, observed by an experienced qualified teacher.
As part of the selection procedure, the interview panel will expect you to demonstrate your knowledge and will assess personal qualities such as the potential to relate well to primary age students, enthusiasm, sensitivity, communication skills and robustness and resilience for teaching.
Applicants must also meet The National College for Teaching and Leadership requirements for initial teacher training, which means being medically fit and successfully completing an enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Modules are assessed through a range of directed tasks and targeted assignments. Trainee teachers are also required to complete a profile of evidence towards the achievement of the Standards required by the National College for Teaching and Leadership for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Evidence for the Standards is verified by mentors.
All applications need to be made via the UCAS Teacher Training website.
Course code: 338C
The Early Years Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 full-time route will prepare students in line with the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (2012) for the award of QTS. UCL works in partnership with around 350 primary schools, nurseries and children’s centres to enable students to fully prepare to be a primary teacher with an EY/KS1 focus.
Students on this programme will have the opportunity to develop into effective, confident teachers whose classroom practice is informed by an advanced knowledge of educational theory, and who will continue to learn and reflect throughout their careers. On completion of the programme students will have a clear understanding of progression, since the QTS qualification applies to the whole primary age-range, whilst a student's teaching experience will be in early years foundation stage (EYFS) and KS1.
Students undertake two Master’s-level (level 7) modules as part of the PGCE with a total of 60 Master’s credits on successful completion.
The programme consists of three core modules, two at Master’s-level (level 7) and one at Undergraduate-level (level 6) and three school placements.
Where less than 60 credits are achieved at level 7, but are successfully passed at level 6, a Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PgCE) - including a QTS recommendation - will be awarded. Students who complete the level 7 modules but fail the Professional Practice module will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) which excludes the QTS.
Core modules
Optional modules
Placement
As part of the programme students will spend time in placement at a school or Early Years Centre, during which time their teaching experience will be supported by a tutor and mentor. Students will spend 120 days on placements.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered via a combination of lectures, workshops, tutorials and self-study. Students will be supported though a virtual learning environment and will participate in school placements. Assessment is through assignments, presentations, audits, feedback and tutorials. A final assessment is based on a range of evidence including observations of teaching, assignments, subject knowledge development, professional conduct and responses to self-study.
Further information on modules and programme structure is available on the department website: PGCE Primary (EYFS/KS1 full-time)
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the UCL Scholarships and Funding website.
This programme provides graduates with an excellent preparation for their first job teaching in a primary school, as well as moving on to key stage coordinator roles, other leadership positions and eventually headships. These roles include classroom teachers, mentors to PGCE students, deputy and assistant headteachers, headteachers and educational consultants.
Employability
The IOE Primary PGCE provision was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2013. IOE student teachers are in rated highly by headteachers across London and beyond.
Students on the Primary PGCE (EYFS/KS1 full-time) programme benefit enormously from the complementary skills and expertise of staff in partnership schools, EY settings and at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE).
Primary PGCE (EYFS/KS1 full-time) students spend time across the Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 and 2, and they gain experience of teaching across Early Years and Key Stage 1. Students will learn to teach all the primary curriculum subjects. They will also select one subject for specialist study from the range that we offer (i.e. Children’s Literature and Language, English Language and Literacy, French, Geography, Mathematics, Music, New Media and Computing, Religious Education, Values and Identity and Science).
Accreditation:
Students who successfully complete this programme will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
The PGCE Primary provides a course in Initial Teacher Training which is accredited by the DfE. Successful completion of the course will provide you with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), awarded by DfE and a PGCE (awarded by Durham University). Credits achieved during the PGCE year can also equate to the first year of Durham's MA in Education.
In addressing the government's standards for QTS, the School of Education seeks to promote the notion of primary school teachers as reflective practitioners who are confident in their ability to teach all subjects in the primary curriculum, and able to articulate their beliefs about what constitutes effective pedagogy. PGCE should be viewed as the first phase of a career-long process of personal and professional development.
The course aims to provide you with professional and academic training in preparation of your role as a primary teacher. Underpinning the course is a belief that successful teachers need to understand how children learn and that this is best achieved through a combination of theory, practice and reflection.
The Durham PGCE Primary Course has been developed in partnership with schools, and offers a strong practical element, with student teachers spending a substantial part of the year (around 20 weeks) in school. Students on the course have opportunities to develop an understanding of the values and issues which underpin education and are encouraged to develop and articulate their own beliefs. The responsibility for training is shared between schools and the University, which together provide a supportive professional environment in which you can develop your knowledge, skills, understanding and expertise.
The Primary PGCE is designed to take around 1500 hours of student work, comprising:
There are approximately 350 hours of university-based contact teaching time in all.
In addition the supervised Directed Study module offers group and one-to-one contact time - students are assigned individual supervisors from within the School of Education staff who assist with devising a suitable topic for study.
Academic support for the student is available via all of the following forms of contact:
In addition, all students will be assigned a School Training Centre Coordinator who will provide workshops, support with teaching and guidance on teaching practice. University partnership tutors will also provide support for students before, during and after school placements.
Career opportunities in education are wide and include classroom teaching, educational leadership and management, administration and policy development.
The programme is offered to primary teacher education-based practitioners from all types of work setting who are engaged in supporting others.
The course draws on relevant theory and focuses on a wide range of practical and interpersonal skills that are essential in the 4 – 11 age group, and it fully examines the complexities of the role of leader/facilitator in the primary phase.
As well as helping you to become an effective primary educator in your setting, the programme content will positively affect career development, performance management, peer mentoring, and pupil mentoring, which will lead to raised outcomes.
The programme is based at our Bognor Regis campus. You will also have the opportunity to study by Distance Learning, accessing resources from our Moodle (VLE) platform, from which you will be supported by a dedicated tutor team based at our Bognor Regis campus.
The University resources provide the best facilities available for your study. We pride ourselves on the quality of the learning environment we can offer our students.
At the Bognor Regis campus there is an integrated approach to the provision of learning resources and support. We offer a substantial collection of books, journals and other materials to help you further your research.
A range of study areas for group and quiet study including Wi-Fi areas for laptop use are available, or you can use our open access PC and Mac areas.
We use an electronic learning environment with a continually expanding portfolio of online library resources that are available from anywhere at any time.
Our brand new award winning Learning Resource Centre is at the heart of the campus.
It hosts a modern library service with areas for quiet and silent study on both floors.
Also situated in the LRC is the Support and Information Zone, a coffee lounge and over 80 open access work stations.
An equipment loans centre offers laptops, tablets and other electronic devices for short and long term loans.
The campus offers purpose built classrooms, as well as lecture and seminar rooms.
The Programme is designed to enable you to develop and hone your reflective skills.
This includes the opportunity for you to critique and consider your own position and aspirations; thus you will be able to draw on personal and professional experiences to make informed career decisions.
The award of PGDiPP: Primary Teacher Education has L7 standing, which will enable you to continue your L7 study to a full Masters if you wish.
There are no formal work placements, however the nature of the workplace practice - and your reflection of your practice in your work setting - will enable you to deepen your thinking about different workplace situations.
Teaching and Learning
Teacher Training and Mentoring
Education Administration
Including observation and fieldwork in own work setting (reflection, feedback, improvement and reporting)
During the programme you will be asked to provide a critical analysis of the academic literature related to the focus of each module, which will reflect learning achieved through your professional experience and through further reading.
You will also be asked to submit written evidence in the form of essays and case study reports.
The culmination of your study is a Workplace Learning Development Project, which will entail an individual research plan (with a rationale that explains its purpose and its setting) and project.
