Course summary

Are you excited by a career in which you can encourage young children to enjoy learning and make daily progress? Education in primary schools and early years settings is focused on creating enabling environments and positive relationships and is full of exciting provision that is responsive to children’s needs and the requirements of the Early Years Statutory Framework and KS1 National Curriculum. As soon as you begin the programme, you start your journey of professional development towards becoming a qualified teacher. Our Primary Education (Early Years 3-7) degree fulfils the minimum entitlement of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), alongside an ambitious and innovative curriculum which provides opportunities to develop clear links between theory and practice along with a series of visiting speakers to enhance your understanding of all aspects of primary school life and learning. We'll work with you to ensure that Communication and Language, Personal, Emotional and Social Development and Physical Development, the prime areas of learning which lay the foundation for all children’s learning are embedded in all that you do, helping you to understand your influential role in young children’s lives. You'll learn how experiential, play-based learning supports young children's development and how, as an effective practitioner, you can have a positive impact on children’s development and learning. Teaching in early years is dynamic, and you'll learn the professional skills related to planning, teaching and assessing, as well as how to manage a setting where children and adults work together in learning. You'll gain an understanding of the transition to Key Stage 1 and then into Key Stage 2 and develop knowledge of both the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. The Early Years 3-7 programme will enable you to develop the right expertise and values to provide outstanding learning experiences for all children, building on key features of effective practice. School Experience Over the course of the three-year programme you will complete a minimum of 24 weeks of assessed school experience, along with additional focus visits. In the first and second years your school experience is eight weeks; in the final year it's ten weeks. Intensive training and practice (ITaP) weeks provide opportunities to focus upon foundational aspects of teaching and learning. These will draw upon the expertise of a range of colleagues and have been developed to give you the opportunity to practice, apply and refine your skills in specific aspects of teaching and learning. You will be mentored by expert colleagues in school and University settings. In the first year, you will gradually take on some of the teacher's role by working with small groups of children, setting activities in areas of provision, team teaching and moving on to teach whole group lessons. Throughout the second and third year, you will increase the amount of time you spend planning, teaching and assessing children; building your confidence, independence and progress in meeting the Teacher Standards and preparing you for your Early Career development. Graduate opportunities The vast majority of our graduates go on to work in school or early years settings – initially as class teachers, but then moving up into middle and senior leadership roles. Many of our graduates opt to work abroad. Your QTS award is recognised in many countries around the world, meaning that you can be appointed to a teaching or education-related role almost anywhere. Recent graduates are currently working in schools in Poland, Russia, Oman, UAE and Australia.