Course summary

If you’re thinking about a teaching career and also have a passionate interest in English literature and creative writing, this course lets you tailor your studies to your own interests and career aspirations. You’ll discover exciting and varied forms of literature and creative writing while learning about important educational ideas and theories, which you can put into practice through work experience in a school. The course provides the knowledge and understanding needed for further study leading to a postgraduate qualification in both primary- and secondary-level teaching. Foundation Year In the Foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years. Facilities and Specialist Equipment

• Four-storey library with extensive range of physical and digital resources as well as PCs, group-work areas, presentation-practice rooms and a silent study floor.

• Access to the Hockliffe Collection, a unique collection of 18th- and 19th-century children’s books, as well as our Cinderella archive of books, scripts, designs, theatrical memorabilia and ephemera relating to the Cinderella story.

• Mock classrooms with specialist technology so you can watch and assess your lesson.

• Forest School where you can deepen your understanding of the long-term educational benefits of outdoor learning.

• Specialist sensory centre for practising to teach SEND and early years pupils.

• Multi-media space for webinars and podcasting.

• We have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations.

• Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

• You learn from an academic team with expertise across literature, language, sociology, history, philosophy of education and critical pedagogy; they are innovative in areas such as TV/film, literature, digital cultures, and political and social theory.

• Many of our staff also have ‘previous lives’ in frontline professions, including youth work and education, and bring real-world perspectives to teaching sessions.

• We help you develop your subject knowledge, powers of analysis and critical thinking as well as professional communication skills, creating a portfolio of work and a skillset that will help you as you begin your graduate career.

• Support from your own personal tutor, a unit and course coordinator, and the additional support of our experienced library staff, all of whom will help you throughout your student journey and with balancing study with work and personal commitments.

• You have the opportunity to go on relevant field trips to theatres, museums and art galleries (recent trips include a visit to Jane Austen’s house) as well as attending relevant conferences and research seminars.

• You can contribute to research projects such as Literary Bedfordshire and get involved in organising conferences.