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Primary Education at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh - UCAS

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Course summary

Why QMU? This course offers a forward-looking, evidence-based approach to teacher training. Our teaching degree is distinctive in its forward-looking focus on education in community settings, as well as in schools, and builds on our strong existing collaborations with local and national community organisations. This is an intellectually inspiring course that is your first step on a rewarding career in education. A curriculum and ethos suited to those with a social conscience who want to engage with socio-political issues and make a difference. On this course you will: Develop the skills, confidence and passion to make a real difference in the lives of young learners as a teacher. Study contemporary issues in education, psychology and sociology to develop a sound knowledge base of children’s developmental pathways and the range of factors that affect them. Gain an understanding of how pedagogic theory and knowledge informs classroom practices at early years and primary school level. Develop a detailed knowledge of all areas of the curriculum, including outdoor learning and become skillful at integrating literacy, numeracy and wellbeing throughout your teaching. Benefit from practical experience in educational and community settings, learning how to build positive relationships with children and work alongside other professionals. Develop your academic literacies including digital and data literacy. Develop research skills to enable you to develop as an autonomous, critically thinking, reflective professional. The course offers an approach to teaching that is founded in evidence-based research in the social sciences. If you want a career as a primary school teacher where you will genuinely make a difference in the world and inspire our future citizens, this course is for you. This course is about more than simply preparing you to inspire a class of young learners; it will engage you in the wider socio-political issues that affect education on every level and how this in turn influences educational outcomes for children. Our education courses draw on our expertise in, and focus on, wellbeing, resilience, child welfare and inequality. You will learn how to assess individual needs and plan inclusive learning experiences taking account of diversity and difference. This is a fresh, modern and ambitious approach to teacher education. We hope you feel as passionate about this new direction as we do and look forward to receiving your application. At QMU we are committed to widening access to education and we welcome applications from all backgrounds and genders. You will study for four years to become qualified to work as a primary school teacher. Progression into Year Two will be dependent on successfully completing all modules, placements and a presentation that evidences emerging planning and pedagogical skills in Year One. If, after the first year you decide not to pursue teaching there is an option to transfer to our Education Studies course. This is a broad based social sciences degree with an emphasis on broader aspects of education.

Modules

Year One: Introduction to Education Studies in the 21st Century; Humans in the World; Developing Your Academic Voice; Developing Academic Literacies for Learning and Teaching; Learning for Sustainability Outdoors; Being Human: A Multidisciplinary Exploration; Introduction to British Sign Language. Year Two: Languages & Literacy 1; Placement: Planning for Learning and Teaching; Sustainability and Wellbeing: Foundations for Future Educators; Early Childhood Development and Learning in Context; Mathematics & Numeracy: Theory and Pedagogy; Curriculum and Context. Year Three: Placement: Planning for Continuity and Progression; Languages & Literacy 2; Inclusive Education: Difference and Diversity; Maths in Context; Teacher as Reflective Practitioner; Realising Rights in the Classroom: Supporting Learners' Needs. Year Four: Teacher as Professional: Inter-agency Working; Placement: Planning Across the Curriculum; Professional Enquiry into Practice; Data Analysis in Primary Education.

Assessment method

You will learn through lectures, seminars, workshops, enquiry-based, student-led activity, independent study, online group tutorials, school experience/community placements. An innovative feature of the course is the incorporation of outdoor learning that includes a Forest and Outdoor Learning Award, as well as the opportunity to undertake a British Sign Language course. Assessment methods are varied, including essays, reports, presentations, blogs and audiovisual submissions.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • General Teaching Council for Scotland

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Primary

How to apply

This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.

Application codes

Course code:
X120
Institution code:
Q25
Campus name:
Queen Margaret University
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

Entry requirements

Standard Qualification Requirements

We accept many different qualifications, but cannot list them all here. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information or advice if you are thinking of taking a course of study. We welcome applications from international applicants and you can find information on specific entry requirements by country here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/international-students/information-for-your-country/. We also welcome applications from mature students, or people holding qualifications such as Access courses or OU modules. The Scottish Wider Access Partnership (SWAP) offers a range of local Access courses and those that are accepted for entry are listed here: https://www.qmu.ac.uk/college-qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Other

By law graduates of this course must register with the GTCS before they can be employed as a teacher in a Scottish education authority nursery, primary, secondary or special school. A teacher’s fitness to teach (ie in term of conduct) will be considered at the point of application for registration.


English language requirements

IELTS with an overall score equivalent to 6.0 and with no individual component less than 5.5.

QMU English Language Requirements

https://www.qmu.ac.uk/study-here/international-students/english-language-requirements/


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
82%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
84%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Scotland £1820 Year 1
England £9790 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9790 Year 1
Wales £9790 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9790 Year 1
International £9725 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

For the 2026 intake, students from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Republic of Ireland will be charged for the first three years of study and the fourth year is free. For the 2027 intake onwards, tuition fees will be due to be charged for all four years of study.
Primary Education at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh - UCAS