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Education: Primary and Early Years (Professional Placement Year) at Bath Spa University - UCAS

Bath Spa University

Degree level: Undergraduate

Education: Primary and Early Years (Professional Placement Year)

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Bath Spa University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework.These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

What does this TEF outcome mean?

Course summary

A specialised bachelor degree in Primary Education, leading to a PGCE in Primary and Early Years.

  • Gain practical school-based experience from a Primary school placement each year.
  • Benefit from our established partnerships with hundreds of schools across the South West.
  • Tutors with a wealth of research and practice-informed expertise.
  • Employability focused; on successful completion of the degree you will be offered a guaranteed interview for a place on our Primary PGCE.
This is more than a primary teaching course. BA (Hons) Education: Primary and Early Years sets primary education in a broader context of debates around education, professional practice, teaching and learning - both nationally and internationally. This bachelor degree in primary education is ideal if you intend to qualify as an early years or primary school teacher, and it helps formulate your professional skills and career identity through experience of working with children in schools. If you decide on a different career path, this award is flexible, and will provide you with strong academic skills to achieve your aspirations as a professional educator in any number of different settings. When you join this community of learning, you will benefit from practice-informed expertise and recent research in the Centre for Policy, Pedagogy and Practice (PPP), Centre for Research in Scientific and Technological Learning and Education (CRiSTLE) and Centre for Research into Equity, Inclusion and Community (CREIC). More about the Professional Placement Year A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where a student undertakes a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between the students' second and third years of undergraduate study. Students can engage in up to 3 placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) themselves with support from the Careers and Employability Team.

Modules

Level 4 core modules:

  • Introduction to Primary Schools.
  • Education for Change.
  • Changing Schooling.
  • Working with Young People in the Community.
  • Controversial Issues in Inclusive and Special Education.
  • Educational History and Heritage.
Year one - the first year supports your transition to University, and introduces key concepts and skills that underpin the field of education. In addition, there are a range of modules that enable you to explore your interests in education as an agent for change. The core module offers an introduction to primary schools with an eight day placement, which will provide you with an immersive ‘live’ experience of life in schools. Level 5 core modules:
  • Issues in Education.
  • Professional Practice in Schools.
  • Understanding Classrooms.
Optional modules may include:
  • Environment and Education.
  • Education Inequalities and Social Justice.
  • Literacy Learning in a Multi-media World.
  • Supporting Learners with Additional Needs.
  • Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Year two - equipped with your development from the first year of study, you’ll consider more deeply the current issues in education, such as pedagogy, pupil voice, special needs, assessment and classroom organisation. You’ll undertake a second eight days of primary school placement, this time with a focus on developing your professionalism. Level 6 core modules:
  • Teaching and Professionalism.
  • Education Dissertation Part 1.
  • Education Dissertation Part 2.
Optional modules may include:
  • Childhood, Reading and Children’s Literature.
  • Health and Wellbeing in Education.
  • Culture Creativity and Society, Perspectives in Arts Education.
  • Social and Education Inclusion.
  • Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Year three - this is professional placement year. Final Year - this year, the Teaching and Professionalism module prepares you for the PGCE. In addition, you will be able to carry out original research and pursue your own interests in an area of your choice and use your creativity and the skills you've gained so far to develop a classroom resource to address it. You'll also have opportunities to engage with PGCE staff and students; this eases your transition into initial teacher training.

Assessment method

Coursework is designed to allow for creativity and innovation, alongside developing strong academic skills. There are no exams, and there are opportunities to complete a range of assignment formats including essays, group presentations, research-based reports, portfolio-based work and educational resource design. We’ll provide you with prompt feedback and give you regular guidance on how to improve your skills, knowledge and understanding.

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:

  • Course does not award QTS

How to apply

31Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
X311
Institution code:
B20
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 4

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
67%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
89%
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

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
EU £15750 Year 1
International £15750 Year 1

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Education: Primary and Early Years (Professional Placement Year) at Bath Spa University - UCAS