Primary Education BEd (Hons)

About the course

Why choose this course?

The BEd prepares you to teach a broad and balanced curriculum in schools through detailed courses in the full range of National Curriculum subjects and religious education and offers you an age-related programme chosen on application so that you will follow either a Foundation/KS1 or KS1/2 pathway.

Why choose this course?

Teaching in primary schools is a demanding, but satisfying and fulfilling career, and this BEd degree is designed to ensure you meet these demands with growing confidence. Our students are intelligent and resourceful, communicate well, and have a wide range of interests. This degree is a three year full-time programme offering professional and academic training. It is structured to allow you to develop the skills required by primary teachers to teach the full National Curriculum, and develop specific expertise for making a distinctive contribution to primary practice. The teaching quality and excellent provision in the School have been consistently recognised by Ofsted inspections.

The BEd prepares you to teach a broad and balanced curriculum in schools through detailed courses in the full range of National Curriculum subjects and religious education and offers you an age-related programme chosen on application so that you will follow either a Foundation/KS1 or KS1/2 pathway.

Study routes

• Full Time, 3 Years

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

Opportunities for BEd graduates are excellent with many obtaining first teaching posts in local schools.

Teaching methods

The BEd Honours has an ongoing 100% coursework assessment structure. Assignments are varied and encourage a wide range of knowledge and skills to be assessed. All teaching placements must be successfully completed for the award of Qualified Teacher Status to be recommended.

Having successfully completed the BEd programme, all graduates must additionally pass the Training and Developments Agency for School's skills tests in order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status.

Work Placement

School Based Work is twenty-four weeks spread over the three years of the degree. In each year you are placed in a partnership school under the guidance of a class teacher who has received mentor training from the University. Curriculum courses are closely linked to work in school through a series of directed tasks undertaken with class teacher support. This enables your learning to be based in professional practice. The excellent partnerships with primary schools enable you to benefit from the range of expertise of local teachers. Staff from primary schools participate actively throughout the course.

Professional Accreditations

Qualified Teacher Status

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• An introduction to mathematics learning

  This module provides an introduction to learning and teaching in primary school mathematics. It sets the context for teaching mathematics within the school and wider educational environment, exploring how practices in mathematics teaching have altered to take account of research in learning and teaching. Students will reflect on themselves as learners of mathematics, and consider their attitudes towards mathematics as a curriculum subject, exploring what has influenced their views and how this shapes their identity as a teacher. Students will begin to develop their mathematics subject knowledge, particularly in relation to arithmetic, and will be introduced to the structure and content of statutory documents relevant to the teaching of mathematics.

• Children's Development in English

  This module provides students with an understanding of the theories of child development that are the foundations of teaching English and literacy. The module includes a focus on the relevant subject knowledge and pedagogic underpinning to begin to teach English and literacy successfully in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

• Developing Professional Practice Induction 1

  This module enables students to reflect on their current understanding of learning based on their own experiences. This will then be developed by evaluating and comparing with how others learn and as a result of this begin to develop an emergent set of core values and an initial philosophy for learning and teaching.

• Developing Professional Practice Induction 2

  This module progresses on from Developing Professional Practice Induction 1, where students reflected on their own learning, to students reflecting on the diverse ways that they observe children learning in the classroom. Students will enquiry into and evaluate the range of approaches they observe to the meet the diverse needs of children. This will require students to take responsibility during placement to make the links between theory and practice.

• Introduction to English

  This module introduces students to the three aspects of English: speaking and listening, reading and writing. Students will reflect on the significance and impact of English and literacy on their own and children’s lives. They will be given opportunities to investigate and explore their own learning of speaking and listening, reading and writing in relation to effective teaching practice.

• Introduction to Foundation Subjects and RE

  In this module students will be introduced to creative and enquiry based learning. The module will include seminars, first hand practical experience, tutor input and guided independent activity, focusing on collaborative and reflective learning. Students will learn about the discrete knowledge and skills of each foundation subject as well as using cross curricular approaches to enhance learning and teaching.

• School Placement 1

  The first school placement provides an opportunity for students to develop professional relationships and basic teaching skills when working with children in the primary classroom. Students will reflect upon their practice in the classroom in order to be able to make progress towards meeting the current Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• Science: Learning and Teaching

  Students' knowledge and understanding of science and enquiry skills will be developed to enable them to become confident, effective and reflective practitioners of primary science as defined in the relevant curricula for the primary school and Early Years Foundation Stage. The taught course uses lectures and practical workshops to develop and extend knowledge and understanding of science and how to teach it through first-hand experience. Activities will be related to children's scientific learning in the classroom. Students will be expected to work independently, co-operatively and collaboratively with others.

Optional

• Alternative to School Placement

  This module builds upon experience from school experience in Year 1 and the learning from the modules. Students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills required to teach primary/Foundation stage children as defined by the current DfE standards.

Year 2

Core Modules

• Creative Enquiry in Science and the Foundation Subjects

  This module has four strands: • Students’ own skills of creativity and enquiry • Understanding how creativity and enquiry supports children’s learning • Developing creativity and enquiry skills through a range of teaching and learning strategies • Application of creativity and enquiry in Science and the Foundation subjects.

• Developing Professional Practice Consolidation 1

  This module begins with a reflection of your learning from year 1 and how this has influenced your developing core values and philosophy for learning. Students will develop more depth of understanding of issues associated with effective learning and teaching through the analysis of theories, research and current practices.

• Developing Professional Practice Consolidation 2

  This module begins with a reflection on your developing values and philosophy. Students will develop more depth of understanding of issues associated with effective learning and teaching through the analysis of theories, research and current practices. There will be a particular focus on learning environments.

• Developing classroom practice in mathematics

  This module builds on the Year 1 module, An introduction to mathematics learning. It seeks to develop students’ confidence as teachers of mathematics through • further developing maths content subject knowledge, and • examining how students’ maths content knowledge supports planning for learners’ progression, confidence and resilience and contributes to monitoring and assessment. Students will consolidate their knowledge and understanding of diversity, equality and inclusion by examining teaching approaches which meet the needs of all learners.

• English: Children's Experiences of Texts

  In this module, students will be given the opportunity to extend their knowledge of children’s literature: fiction and non-fiction. Students will explore current research and classroom practice that supports and also promotes the reading process. Sessions dedicated to specific genres of texts will enable students to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of these texts in the teaching and learning of English and literacy. There will be opportunities to explore current issues and initiatives in the teaching of reading.

• English: Diversity and Inclusion

  This module consolidates students’ subject knowledge and pedagogic underpinning to enable them to teach English inclusively to reflect the diversity of children. Students will develop a reflective and analytical understanding of children’s learning and development of English and literacy. Students will consolidate their skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to plan effectively and inclusively for English and literacy.

• School Placement 2

  The second school placement builds upon experience from Year 1 with an increased expectation for students to take on the class teacher's role. A wider range of subjects is taught and students have an opportunity to further develop their skills of planning, teaching, class management and monitoring of children's progress. Reflective practice is an essential element for ensuring on-going progress in meeting the Standards.

Optional

• Alternative to School Placement

  This module builds upon school experience from Year 1 and in some cases Year 2. A wider range of subjects are taught and students have an opportunity to further develop their skills of planning, teaching, class management and monitoring of children's progress.

Year 3

Core Modules

• Becoming an outstanding maths teacher

  This module will develop students’ understanding of learning maths from the perspective of pupils in their class, strengthening their awareness of the teacher’s role as facilitators, supporting learners to construct their own understanding of mathematical concepts. Students will focus on what it means to be an excellent teacher and develop the confidence to take risks in their teaching in order to motivate and engage learners. They will also critique current initiatives in mathematics teaching and use this to strengthen their own teaching.

• Developing Professional Practice Enrichment 1

  This module begins with a reflection on your developing values and philosophy. Students will focus on one aspect of Developing Professional Practice that has become of particular interest to them. They will deepen their knowledge and understanding of this area through enquiry and critical evaluation. This will also involve considering the implications for developing their own practice to meet individual needs. Independence and resilience will be required to complete the assignment. The module requires students to undertake their own research and this will be supported by research focused lectures and workshops. Much time will be spent conducting research and writing, this will be supported by peer group research groups plus group and individual tutorials.

• Developing Professional Practice Enrichment 2

  This module begins with a reflection on your developing values and philosophy in order for you to recognise the influences on and changes to your understanding of teaching and learning throughout your BEd journey. The module requires you to be aware of your strengths and areas for development so that you can plan for your continuing professional development.

• Developing a creative curriculum

  This module further enriches students’ subject knowledge and pedagogic underpinning to enable them to teach creatively. Students will develop a critical understanding of children’s learning and development through a cross- curricular, creative approach. Students will enrich their skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to plan creatively and for creativity.

• English Across the Curriculum

  This module further enriches students’ subject knowledge and pedagogic underpinning to enable them to teach English and literacy across the curriculum successfully. Students will develop a critical understanding of children’s learning and development of English and literacy through a cross- curricular, creative approach. Students will enrich their skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to plan effectively for English and literacy across the curriculum.

• School Placement 3

  The final school placement builds upon experience from Years 1 and 2 with the expectation that students take on substantially the class teacher's role. Students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills required to teach primary/foundation stage children as defined by the current Standards for Qualified Teacher Status.

Optional

• Alternative to School Placement

  This module builds upon experience from school experience in Years 1 and 2 and in some cases Year 3.Students have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills required to teach primary/Foundation stage children as defined by the current DfE standards

Fees & funding

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

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Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

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How to apply