Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Early Years and Primary Education (3-7) with QTS

Entry requirements


Access to HE Diploma

M:20

Access - QAA recognised diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3, including 20 credits at merit or above. Ideally, but not essentially, at least 18 credits at level 3 should be in a primary national curriculum subject, or sociology, or psychology. You can take GCSE equivalents for English, mathematics and science on Access courses (12 level two credits in each).

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language at grade C or 4, or equivalent. Mathematics at grade C or 4, or equivalent. Science at grade C or 4, or equivalent. Where applicants have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above in English literature only we will look for further evidence of a breadth of achievement in English.

UCAS Tariff

120-128

This must include at least two A levels including at least 40 points in each, one of which would normally be a primary national curriculum subject though this is not essential, or DDM from equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example: BBB-ABB at A Level. DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma. Distinction overall from a T Level Qualification. A combination of qualifications, which may include AS Levels, EPQ and general studies.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Primary teaching

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**Course summary**

- Learn from expert colleagues in local and regional primary schools and early years settings.

- Develop subject expertise through both university and placement-based training.

- Study teaching and learning in both the early years and primary phases.

- Apply theory, research and evidence to meet the Teachers’ Standards and develop as a critically reflective practitioner.

- Explore an area of individual specialism to enhance your expertise and practice.

Join our dynamic community of students, researchers and academics at the Sheffield Institute of Education. On our BA Early Years and Primary course, you’ll learn about the key aspects of a teacher’s role – including theories of learning, pedagogy, assessment and behaviour management. You’ll also study inclusive practices that promote positive outcomes for all learners.

**How you learn**

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Our Sheffield Institute of Education is one of the UK’s largest providers of teacher training, supporting 1,000 new teachers every year.

Because we partner with more than 600 schools and colleges in the region, you’ll have every opportunity to gain experience and network with leading educational providers. We’ll help you grow your profile, develop professional skills and build your confidence as a work-ready graduate and teacher.

You learn through:

- On-campus lectures and seminars

- Workshops and teaching simulations

- Guest speakers

- Individual reflection and goal-setting

- Peer engagement

- Class debates

- Group tutorials

- Research-informed practice

- Collaborative projects

- Real-world projects and placements

- Opportunities to study abroad

- Essays and presentations

- Lesson plans, teaching and evaluation

- Independent research projects

**Key themes**

We’ll help you champion equality, diversity and inclusivity – you’ll gain a range of skills to support positive learning behaviours and positive outcomes. You’ll study the curriculum and teaching strategies you’ll need to teach the subject you want to teach – as well as understanding how children learn and the stages of child development.

The teaching and learning on this course fully integrates university-based and school-based learning with placements in all three years – amounting to at least 24 weeks in schools. You’ll also develop skills in planning and assessment while engaging in current debates about education.

As the course progresses, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in your own area of classroom enquiry, enabling you to develop your expertise and classroom practice in an area of individual specialism or interest.

**Course support**

You’ll be taught by a close-knit community of qualified and highly experienced teaching staff who take the time to get to know you. Throughout your time, you’ll receive personalised support, such as:

- Specialist Hallam tutors and school-based mentors.

- Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development.

- Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources.

- Career support for up to five years after you graduate.

**Placements**

You’ll complete placements in all three years of the course, with the opportunity to undertake at least 120 days in school – across both Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This will enable you to apply and further develop your growing knowledge and skills as you progress through the course.

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

An Introduction To Teaching And Learning

How Children Learn: 3-7

Introduction To Curriculum And Pedagogy: 3-7

Subject Focus: Early Reading And Early Maths

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Designing Learning Sequences: 3-7

Developing A Specialism

Inclusive Environments For Behaviour And Learning: 3-7

 Placement 2

The Teaching, Learning And Assessment Cycle: 3-7

**Year 3**

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Final year **

**Compulsory modules **

Adaptive Teaching Across The Curriculum: 3-7

Debates In Education: 3-7

Educational Enquiry

Placement 3

Reflecting On Professional Practice And Development

Assessment methods

Coursework
Practical

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,655
per year
International
£16,655
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni


Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

Sheffield Hallam University

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

72%
Primary teaching

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Teacher training

Teaching and learning

76%
Staff make the subject interesting
82%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

81%
Library resources
91%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
58%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
9%
Male students
91%
Female students
90%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Teacher training

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,467
med
Average annual salary
98%
low
Employed or in further education
76%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

91%
Teaching and educational professionals
3%
Childcare and related personal services
1%
Legal associate professionals

The stats above mainly cover teaching degrees for training and qualifying in primary school education. These tend to be three or four-year courses — check with course tutors about how long you will need to study to get your Qualified Teacher Status. Most graduates go into teaching roles — usually primary school teaching, so these courses have good employment rates and starting salaries. We have a shortage of teachers of all kinds, which is deepening, and whilst many of the most severe are at secondary level, the prospects for this degree are not likely to take a downturn any time soon.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Teacher training

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£21k

£21k

£25k

£25k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here