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Primary and Early Years Education with QTS BA(Hons)

2025-26 (also available for 2024-25)

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

3 years full-time

Entry requirements

A Level - BBB

BTEC - DDD

See full entry requirements

Places available (subject to change)

60

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Our Primary & Early Years Education with QTS course achieved an overall satisfaction score of 95% in the National Student Survey 2022
  2. 100% of our undergraduate students go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating
  3. Upon successfully completing this course, you'll be a qualified teacher, ready to embark on your Early Career Teacher (ECT) professional development programme in school

If you’re striving to become a primary school teacher, then this course will help you on your way. The course focuses on developing the skills you need to teach children from ages three to eleven and upon successful completion we’ll recommend Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

We were ranked best in Yorkshire* for student satisfaction in the subject Teacher Training (National Student Survey 2022)

Why Primary and Early Years Education?

  • The course content is designed to address the full breadth of the Teachers’ Standards, combining university-based and school-based training. You’ll have the opportunity to gain comprehensive knowledge of the core subjects (English, Mathematics and Science), the seven areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the full breadth of the National Curriculum.
  • We know there’s no substitute for learning how to teach in the classroom environment, so we give you lots of opportunity to gain practical experience across our partnership schools, starting from your first term. In fact, you’ll undertake a range of longer and shorter enrichment placements every year. Your placements will be organised by our dedicated placements team alongside your academic tutors to ensure you get the experience you need. As part of your placements you’ll be able to observe experienced teachers, gain practical, hands-on experience in front of students and benefit from one-to-one mentoring. It’s all designed to help you develop your skills and move on to become an outstanding teacher.
  • While you’re studying at Huddersfield, you’ll be able to access our extensive professional and academic network, not to mention our excellent facilities and specialist equipment, including our mock Early Years and Primary classrooms designed to help you prepare for the real world whilst you study.

*subjects rankings refer to Common Aggregation Hierarchy level 3 and are further filtered to include English HEI's with income over £100m+ in the 20/21 academic year, Question: Overall Satisfaction (Q27)

Course detail

Core modules:

Initial Professional Development and School-Based Training 1: Theories and Strategies for Teachers and Learners

This module aims to help you to develop critical reflection, a personal philosophy and your professional practice as a teacher. It provides the opportunity to study theories of child development and education and learning. It encourages evaluation and critique of these areas of educational debate, informed by theory, current research and policy.

Teaching and Learning in the Foundation Areas and RE 1

This module will introduce you to the National Curriculum requirements in the foundation subjects and the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. You will explore creative and innovative ways of teaching the foundation areas and RE and develop your understanding of planning, and of appropriate assessment strategies for different subjects. Assessment typically involves producing a poster and a group presentation on one of the foundation subjects of the National Curriculum, RE or an area of learning in the EYFS.

Introduction to Core Curriculum Studies - English, Maths and Science

This module will help prepare you to teach English, mathematics and science across the early years and Key Stage 1. The module will be taught jointly by subject specialist tutors and school-based trainers. Training sessions will take place both in schools and in the University. Assessment is typically via a series of practical assignment tasks examining English (including Phonics), maths and science in the EYFS or primary classroom, exploring and synthesising theory into practice.

Teaching and Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage

This module will aim to develop your knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), incorporating key features of effective learning environments and effective pedagogy in the birth to five age range. A strong emphasis is given to understanding child development and the crucial role of the adult in observing, assessing and planning for learning. This module will support you to develop your skills for observing, assessing and teaching young children and communicating effectively with them. It aims to prepare you for EYFS classroom practice based on sound understanding and critical reflection of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Entry requirements

BBBat A Level or equivalent

120 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications

Merit at T Level

DDD in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in a relevant area

  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above
  • 120 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.

In addition you must also:

  • have GCSE English language, Maths and a Science subject at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
  • provide an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and health clearances.
  • offers are subject to interview.

All conditions must be met by 31 August for entry in September in the year of application.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 7.0 overall with no element lower than 6.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

Placements


A key element of your studies and learning takes place whilst you’re on placement. In Years 1 and 2, on average, trainees undertake a compulsory block teaching placement of between 6-8 weeks duration and also undertake shorter enrichment placements (also compulsory) of between 1-4 weeks per placement. The aim of these shorter placements is to focus on topics including special educational needs, behaviour management, English and mathematics. In the final Year, trainees undertake a compulsory block placement of between 12 – 13 weeks duration. In recent years students have undertaken placements in special schools, pupil referral units and in settings for children with communication needs.

Your placements could be based in areas some distance from your point of study, so please be aware of potential associated travelling costs.

I attended a range of placements in a wide variety of schools. I definitely feel that this prepared me well for my first teaching post. One of my most memorable moments was being signed off as an outstanding teacher in my final placement. 

Paul Baker

Hannah Scoffin, graduated from Primary Education (Early Years and Key Stage 1) BA(Hons) with QTS in 2017

Your career


If you aspire to become a primary school teacher, this course provides the knowledge, practical experience and qualification (including Qualified Teacher Status) to help you on your way.

 

*Percentage of graduates from this course who are in work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020/21, UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

95% Graduates employed*

Student support

​At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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