Primary Education BA (Hons)

Durham University

At Durham University, we are passionate about developing high-quality teachers who aspire, through their scholarly, reflective and inspirational practice, to make a difference to the lives of their students, both now and in the future. At the core of our vision is a more equitable world in which education plays an important role in enabling individuals, communities and societies to flourish.The Primary Education degree offers Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and is ideal for those committed to a teaching career in a primary school. In addition to preparing you to teach the whole curriculum, the course enables you to become a specialist in a particular curriculum area: English, Mathematics or Science. The degree aims to help you develop an appropriate repertoire of professional knowledge and understanding to provide a foundation for effective teaching in a primary school; an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the core subjects of the National Curriculum; personal skills which would enable you to contribute to a school as a curriculum specialist in one of the core areas; knowledge and understanding of the other subjects in the primary curriculum to a level which will support effective teaching; understanding of schools and the National Curriculum as the framework within which children’s formal learning takes place; classroom effectiveness by drawing upon the expertise of practising teachers; a personal educational philosophy and a professional approach to your work; an understanding of the responsibilities and roles of the primary teacher.The Primary Education degree offer closely aligns with the research focus and outputs of the department, offering evidence-based, recent and relevant materials alongside other academic elements, which will fully support the developing primary practitioner. There is an opportunity to personalise the degree from the range of optional modules on offer in Years 1 and 2. There are excellent opportunities for the consideration of international and intercultural perspectives; increasingly relevant with current UK policy looking to overseas pedagogies to inform curriculum development.The course also offers forward-looking professional development opportunities such as the development of the role of the teacher-researcher and the opportunity to explore the role of subject leadership within schools for future career development. **Professional Development**During the course, you will be assigned to one of our Partnership School Training Centres, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background supported by the school, your School Training Centre Co-ordinator and a University Tutor.The school-based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching - the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching. You will each have a designated teacher-mentor who will guide your work in schools. In all three years of the course, there are weekly serial visits and block placements in school; increasing in length from 4 weeks in Year 1 to 12 weeks in Year 3.