Childhood: Primary Education with QTS

Primary education with Qualified Teacher Status is one of the most direct routes to the classroom, combining academic study of childhood and education with the extensive school-based training needed to qualify as a primary teacher. Teaching in primary schools requires a deep understanding of child development, curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, and the pastoral dimensions of working with children aged five to eleven, alongside the subject knowledge and communication skills to make learning engaging and effective for every pupil in the room.

At Suffolk this three-year full-time programme is delivered in partnership with local Initial Teacher Training providers, meaning that school experience is woven into the fabric of the degree from the outset rather than confined to isolated placements. You will spend more than 160 days in school settings across a range of year groups and school types, allowing you to develop professional competence progressively and to understand the breadth of primary teaching in practice. Alongside this sustained practical experience, you will undertake multidisciplinary academic study of childhood, developing your understanding of the social, psychological, and cultural dimensions of children's lives and learning.

Successful completion of the programme leads to both a BA Honours degree in Childhood and Qualified Teacher Status, which is the professional qualification required to teach in state-maintained schools in England.

Graduates work as primary school teachers across the full range of year groups and subjects, with clear pathways to middle and senior leadership roles. Many go on to develop specialist expertise in particular curriculum areas, special educational needs, or early years education, and some progress to postgraduate study in educational leadership, education policy, or related fields.