BA Primary Education with English (QTS)

Gain the confidence to enthuse primary school pupils with a love of English while developing your own knowledge of literature with BA Primary Education with English Specialism (QTS).

This course will enable you to get a job as a primary school teacher following graduation. There is a high demand for specialist primary school teachers and many of our graduates go on to become subject leaders. Furthermore, we are ranked 9th in the UK for Education (Guardian University Guide 2023) and have strong links with schools.

This course will introduce you to a range of children’s literature that can be used to develop reading for pleasure in the primary classroom and consider what texts are within the context of the primary curriculum. Opportunities to evaluate the impact of stories and poetry on the development of children’s literacy will be explored, including consideration of heritage texts, contemporary fiction, and media texts. Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to investigate how these texts can influence approaches to literature in a primary classroom.

An understanding of performance skills required for presenting literary and dramatic material such as Shakespeare’s plays in a dynamic and meaningful way will be developed. Skills for analysing and interpreting texts as critical readers will be central to understanding the forms and conventions of different genres of literature. Additionally, a vital component within the English specialism is to develop key leadership skills to lead English in primary schools.

You will develop skills essential to the role of a teacher, including leadership, classroom management, and evaluation and assessment. You can then put these skills into practice through professional placements, which take place throughout the course. Additionally you will study professional legal requirements, and investigate the role of the teacher and how children develop. 

You will divide your time between studying modules on professional skills and curriculum subjects, and developing your knowledge of English. The former will introduce you to the core National Curriculum subjects, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Your final year will involve research engagement, developing reflective critical thinking and application of theory into your teaching practice. You will engage in professional studies, which include gaining school experience through teaching placements in partnership primary schools.

Placement

You will have the opportunity to carry out placements throughout this course. These will take place within local schools that the Institute of Education has active relationships with. Whilst there you will be mentored by a teacher and linked to a university tutor, who will provide you with additional support.

During your first year you will attend a weekly placement, which will familiarise you with the daily routine of the classroom and link in with your professional modules. For example, you may have to complete an observation for an assignment.

You will also complete a block placement during each year of the course. You will spend four weeks in a Key Stage 1 (KS1) setting during your first year, seven weeks in a KS2 setting in the second year, and an eight-week placement in a Key Stage of your choice during the final year.

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we have set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching across all levels and subjects as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.

Across all of our ITT programmes at the Institute of Education, you will learn about:

• what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher
• climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others and implications for teachers
• how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.

Visit our Partnering for the Planet to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website.