Primary Education with QTS

Primary education is one of the most socially significant professions, shaping the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children during the years when that foundation is laid. Primary teachers work with children from age five to eleven, supporting them across all areas of the curriculum and playing a central role in their wellbeing, confidence, and readiness to learn. It is a role that requires deep subject knowledge, the ability to understand and respond to diverse learning needs, creativity in the classroom, and the resilience and warmth to sustain productive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues over time.

The University of Sunderland's three-year full-time BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS equips you with the knowledge, skills, and classroom experience needed to teach at primary level, as the course itself describes. The programme leads to Qualified Teacher Status on graduation, which is the legal requirement to teach in maintained primary schools in England. You will study a broad range of subjects across the primary curriculum, including English, mathematics, science, and the foundation subjects, developing both your own subject knowledge and your understanding of how to teach each area effectively to children.

School placements are a central feature of every year of the programme, giving you real-world teaching experience under the guidance of practising teachers from the outset of your studies. The typical entry tariff is 120 points.

Qualified primary teachers work in state-maintained primary schools, independent schools, special schools, and early years settings. Many develop specialisms in areas such as special educational needs, early years, computing, or physical education, while others move into leadership roles as subject coordinators, deputy heads, or headteachers. The teaching profession also provides pathways into educational leadership, school inspection, teacher education, and educational policy.