Primary Education

Primary education with Qualified Teacher Status is a degree that prepares you both academically and professionally to become a primary school teacher. It combines the study of education as a discipline, encompassing child development, curriculum theory, learning and teaching research, and educational policy, with the practical training needed to work effectively with children in primary classrooms from the start of your career. Qualifying as a primary teacher through an undergraduate route means that you graduate not only with a degree but with QTS, the professional qualification required to teach in state schools in England.

At the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, this three-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in how children learn and develop, how the primary curriculum is structured, what effective teaching across different subjects looks like, and how schools function as institutions. You will also study the core content of the primary curriculum in depth, developing subject knowledge in mathematics, English, science and the foundation subjects that you will need to teach confidently. Placement experience is extensive throughout the degree, placing you in schools across the academic year so that your classroom practice develops alongside your academic learning.

Typical entry is around 136 UCAS tariff points.

Graduation with QTS gives you direct entry into employment as a newly qualified teacher in primary schools across England. Many graduates move straight into teaching positions after completing their degree, and the combination of thorough academic preparation and substantial school experience makes graduates from this programme well prepared for the realities of the classroom. Career progression within teaching leads to subject leadership, middle management, assistant headship and headship.

Others move into advisory, inspection, educational publishing or teacher education roles as their careers develop.