Education and humanities
Primary education
BA or BEd with qualified teacher status, where the course includes it
Overview
A primary education degree with qualified teacher status trains you to teach children in the primary age range and includes school placements. Not every course with education in the title awards QTS. Education studies without QTS is a different degree and does not qualify you to teach. Secondary teaching is often a degree in a subject followed by a postgraduate certificate. Students who enjoy primary teaching like explaining ideas to children and working across many subjects rather than specialising in one.
You want to qualify as a primary teacher.
Education studies without QTS, secondary subject degrees, and teaching assistant roles are different.
People who like working with children across the curriculum.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Across the degree
- How children learn
- Core primary subjects
- School placements
Skills
Useful before you start
- Communication
- Organisation
- Secure knowledge of primary subjects, especially English and mathematics
Developed during the degree
- Planning lessons
- Classroom practice
- Assessing learning
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Seminars, School placements.
Assessment often includes Essays, Subject audits, Placement assessment.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBC–BBB. No single A-level subject is universal. Universities often look at GCSE English, mathematics and a science. |
| IB Diploma | No UCL figure is stored for BBC or BBB. The stored UCL table runs from ABB to A*A*A. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | No Manchester social-sciences AP example is stored for BBC or BBB. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
No single A-level subject is universal. Universities often look at GCSE English, mathematics and a science.
Often recommended: English Literature, English Language, Mathematics.
Useful preparation: Psychology, Art and Design.
GCSE and IGCSE
GCSE or IGCSE English and mathematics are widely required for teacher training, often at a stated grade. A science is also commonly required for primary. Confirm the grades. Equivalence of IGCSE is not automatic.
Indicative only. QTS is the important distinction, not the grade band.
Other ways in
- A postgraduate certificate is the usual route into secondary teaching after a subject degree.
- A degree is not required to start as a teaching assistant.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Primary school teacher
Direct qualifying route
Choose a course that awards QTS for the primary age range.
Secondary school teacher
Related, but not enough on its own
Secondary teaching usually needs a degree in the subject plus teacher training, not a primary education degree.
Teaching assistant
Related, but not enough on its own
Teaching assistant posts do not require this degree. Experience in schools matters more.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.