Are you interested in the education of children aged between 3 and 12? Are you thinking about pursuing a career within education or becoming a primary school teacher? This degree will give you a sound foundation for further study relevant to a range of roles within education. You'll develop your understanding of policy and practice in primary education, and gain the knowledge and skills needed to work collaboratively and equitably in a range of settings.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Code | Q94 |
| Made up of | 360 credits |
Please note that this course does not provide Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). For more details, see the Careers section.
We also offer a Diploma of Higher Education in Education Studies (Primary) (W54) that is the same in structure as the first two-thirds of this degree; similarly, our Certificate of Higher Education in Education Studies (Primary) (T29) corresponds to the first third.
There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification.
You do not need to be volunteering or employed in a primary school in order to study this qualification. However, if you're not working in a school on a regular basis you are advised to negotiate opportunities to spend some time in a formal educational setting for children aged 3-12 (this can be in a voluntary capacity) to observe teaching and learning and gain exposure to a practice context. We suggest that you spend 10 days in school when studying Learning and teaching in the primary years (E103) and Developing subject knowledge for the primary years (E209). Whilst studying Comparative and international studies in primary education (E309) you may wish to spend time in school or another educational setting. If you cannot spend time in practice settings, qualification materials provide examples of children's learning across a range of phases and contexts. For the optional module Listening to young children: critical reflections (E229), you will have to arrange access to a young child for a short observation. See the module description for more details.
It is your responsibility – not the OU's – to ensure that you obtain the necessary Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check or equivalent for the setting and country in which you're working. You should contact the relevant agency in your country for more information if you are in any doubt about your eligibility or to find out more.
An Education Studies (Primary) degree gives you a sound foundation for a range of roles relating to primary education, including helping you prepare to apply for teacher training. It is also relevant to other careers within childcare, health, education, play work, working with families and young people or work in the wider education sector, cultural institutions and NGOs. It will develop your understanding of practices and policies that affect children, and introduce you to many new aspects of the subject. If you're considering teaching as a career, you're strongly advised to check with your training provider about their entry policy for initial teacher education (ITE) programmes, as requirements vary between different providers.
On successfully completing this course, we'll award you our BA (Honours) Education Studies (Primary).
The class of honours (first, upper-second, lower-second or third) will depend on your grades at Stages 2 and 3.
You'll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Find out more about international recognition of Open University qualifications.
Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our BA (Honours) Education Studies (Primary) uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:
If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – which could save you time and money by reducing the number of modules you need to study. At the OU we call this credit transfer.
It's not just university study that can be considered, you can also transfer study from a wide range of professional or vocational qualifications such as HNCs and HNDs.
You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. We will need to know what you studied, where and when and you will need to provide evidence of your previous study.
For more details of when you will need to apply by and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.