Why choose the School of Education and English
A practice-led approach to gaining Qualified Teacher Status, with 80% of your time spent on placement.
In the NSS 2025, our teacher training courses scored student satisfaction rates of 90% and over for teaching, learning opportunities, academic support, learning resources and freedom of expression.
In the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2025, our education and teaching courses rank in the top 25 in their subject field for sense of community and skills development.
About the course
Develop as a creative, innovative and reflective teacher specialising in working with the youngest children (aged 3-7). Through specialist placements in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, you build a secure understanding of early years teaching and learning, supported by experienced early years and primary teachers, while your University-based sessions focus on general professional issues; the National Curriculum; and aspects of teaching such as lesson planning and assessment.
There is the option to take this course part time over two years, making it easier to balance study with your other commitments.
For further course information, contact Nicola Sayers at nicola.sayers@beds.ac.uk
Course accreditation / industry endorsement
We are a Department for Education-accredited provider of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). This course meets the requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Teacher Education Centre with realistic mock classrooms supported by specialist technology that allows you to watch and self-assess your lesson
- Up-to-the-minute simulation technology
- Forest School for training in outdoor learning
- Specialist sensory suite for teaching SEND and early years classes
- Recently refurbished science labs with facilities for wet work
- Multimedia space for webinars and podcasting
- Wide range of sports facilities including a sports arena, multiuse games areas and sports pitches
Industry links
We have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations across the eastern region, a network that puts us ahead when it comes to national priorities, issues and developments in educational practice.
Your student experience
The University of Bedfordshire is one of the largest providers of teacher education in the region with a long, successful history of teacher education going back to 1882.
Gain real-world experience on a practice-led teaching course where you complete your training in the classroom at placements in our partner schools around the region.
All University-based staff teaching our QTS courses were previously employed as teachers, senior leaders and/or head teachers. All staff are evidence informed and up to date with current practices in education through regular practice in school settings or research activities at higher education and national level.
Practice your teaching skills in the classroom with guidance from an expert or lead mentor who is a subject specialist; your mentor is fully trained and may often be a former University of Bedfordshire student teacher so you are joining a large, life-long community of teachers.
Benefit from a PGCE course that has wellbeing embedded throughout, with specialist sessions and placement support from our placement coordinator and wellbeing coordinator.
Within the enrichment arm of the course, explore areas of your choosing, such as autism or school leadership, with some choices leading to additional qualifications.
Expand your knowledge via talks from wider curriculum specialists as well as conferences, TED-style masterclasses and cross-curricular discussions, taking place on campus as well as online.
Extend your wider understanding through regular visits by professionals from schools, local organisations, community partners and professional bodies including primary and secondary teachers, senior leaders, SEN schools and local education authorities.
University-based sessions take place at our Bedford campus, a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well and provide individual academic support.
Experience field trips to locations you would be likely to take your pupils including a Year 1 PE residential trip with outdoor adventure activities.
On graduating, you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling you to work as a teacher in an early years or primary education setting.
Course Leader - Nicola Sayers
I have worked in Primary Education for over 20 years as a Headteacher, Deputy Head, Phase Leader, and Leader of Mathematics and English.
During this time, I worked closely with my fellow cluster schools supporting subject leaders and completing school evaluation and monitoring.
I have taught across the whole of the Primary age range, however am specialised in Key Stage 2.
At the University of Bedfordshire, I teach on the PGCE Primary 5-11 (QTS), the Applied Maths, and the Top-up Exploring the Curriculum. I am also the lead in Primary Recruiting.
My interests still lie in Primary Education, primarily in how children learn and the impact of cognitive load theory. I am also interested in disadvantaged children and the impact of poverty on the primary school child. Currently, I am interested in the effects the current pandemic has on the social skills of our children and the impact upon families.
Course Leader - Nicola Sayers
I have worked in Primary Education for over 20 years as a Headteacher, Deputy Head, Phase Leader, and Leader of Mathematics and English.
During this time, I worked closely with my fellow cluster schools supporting subject leaders and completing school evaluation and monitoring.
I have taught across the whole of the Primary age range, however am specialised in Key Stage 2.
At the University of Bedfordshire, I teach on the PGCE Primary 5-11 (QTS), the Applied Maths, and the Top-up Exploring the Curriculum. I am also the lead in Primary Recruiting.
My interests still lie in Primary Education, primarily in how children learn and the impact of cognitive load theory. I am also interested in disadvantaged children and the impact of poverty on the primary school child. Currently, I am interested in the effects the current pandemic has on the social skills of our children and the impact upon families.
Studying our Primary Early Years PGCE course will equip you with in-depth knowledge and skills around education, teaching and curriculum. You will start by building your understanding of teaching and learning, as well as how to apply that knowledge into practice in our Evidence Informed Primary Teacher (Level 7) unit.
Based on key literature, you will focus on developing evidence-informed teaching and subsequently be critical of your own practice in The Reflective Primary Teacher (Level 7) unit. This will help you prepare for work within complex and unpredictable early years classroom settings that demand innovative thinking and actions.
In areas of practice, you will have the opportunity to undertake a school placement where you will build your experience to independently plan and deliver lessons based on your observations and learning in our School Experience 1 – The Primary Early Years Teacher unit. You will learn to apply useful management strategies in a school context while aligning with behaviour management policy.
In the second part of this unit; School Experience 2 – The Primary Early Years Teacher; you will continue to develop and apply your experience from the first unit while also learning methods to adapt teaching, effective use of assessment and to promote good progress.
The assessment strategy is based upon the premise that critical evaluation of theoretical perspectives as they apply to your own teaching is an intrinsic element of best teaching practice. Throughout the course therefore you will continually be encouraged to explore what is known about teaching and learning and to demonstrate independence and creativity in evaluating the relevance of that knowledge in your own context.
Sound subject knowledge is a fundamental quality of an effective teacher and you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to on-going development of that knowledge throughout the course. In addition key to the course is a focus on the development of evidence informed teaching culminating in an extended systematic study of your own practice. By embracing the professional requirements for Qualified Teacher Status within the academic requirements of a Post Graduate Certificate the course supports you in developing the qualities that define the University of Bedfordshire graduate teacher: an independent reflective creative innovative collaborative and resilient professional who is committed to on-going personal and professional development.
The assessment for this course seeks to support you in developing your understanding of the interplay between theoretical perspectives and practice based experience. You will be developing your skills of reviewing and evaluation of evidence critical thinking creativity and independence. The themes for your evidence informed writing are developed from local and national subject priorities and therefore allow you to develop the evidence of your understanding of values and principles underpinning the Teachers Standards as they apply to your working context. By building your work around these themes you will generate rich evidence that can contribute to the assessment of your professional performance: the Profile Review Points. Hence the assessment items are intrinsically connected and in combination allow you to demonstrate your achievement of all learning outcomes. The Profile Review Point is the process by which the mentor reviews your progress in your teaching practice and offers this evidence to your university tutor to review against all the other evidence that they see of you on the course.
The Teachers Standards 2012 provide the framework by which this progress is judged and are supplemented with descriptors which support you in understanding the qualities which define the level at which you meet the standards. The Teacher Standard descriptors are included in the School Experience unit assessment information. Formative use of assessment is embedded throughout the course and is a principle that we would expect you to adopt in your own teaching. You will be supported to become familiar with self- and peer-assessment approaches and to make effective use of feedback on both academic and practice-based aspects of the course to identify targets for your on-going development and plan actions to address them.
The passing of all four units will mean the course will recommend you to the Teaching Regulatory Agency (TRA) for QTS. In exceptional circumstances approved by the head of school it may be possible for recommendation for QTS to be made without completion of the four units. This option is not an automatic entitlement.
Careers
On graduating, you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling you to work as a teacher in an early years or primary education setting. Many of our graduates go on to rewarding employment in local schools.
There are also opportunities to progress to further study at MA/MSc, MPhil, PhD and EdD levels.
Entry Requirements
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Entry Requirements
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Fees for this course
UK
You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for PGCE tuition fees.
See www.gov.uk/student-finance
A limited number of bursaries are available for Primary PGCE courses.
See www.gov.uk/teacher-training-funding
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Bedfordshire Scholarship Available
The University of Bedfordshire is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
The Department for Education (DFE) Bursaries and Scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
| Subject | Bursary | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Computing | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Mathematics | £29,000 | — |
| Physics | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Chemistry | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Design and Technology | £20,000 | — |
| Biology | £5,000 | — |
| Geography | £5,000 | — |
Fees for this course
UK
You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for PGCE tuition fees.
See www.gov.uk/student-finance
A limited number of bursaries are available for Primary PGCE courses.
See www.gov.uk/teacher-training-funding
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Bedfordshire Scholarship Available
The University of Bedfordshire is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
The Department for Education (DFE) Bursaries and Scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships are available to trainees on tuition fee-based teacher training courses in England that lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
| Subject | Bursary | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Computing | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Mathematics | £29,000 | — |
| Physics | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Chemistry | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Design and Technology | £20,000 | — |
| Biology | £5,000 | — |
| Geography | £5,000 | — |
