About the course
This degree is aimed at professional support staff working or volunteering in schools and educational settings. It builds on your existing professional skills and competencies, enhancing your professional practice. On successful completion, you can apply for Qualifying to Teach courses at primary and early years levels.
The course offers a range of flexible pathways, designed so you can continue to work while studying. All courses are delivered during the school year and are term time only. Choose from evening part-time study at Putteridge Bury and our Bedford campus; a flexible, part-time blended learning pathway (includes two Saturday study days each term); and a full-time option at Bedford (study one day per week). It is the only course locally offering this flexibility of degree study for working students.
Why choose this course?
- Study full or part time while working in an educational setting and use your work experience towards your course
- Benefit from experienced support in helping you balance work, study and family commitments
- Develop a strong foundation and in-depth understanding of educational provision for children aged between 3 and 11 years, and children in special education working at levels commensurate with this age band
- Learn the skills you need to apply for Qualifying to Teach courses
- You can gain your Honours degree in three or four years although your study can be spread over a longer period
- A highly successful course in terms of student satisfaction (100% overall satisfaction, NSS 2022) and student outcomes (86% of students graduated with a 2:1 or above in 2022)
Apply direct
To apply for this course, please contact admission@beds.ac.uk
Units
- Developing Learning (EDC058-1) Compulsory
- English: Knowledge And Understanding (EDS009-1) Compulsory
- Personalised Learning (EDS013-1) Compulsory
- Skills For Education Studies (EDS012-1) Compulsory
- English: Theory And Practice (EDS009-2) Compulsory
- Mathematics Education (EDS010-2) Compulsory
- Reflecting On Practice (EDS011-2) Compulsory
- The Learning Environment (EDS012-2) Compulsory
- Mathematical Problem Solving And Reasoning (EDS011-3) Compulsory
- Professional Practice (EDS008-3) Compulsory
- Research Methods (EDS010-3) Compulsory
- Research Project In Applied Education Studies (EDS012-3) Compulsory
The purpose of assessment is to provide formative feedback to you, to monitor your performance and to measure your attainment. In addition, it aims to enable you to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the objectives of each unit as well as those needed for working within education as a profession. The assessment strategies are designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate the range of knowledge, understanding and skills required by intending teachers and those who wish to work within education. Your learning will be assessed throughout the course in both a formative and summative way. A range of approaches to assessments are utilised throughout the course, to include written reports and essays, presentations, in class tests, preparation of lesson sequences and teaching materials, literature reviews and a final independent research project. These tools have been chosen to ensure there is a balance of assessment and are re-visited throughout the course to ensure that you have the opportunity to build and develop the attributes that are assessed in a systematic way. The aim is that by the end of the final year you are empowered to demonstrate the qualities that define a Level 6 qualification. Oral presentations are included as a key element of your assessment and development, and a number of units include the formal assessment of these. The key importance of the development of oral presentational skills to intending teachers and those working within education is recognised by the course team and every opportunity is taken to encourage you to enhance your skills in this area. The feedback given to you is intended to be formative in order to aid development. In addition to this, many units involve small-scale group and individual presentation opportunities within teaching sessions to enable students to develop their skills further. You are required to demonstrate that the work you submit for assessment is your own and you will be supported in this process by using a range of tools to include: - Detailed assignment briefs and marking grids - Engaging teaching sessions to included activities and discussions to support you in understanding assessment requirements - Guidance in referencing and citing work correctly using the University Referencing Guidelines. - The University Virtual Learning Environment, BREO, which includes access to a range of teaching and learning materials and interactive discussion boards where you can post questions and gain feedback on ideas related to your specific assignment. During independent study, the support of a research project supervisor to guide you in the research process and provide formative feedback on draft work
Entry Requirements
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
The University of Bedfordshire warmly welcomes students from all over the world.
To ensure a smooth application process, we have dedicated pages with detailed information about country-specific requirements. You can find information on our generic entry requirements too, if your county is not listed.
International Foundation Year
For those who do not have a qualification that allows for direct entry to an undergraduate degree, we offer our own International Foundation Year program to enhance your English language and study skills and help you bridge any knowledge gaps before starting your degree. The program is taught on our campus by University of Bedfordshire staff and offers pathways into nearly all of our undergraduate degrees.
English Language
The English Language requirement for this course is 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in any subtest) in IELTS, or an equivalent SELT. Have a look at our webpage for a list of English language qualifications we accept. If you do not have the required level of English for your chosen degree, we offer pre-sessional courses to enhance your language skills before commencing your studies.
We are committed to supporting you every step of the way, so please do not hesitate to reach out to our international admissions team for further assistance. We look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant academic community.
Entry Requirements
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
The University of Bedfordshire warmly welcomes students from all over the world.
To ensure a smooth application process, we have dedicated pages with detailed information about country-specific requirements. You can find information on our generic entry requirements too, if your county is not listed.
International Foundation Year
For those who do not have a qualification that allows for direct entry to an undergraduate degree, we offer our own International Foundation Year program to enhance your English language and study skills and help you bridge any knowledge gaps before starting your degree. The program is taught on our campus by University of Bedfordshire staff and offers pathways into nearly all of our undergraduate degrees.
English Language
The English Language requirement for this course is 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 in any subtest) in IELTS, or an equivalent SELT. Have a look at our webpage for a list of English language qualifications we accept. If you do not have the required level of English for your chosen degree, we offer pre-sessional courses to enhance your language skills before commencing your studies.
We are committed to supporting you every step of the way, so please do not hesitate to reach out to our international admissions team for further assistance. We look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant academic community.
Gain from a course that provides a clear route into a professional graduate role, through early years teacher status; primary initial teacher training; or leadership and management. Many of our past students have gone on to have successful careers within education, working in a variety of roles including head teacher; SENCO; classroom teacher; and education welfare officer.
Fees and Funding
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Merit Scholarship
We offer a Merit Scholarship to UK students, worth £2,400* over three academic years, which is awarded to those who can demonstrate a high level of academic achievement, through scoring 120 UCAS tariff points or more.
Bedfordshire Bursary
If you aren’t eligible for the Merit Scholarship, this Bursary is there to help UK students with aspects of student living such as course costs. The Bursary will give you £1,000* over three academic years, or £1,300* if you are taking your course over four academic years (including those with a Foundation Year).
Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding please email admission@beds.ac.uk
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £15,500 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees and Funding
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Merit Scholarship
We offer a Merit Scholarship to UK students, worth £2,400* over three academic years, which is awarded to those who can demonstrate a high level of academic achievement, through scoring 120 UCAS tariff points or more.
Bedfordshire Bursary
If you aren’t eligible for the Merit Scholarship, this Bursary is there to help UK students with aspects of student living such as course costs. The Bursary will give you £1,000* over three academic years, or £1,300* if you are taking your course over four academic years (including those with a Foundation Year).
Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding please email admission@beds.ac.uk
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £15,500 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Extra Costs
Campus Library
The Bedford Campus Library set over four storeys offers students access to our extensive range of physical and digital resources with 300,000+ books & 80,000+ ebooks.
PCs are provided on each level for students to use offering access to a wide range of applications as well as access to group-work areas and presentation-practice rooms and a dedicated silent study floor.
BedsSU - The Hub
The Hub is home to BedsSU providing a great space for socialising with friends, catching up on some coursework or taking a well-deserved break.
The Hub is the place to go to take a break from your studies, play table tennis, socialise and watch live sport on the big screen.By night the venue becomes the place to be, with a variety of student events such as pub quizzes, live music and various themed club nights. Evening food includes delicious freshly made pizzas as well as a range of other beverages and snacks.
Bedford Gym
The Aspire Gyms offer a range of affordable membership options giving students exclusive use of a convenient campus-based fitness facility.
The Bedford gym facilitates state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smartphone compatibility as well as an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area. Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.
Dance Studios
At the centre of our campus is four fully sprung dance studios equipped with ballet barres, mirrored walls, audio playback and projection for our dance and performing arts students.
Our two campus theatres also provide the ideal performance space for students with regular events held that are open audiences of students, staff and the wider community.
Campus Theatres
Set within the Campus Centre is a 260 seat professional theatre on the ground floor with industry-standard lighting, media desk, roll-down screen, full backstage comms system and large dressing rooms with en suite showers. On the first floor there's also a well-equipped 80 seat studio theatre.
Our theatres welcome new and existing audiences to see a range of student work including contemporary dance, theatre and performing arts; holding regular events that are open to students, staff and the wider community.
Sports Science Labs
Our specialist sports science labs give students a fantastic environment to develop their research skills and expertise, where a student can explore the biology of an elite athlete who could be performing simultaneously within the sports hall.
The state-of-the-art laboratories are purpose built for research and teaching in the fields of exercise and nutrition science. This includes specialised equipment and facilities for assessing human health risk and delivering exercise and diet interventions for health promotion.
How to Apply
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
Application for this undergraduate course is direct to the University of Bedfordshire.
Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.
International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country
You can also apply online
Find out more about how to apply as an International student
How to Apply
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
UCAS Tariff Points
- At least 96 points with 80 points from at least 2 A level passes
- At least 96 points with Merit Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction Distinction in the BTEC Diploma
- A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma
- Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.
You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator
Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.
T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk
Application for this undergraduate course is direct to the University of Bedfordshire.
Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.
International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country
You can also apply online
Find out more about how to apply as an International student
