Home Faculties & Schools School of Education About us

About us

Our aim is to provide you with the skills and experience you need to succeed in your chosen career. For those who wish to become a teacher, we have a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses (from Early Years to Secondary) that lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). These provide extensive school placement opportunities and prepare you for your career as an Early Career Teacher.

Our Education and English courses give you the knowledge and aptitudes to enter initial teacher education in the future; to work with vulnerable young people or children; or, simply, to develop into someone able to progress into a range of graduate careers with confidence. While the School of Education is based on the Bedford campus, we also deliver a range of education courses internationally, including MA International Education and Applied Linguistics (TESOL).

What the school of education can offer you

  • Our Education courses rank in the UK top 10 in their subject field (Daily Mail university rankings, 2025).
  • Within six months, over 90% of our teaching graduates are in employment (University of Bedfordshire student data, 2024).
  • Our most recent QTS Secondary Ofsted Report states: “The large majority of Secondary trainees attain outcomes at the highest levels.”
  • A focus on real-world experience - for example, 80% of time on our PGCE courses is spent at placement schools
  • Close partnerships with schools and other education settings means we are ahead of changing national priorities, issues and developments in educational practice
  • Our Education and English courses offer a wide choice of opportunities for work-based experience across a range of education settings and sectors
  • Develop specialism in areas including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), early years or physical education, or study a multidisciplinary course such as Education with Psychology.
  • Work-based courses for those in full- or part-time employment, Foundation degrees and one-year top-up degrees that fit around your work and family commitments.
  • Flexible course structure: gain subject foundations in Year 1 before choosing a specialism in Year 2 and 3.
  • As well as PGCE routes into teaching, we offer degree pathways to QTS; an English course with the option to study for TEFLi status; and an Early Childhood Education course with Graduate Practitioner status.
  • Be part of a thriving community at our Bedford campus, where academic staff get to know you well and provide individual academic support
  • Benefit from excellent, experienced student support via personal tutors, subject and/or placement mentors, and unit coordinators
  • Bespoke modern facilities include realistic mock classrooms; a blended-learning, multimedia area; on-campus Forest School; and Specialist Sensory Centre

ITT Accreditation

University of Bedfordshire – an accredited provider of Initial Teacher Training

As a result of the Market Review conducted by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2021, all providers of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) were requested to re-apply to become an accredited ITT provider from September 2024 onwards.

We are delighted to announce that the University of Bedfordshire has been successful in its re-accreditation, for the delivery of ITT leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Dr Perry Knight, Head of Teacher Education, confirmed the news of the re-accreditation saying: "We're delighted to be re-accredited to deliver ITT and we look forward to the continued development of our provision alongside our partners."

The University of Bedfordshire delivers courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in primary and secondary education, and has undergraduate and postgraduate courses available. For more information, please visit the School of Education