BA (Hons) Studies in Primary Education (Top-Up)

By choosing UcWA, you'll be choosing to study with and experienced, knowledgeable and caring team with connections to local primary schools, early years and family services. Please note that this course does not award qualified teacher status (QTS).

Course aims

• To develop a thorough and rigorous academic understanding of the rich and holistic perspectives of the interdisciplinary framework comprising Early Childhood and Education Studies as important and dynamic areas of study
• To develop systematic knowledge and critical understanding of the interdisciplinary and cross subject domains of Early Childhood and Education Studies as an integral part of the course of study, of research, pedagogy and appropriate knowledge for practice.
• To reflect and apply critical judgement in relation to issues of social justice, inclusion, diversity and equality in primary education.
• To strongly encourage autonomous development of and active engagement with the generic and transferable skills related to Early Childhood and Education Studies in employment.
• To promote critical reflection of primary education as a research and evidence based discipline informed by ethical professional enquiry.

What will I study on this course?

This course is one year, full-time

What's included in each module?

In Perspectives of the Child 3, you'll develop your knowledge and understanding of inclusion, special educational needs and developmental differences to help ensure that each child is supported with their education. You'll become familiar with a range of interventions (e.g. SEND Code of Practice) to inform and develop approaches to address barriers and personalise provision.

In Early Childhood Management and Leadership, you'll build on the principle that good quality education requires creative and effective leaders who are able to manage resources and foster effective team development. This module expects you to examine the context in which education and care are provided to review issues of how we can work better to meet the needs of young children.

For Key Paradigms 3, you'll focus on deconstructing the education system to understand the complexities of how it functions and how its parts interrelate within society. This module invites you to explore policy, practice, and curriculum in both the UK and globally. By comparing international education systems, you'll develop the skills to systematically analyse educational issues, applying new principles and knowledge across different systems. You'll critically evaluate and justify inclusive teaching practices and address current challenges such as assessment and behaviour management.

In Leading Change in Early Childhood Contexts , well explore strategies for managing complex change with a focus on achieving desired outcomes. You'll examine how education and care are delivered, assessing how we can better meet the needs of young children while leading change in early childhood settings. You'll delve into partnership and interdisciplinary collaboration, discussing the challenges they bring and reflect on your own experiences.

In Key Skills for Effective Primary Teaching, you'll dive into what makes a school truly effective. Starting with Ofsted's standards, you'll explore the elements behind outstanding primary education: leadership, governance, teaching, learning, and ensuring children's behaviour and safety. You'll study leadership and management models to support your evaluation of a case study school and use change management theory to identify areas for improvement.

You will need:

• Successful completion of FdA Early Years and Education or other relevant foundation degree

• Access to a primary school environment for the duration of your studies (as an employed member of staff or as a volunteer).

• GCSE grade 4 or higher in English

Please note for primary teaching, GCSE maths and science are also required in addition to English although some some teacher training providers accept equivalencies for maths and science.

The majority of our students are employed in a school, however, if you need to organise a placement in a school setting, this should be for 2 days a week, for the duration of the school year. Our staff team have extensive knowledge of schools in the area and can support you in finding a placement that suits your interests and learning needs. Having a placement in a school can often lead to employment.

• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

International (EEA) applicants

International applicants from the European Economic Area (EEA) may be asked to complete IELTS and achieve a level 7 if there are significant doubts about an applicant's level to communicate. A NARIC statement of comparability will be required to translate grades into their UK equivalents

How long is this course?

1 year

When does this course start?

02/09/2026

How many hours / days per week is this course?

This course will run one full day per week (to be confirmed) on campus

Fee information

Information about course fees and student finance can be found below.

Finance at UcWA

What qualification will I achieve?

BA Hons Studies in Primary Education

How is my course assessed?

This degree is assessed through a dissertation / project, written reports and essays.

About the course team

Kathryn Le Serve spent many years working in various early years and school provision before working as an Early Years Advisor in Norfolk. She taught on various early years courses in the county before coming to teach at the university centre. Kathryn is Course Director for the BA Hons and the Foundation Degree and has been teaching on the degree programme for 16 years. Her areas of specialism include outdoor play and learning and early years pedagogy.

Jeanette Nowrung has been working in the early years sector of over 30 years. Currently she is the manager of 2 outstanding settings (Ofsted 2019 and 2020). She has been teaching at the university centre on a part time basis for over 25 years. Her areas of specialism include safeguarding, embracing diversity and leadership and management. Jeanette has taught on the degree programme for 18 years, currently teaching on the second and third year.

Terms and changes to programmes

Every effort to ensure the information on this page is accurate, however there may be scenarios where the college is required to make amend or alter aspects of the programme, college provision or delivery. Should this occur after you have accepted a place at the college, you will be consulted and agreement sought. You will be entitled to withdraw from any obligations to the college, and where relevant receive any refund or compensation, as per your Terms and Conditions and the Student Protection Plan of the relevant validating awarding organisation. More information is available on our Terms page.