BA (Honours) Education Studies (Primary)

Accessibility

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:

• Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
• Mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
• Group-work
• Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
• Practical work
• Finding external/third-party material online
• Accessing online catalogues and databases
• Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and other tasks
• Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
• Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification. There are no examinations in Education Studies modules, and you will have dedicated preparation weeks before submitting your assignments.

You do not need to be volunteering or employed in a primary school to study this qualification. However, if you are not volunteering or working in a school on a regular basis, you may wish to arrange opportunities to spend time in a formal educational setting for children aged 3 to 12 to observe teaching and learning during your studies.

We suggest that you try to spend between 2 and 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 around five days 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.

Preparing for study with an Access module

Students who start their study with an Access module are more likely to be successful when they advance to Stage 1 of their qualification. They’re specially designed to give you a gentle introduction to OU study, boost confidence in your study skills, and help you gain a broad overview of your chosen subject area.

You’ll also benefit from:

• feedback from your tutor through regular one-to-one phone tutorials
• support from a dedicated team throughout your study
• detailed written feedback on your work.

Skills for career development

This degree provides an effective foundation for a wide choice of career paths, in particular within education. It emphasises independent thinking, develops analytical and communication skills and will help you become a clear and confident writer – all attributes that are highly valued by employers. Specific skills you’ll develop include:

• critically evaluating and effectively communicating information to others
• retrieving, organising, synthesising and questioning arguments, opinions and qualitative and quantitative data
• using a range of digital technologies effectively for study, online collaboration and to support your continuing professional development
• planning and managing time and tasks and working to deadlines
• identifying strengths and areas for development, and seeking and learning from feedback.

Career relevance

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.

Other careers

Many graduate-level jobs are open to graduates of any discipline, particularly in business, finance, management consultancy and the public sector. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice – including online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point (note that some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience):

You can achieve this degree in as little as three years and have a maximum of 10 years to complete it. Our module-by-module approach gives you the flexibility to complete your qualification at a pace that works best for you.

3-year degree

You can complete this degree in three years by studying at a pace equivalent to full-time. That’s similar to a student at a campus-based university.

• You'll study 120 credits a year.
• You'll need 32–36 study hours per week.

For a year-by-year breakdown of modules, take a look at our 3-year degree pathway in the Course details section.

6-year degree

You can complete this degree in six years by studying part-time. That’s roughly half the rate of a student on a full-time course at a campus-based university.

• You'll study 60 credits a year.
• You'll need 16–18 study hours per week.

For a year-by-year breakdown of modules, take a look at our 6-year degree pathway in the Course details section.