Three primary school children stood around their teacher, with one child raising their arm in the air.

FDA Professional Practice Primary Education

  • Study Mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: Two Years
  • Start Date: September 2024

If you aspire to become a Primary School Teacher, but want to remain working, our Foundation Degree in Primary Education allows you to take the first step on your journey, while giving you the flexibility you need to combine work and study.

We'll work with you to develop your skills so you can support the development of children, while building on your passion for teaching, creativity and learning.

This course is delivered as a Full Time course, with teaching taking place on our High Wycombe campus one day a week. This course is designed to fit around your employment within a school or early years setting where you will gain invaluable experience.

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Foundation Degree (Arts) Primary Education 94% student satisfaction*
*Measured by % of positivity average of Q1-24 (NSS 2023)
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No. 1 in England for Student Satisfaction*
*Measured by % of positivity across all questions within the larger providers only: taught or registered population (NSS 2023)
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No. 1 Students' Union in the UK*
*As ranked among taught students at non-specialist HEIs (NSS 2023)
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Top for our response to the cost-of-living-crisis*
*Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023
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5th for learning opportunities*
*NSS 2023
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Top 10 for student support*
*Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

Why study this subject?

Meeting the learning and developmental needs of a child is crucial to their wellbeing, mental health and academic ability. As a teaching professional, it’s important that you’re the best you can be and you’re keeping up with current research.

Whether you’re working in a school, as a therapist, support worker or interested in research, taking up further education is going to help you succeed and reach the next level of expertise. Gaining the opportunity to study while you work, and apply the theory to a practical setting is an invaluable experience.

You will want to take this course to gain qualifications as a means of increasing employment opportunities, improving your job performance, or building upon your passions. Whatever your reasons are for choosing to take on higher education, you’ll find new doors open to you, and new challenges to conquer.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Increasing your academic knowledge is one of the best ways you can give young people a head start in life, and we've designed our course to support people working in the public, independent and voluntary sectors. At BNU we keep in contact with the practice environment and work with employers to make sure we build a highly skilled and competent workforce, ready for the future.

As well as giving you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed, we'll work together to help you develop important attributes you need to be confident working in primary education. By the time you finish the course you'll be able to work with increased ability in multi-agency environments and as part of an effective team.

Not only will you learn from experienced professionals, your course is focused on providing you the opportunity to apply theory to practice and use what you gain from study directly in your workplace. We believe the ability to see what you learn working for you in real life is an important part of studying at university.

What facilities can I use?

Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assessments and there’s plenty of room to knuckle down for some quiet study.

Whilst studying with us you will also use our Apps anywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. Apps Anywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

On successful completion of the Foundation Degree, you are also able to progress on to a one year top up to gain a full degree BA (Hons) Professional Practice (Primary Education), which can provide you with a stronger platform from which to begin formal teacher training (Qualified Teacher Status).

On our course we aim to develop you as an effective practitioner with in-depth knowledge and understanding of child development and children’s learning within the Primary Education field. We achieve this by fostering inclusive pedagogical approaches to your work with children and families, recognising the importance of diversity, inclusion and cultural backgrounds.

We engage in a variety of perspectives to help you reach an informed position on current issues and use this to influence practice and raise standards within Primary Education. At all levels, we encourage your individual learning journey and your development of professional identity to enhance employability opportunities within Primary Education.

Regular meetings with your course tutor can enable you to effectively pursue your own goals and review information you may feel weak on or need more guidance with. You’ll graduate being able to articulate the philosophies and values underpinning primary education, including social justice, children’s rights, safeguarding and child protection, inclusion, and ethical issues.  

We’ll discuss the historical, cultural, and legal frameworks which underpin the disciplines and practices of the education sector and how they influence the quality of practice. In addition, we also facilitate the development of personal and transferable skills, including problem solving, communication, digital technologies, team working, safeguarding, and recognition of the value of independent and lifelong learning. 

How will I be taught and assessed?

On our Foundation Degree in Primary Education, you'll benefit from learning in lectures, workshops, small groups and individual tutorials. Guest speakers often visit to speak to our students. They can provide invaluable and unique perspectives and up-to-date teaching on the changing world of integrated children’s services. Support from your lecturers will help you meet any assessment concerns you may have, particularly as this course is designed to be flexible around your working schedule.

Some of the ways you will be assessed on your understanding of the programme are listed below:

  • essays and reports 
  • audit of workplace environment with action plan 
  • practice observation with analysis 
  • powerpoint presentations with explanatory rationale or reflective commentary  
  • projects and exhibitions 
  • case studies 
  • community audit and information document 
  • micro-teaching sessions  
  • creation of training materials 
Useful Documents

FDA Professional Practice Primary Education Programme Specification

What are the course entry requirements?

Students applying must be able to demonstrate that they are in work (paid or unpaid) related to the course for at least 2.5 days a week as this work is an extension of their study.

  • A relevant Level 3 qualification
  • A minimum of 2 years' relevant experience
  • Current employment as a teaching assistant in a primary school (for a minimum of 2.5 days a week)
  • Support of your school or setting

Modules

This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

What are the tuition fees

Home
  • Home, Academic Year 2024 - 2025: £5,200 per year

Additional course costs and financial support

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our Enquiries team by calling 0330 123 2023 or emailing advice@bnu.ac.uk.

What are my career prospects?

On successful completion of this foundation degree, you can choose to top-up to a full degree by studying our BA (Hons) Professional Practice (Primary Education and Education).

With this degree, along with GCSEs in English, Maths and Science, you'll be able to apply for a one-year formal programme of initial teacher training such as a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is a perfect gateway into an advanced education and teaching career, helping you to advance to a higher level in this sector.

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Dr Carol Rogers
  • Senior Lecturer
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