BA (Hons) Primary Education Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BA (Hons) Primary Education at Durham University. You'll work with core concepts in primary pedagogy, research methods, and specialist curriculum areas, developing both the intellectual foundations and the practical confidence needed to lead learning in primary schools.
About this course
BA (Hons) Primary Education is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Teacher training graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Education & Teaching, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 88% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Primary Education 1Compulsory
Module details
will help you develop an understanding of EDI issues in primary education. You will review relevant policy and legal requirements, and develop an understanding of how to embed EDI into aspects of the primary curriculum.
- Core Subjects 1Compulsory
Module details
develops your understanding of the key elements underpinning the primary curriculum (English, mathematics and science) and strengthens your knowledge of their connections. You will examine ways in which the core curriculum is taught and consider the issues involved in ensuring effective provision of the National Curriculum for all children.
- Education in the Early YearsCompulsory
Module details
develops an understanding of key pedagogical issues related to teaching, learning and assessment in early years education. You will be introduced to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, considering areas of learning specified in the framework. There will be a particular focus on children's development in early reading and phonics, and early mathematics. You will explore ways in which early years education supports preparation for formal schooling.
- Foundation Subjects and School-based Practice 1Compulsory
Module details
develops an understanding of some of the key professional requirements involved in teaching. You will be introduced to key issues related to teaching, learning and assessment in the primary classroom, including approaches required in foundation subjects. You will develop an understanding of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) and the Teachers' Standards, and the approaches needed to fulfil these. You will develop an understanding of safeguarding roles and duties and
Year 2 4 modules
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Primary Education 2Compulsory
Module details
continues to develop your understanding of EDI issues in primary education and to consider the external influences on EDI issues in education.
- Core Subjects in Primary Education 2Compulsory
Module details
further develops your understanding of the key elements underpinning the primary curriculum (English, mathematics and science) and strengthens your knowledge of their connections. You will explore issues involved in ensuring effective provision of core subjects in the National Curriculum for all children, including contemporary influences and initiatives.
- Educational Research MethodsCompulsory
Module details
helps you understand the purposes and implications of educational research. You will develop a critical appreciation of the different ways in which research can be carried out in education, and learn how to assess the quality of educational research.
- Foundation Subjects and School-based Practice 2Compulsory
Module details
develops and strengthens your knowledge and understanding of teaching, learning and assessment in foundation subjects, the Teachers' Standards and ITT ECF and safeguarding in primary education. You will consider how to develop professional identity.
Year 3 4 modules
- Double Dissertation in Primary Education: Reflective Practice in ActionCompulsory
Module details
You will undertake an extended, independent piece of research with an appropriate primary educational focus. The dissertation provides an opportunity to bring together skills, knowledge and understanding gained on the course into a focused piece of work. This will allow you to reflect critically on areas of educational practice.
- Core Subjects in Primary Education 3Compulsory
Module details
consolidates and extends your understanding of the key elements underpinning the core Primary National Curriculum subjects (English, mathematics and science). You will deepen your understanding of the pedagogical issues related to teaching these subjects and how to ensure effective provision for all children.
- Future LeadersCompulsory
Module details
will deepen and extend your knowledge and understanding of the role of the subject leader within the primary school. You will engage with challenges of leadership and how to work effectively with colleagues to support them in teaching across the curriculum. You will also be introduced to important current initiatives and curriculum legislation.
- Moving from a Trainee to an ECT in Primary EducationCompulsory
Module details
will support students in their employability and graduate attributes in preparation for transition to Early Career Teachers (ECT). You will build and strengthen expectations and knowledge of the ECT, recognising the role you play through critical analysis of professional debate and research.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This degree combines child development and educational theory with sustained classroom practice. Year 1 covers foundations, how children learn cognitively, socially and emotionally, alongside early school placements. Year 2 moves into curriculum planning, teaching and assessment across core subjects, with particular attention to supporting learners with special educational needs and disabilities; you'll undertake a second extended school placement with growing responsibility. Year 3 focuses on professional standards, behaviour management and assessment, with specialist options such as early years, subject specialisms or education policy. A final placement allows you to lead classes whilst working towards Qualified Teacher Status if you take a QTS route. School-based experience runs throughout.
Who it's for
You're drawn to working with primary-age children and interested in how they develop as learners. You engage with educational ideas, why certain approaches work, how inequality shapes schooling, what research tells us about effective teaching. You want hands-on experience in real classrooms alongside time to read, think and develop your own teaching philosophy. This course suits you if you're comfortable with both the academic side of education, essays, critiques, evidence, and the human unpredictability of the classroom. You'll feel challenged by the breadth: balancing theory seminars with placement work, managing the emotional and practical demands of teaching, and building relationships with pupils, colleagues and school communities.
Careers & job market
Across Education & Teaching nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 70% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National earnings data shows graduates starting at £22,000–£30,000 fifteen months after graduation; after five years, this ranges from £21,250 to £30,000. Many pursue teaching roles in maintained and independent schools; others move into educational leadership, special educational needs coordination, or related sectors such as youth work or policy.
University & format
This BA (Hons) Primary Education is delivered full-time over 3 years at Durham University's Durham Campus. Durham is a public Russell Group university founded in 1832. Instruction is in English. The degree is a nationally recognised UK qualification. Durham holds Silver status for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (2023). Bursaries and scholarships are available through the university.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code X101). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- Teacher-training bursaries: Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships are available for selected shortage subjects. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Education & Teaching graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £30,000 – £32,000 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £26,500 | £22,500 – £27,500 | 135 |
| 5 years after | £32,000 | £25,000 – £34,000 | 130 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in education & teaching · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Education & Teaching nationally
National figures for Education & Teaching graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Education & Teaching courses at the same study level.
Compared with 515 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 80% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 65; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Education & Teaching graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Education & Teaching graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Schools & academy trusts
- Local authorities
- Education charities
- Tutoring providers
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Education & Teaching graduates.
Education SEN MentorMacIntyreEducation Recruitment ConsultantAcademicsEducation Delivery Consultant - Fast Paced, Dynamic Organisation - WorcestershireAP EducationEducation Trustee - Lead Youth Careers & Outdoor LearningRacing to SchoolEducation Recruitment Consultant - Build Futures & Earn UncappedProtocol EducationEducation Recruitment Consultant: Grow Your Desk & ImpactEducation AssetsIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.2 out of 10: NSS 72.7% · in work or study 85% · continued 88%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Education and teaching across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Education & Teaching right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Durham University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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