Education Studies (Primary)

Are you interested in children’s education, how children learn, and different ways to support their learning? Are you thinking about a role in the education sector, including moving on to gain qualified teacher status? With an Education Studies (Primary) degree, you can develop your knowledge and skills, and achieve your career goals.

In this practice-focused degree, you will see theories of learning and teaching come to life in education settings. Many of our students already work or volunteer in primary schools, but this is not a requirement. Our students come from many different lives and career backgrounds and live all over the world. We are committed to access and inclusion and our modules explore ethical, quality education and life-long learning.  We challenge and support all students to be reflective learners, empowered to make a difference to the lives of children. Education Studies (Primary) is one of the most popular degrees at the OU, so you will learn with students with a vast range of experience.

A great team to support you

Our academic staff are experienced educators from across the different nations of the UK and further afield. Our team’s expertise includes multilingualism, inclusion, play, children’s literature, language and literacy, technology, mathematics, geography, Early Years, and teacher professional development. The team have also had roles as school governors, local authority advisors, school teachers and headteachers. Our local expertise is complemented by our extensive experience of supporting distance education across the globe through developing collaborative networks and the co-design of Open Educational Resources. 

Teaching based in research

Our teaching is firmly underpinned by research and members of the Education Studies (Primary) team are active researchers in the university’s Children’s Research Centre, Centre for the Study of Global Development and the Centre for Literacy and Social Justice.

Our research, scholarship and consultancies cover a wide range of local and global education themes, from children’s calculation methods and children’s literature and media to early years practitioner development and girls’ education in Sub-Saharan Africa. We work and research in cutting-edge issues such as children’s wellbeing, relationship and sex education in schools and scalable digital learning in low-income countries as well as creating a sense of belonging in online learning. Our staff have ongoing and diverse partnerships with organisations including the BBC, Cheltenham Literature Festival, the National Literacy Trust, Plan International and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe. We also supervise postgraduate research students in the UK and internationally.

Where could this qualification take you?

A degree in Education Studies (Primary) will provide you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to have an impact on children’s learning, whether that is in your own family, your local community, or at a national or international level. Examples of where your degree could take you include:

entry onto postgraduate initial teacher education (ITE) to gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
school-based initial teacher training (SCITT)
the wider education sector and children’s services
museums and galleries education
an educational charity or NGO
further study such as a masters degree