Studying Primary Education at Leeds Trinity

Leeds Trinity University has been training outstanding teachers for over 50 years.

Our Primary Education programmes are developed alongside school partners, academic staff and the latest research to ensure our courses are current and respond to Ofsted requirements.

You’ll spend a minimum of 24 weeks training in the school environment, with opportunities for enhanced placements in alternative age-ranges and settings located over a wide geographical area.

We work with a diverse range of schools – from small rural schools to large, inner-city schools where you’ll work as part of a multi-professional team. We work with ‘outstanding’ schools who are leading in education, as well as schools that may have large intakes of vulnerable groups of children, or who may have difficulties in reaching outcome targets at the end of key stages.

By the time you graduate, you’ll be well prepared for your future career in the teaching profession.

Our Primary Education courses

Primary Education (Early Years 3-7) with QTS
BA (Hons)
Year of entry: 2023, 2024
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Primary Education (Early Years 3-7) with QTS with Foundation Year
BA (Hons)
Year of entry: 2023, 2024
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Primary Education (Later Years 5-11) with QTS
BA (Hons)
Year of entry: 2023, 2024
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Primary Education (Later Years 5-11) with QTS with Foundation Year
BA (Hons)
Year of entry: 2023, 2024
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You will never look back at your decision once you have your own class, it is the best, most rewarding job.

Georgia Walsham
Primary Education (Later Years 5-11) with QTS Graduate

Early Years 3-7 or Later Years 5-11?

We offer two undergraduate programmes in Primary Education which cover the age ranges 3-7 years and 5-11 years. Whichever age-range you train for, you’ll be qualified to teach across ages 3-11 years in the primary sector.

The Early Years 3-7 programme prepares you for very early teaching and learning experiences. You’ll spend time helping children learn through play activities – which is more challenging than it sounds! You’ll also be a key figure in nurturing children’s social, emotional and physical development, as well as teaching those first skills needed to support the rest of their school years and beyond.

The Later Years 5-11 programme prepares you to build on the early childhood experiences that children bring with them to their first years of more formal schooling. You’ll build on best practice of learning through play to engage children with the Key Stage 1 curriculum and beyond. Working in Key Stage 2, you’ll see children develop, ready for the challenges of secondary education.  

Programme Structure

In each year of the programme there are four key strands which structure your learning and professional experience at university and in school. 

You’ll develop knowledge and understanding of the statutory frameworks that teachers work within as well as best practice in meeting your legal and ethical obligations in key areas such as safeguarding and child protection.

Our focus is on developing your ability to teach a broad and balanced curriculum and gain an understanding of subject and age-specific pedagogy to enable you to plan, teach and assess across the curriculum confidently.

An important aspect of training to teach is developing your understanding of why we work in certain ways. Understanding the theory behind what works helps you to reflect professionally on your teaching and sets you up to be confident in your own practice and decision-making.

You’ll spend substantial time working alongside practitioners in Early Years and Primary settings. To help you develop the confidence you’ll need to become a teacher, you’ll complete at least 24 weeks of school-based training as part of your degree. We’ll support you to build your skills gradually, so you’ll be ready to take on the role of class teacher by the time you undertake your final placement.

Our dedicated School Partnerships team will work with you to find the right opportunity for your school-based training. You’ll be allocated a university link tutor and a school-based mentor for each placement who will support you throughout your training.

Before you complete each block of school-based training, you’ll take part in intensive and immersive preparation training led by your Primary Education lecturers.

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Leeds Trinity University is...

15th in the UK and top in Yorkshire for graduates in employment or further study within 15 months
Graduate Outcomes, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) published 2022
Joint 24th in the UK for teaching quality The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
18th in the UK and top in Yorkshire for student experience The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
Joint 25th in the UK for overall student satisfaction Mainstream universities in the National Student Survey 2022