Education

Our Early Childhood and Primary Education BA invites you to explore the ideas, debates, and real-world contexts that shape young children’s lives and education today. Across your three years of study, you will engage with a wide range of modules covering for example contemporary perspectives on child development, play and learning, health and wellbeing, and social inclusion.

A key feature of the course is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through placements each year, set within a diverse range of educational and support settings. These experiences are designed to broaden your understanding of how children learn and develop, as well as how families are supported across different contexts.

While the course does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status, it offers a rich, holistic insight into the bigger picture of both education and children’s lived experiences. It is ideal for those who want to understand how learning, care, family life, and wider social factors intersect to shape childhood and society.

Yes! Throughout your studies, you may discover that teaching is what you are wanting to pursue after your undergraduate degree. With a non-teaching Education course, you can go on and study a PGCE in Primary, Early Years, as well as certain PGCE Secondary courses. This PGCE will give you the experience of working in a school through your placements and, on successful completion, you will attain qualified teacher status.

This course prepares you for a wide range of rewarding and impactful careers, both within and beyond school settings. Graduates have gone on to roles such as child support workers in domestic violence charities, family support workers, and early childhood trainers across Europe, as well as positions within the wider charity and community sectors.

The course also provides a strong foundation for further postgraduate study, opening pathways into professions such as teaching, social work, and speech and language therapy.

At the University of Chester, we pride ourselves on providing you with the practical experiences you need to stand out from the crowd as a graduate. In our Developing Practice: Building Transferable Skills in the Workplace module, you will have the opportunity to engage with professional practice in the children, young people, and families sector. Through placement experiences, you will develop and apply key skills in practical settings. The module emphasises the transferability of these skills, enabling you to adapt them to a range of roles and professional environments. By focusing on skill development and consistent practice, the module helps you build a solid foundation for a wide range of future careers.

This course is ideal for anyone with an interest in education who wants to explore the field in a broader, more flexible way. You will be immersed in the theories and debates that shape education, gaining a deeper understanding of how children learn, develop, and are supported across different contexts. Through this, you may discover a range of career pathways that align with your interests, both within and beyond traditional educational settings.

Throughout the course, you will develop a strong set of transferable skills that are highly valued across a range of careers. These include effective communication, organisation, and time management, alongside the ability to think critically and solve problems in complex situations. You will build confidence in working collaboratively with others, while also developing adaptability and emotional intelligence when engaging with diverse groups. The course also strengthens your observation, research, and analytical skills, as well as your ability to reflect on your own practice, equipping you to respond thoughtfully and professionally in a variety of settings.