Available with:

  • Foundation Year


Course Summary

Do you want to have an impact on the world around you, inspiring critical thinking and challenging inequality? Our BA Education course will give you the skills and knowledge to do this, illuminating the transformative power of education. As educational professionals of the future, we realise the significance of widening mindsets and enriching the educational experience. Our passionate tutors will support you in gaining an excellent understanding of the sociology, psychology, and philosophy of education, and how this changes in reaction to national and international developments. This highly practical course has placements in each year, which will enable you to relate theory to practice and gain hands-on employability skills that are highly sought after in the field. 

This course significantly builds on your knowledge and understanding of political science, as well as sociology, philosophy, and psychology, to help you to fully develop expertise in the academic study of education. Our lecturers are research-active in a wide variety of educational topics and bring contemporary insight into the classroom that covers education in its broadest sense. We explore formal, informal, and non-formal ways of learning across all age groups; we support and understand both lifelong and life wide study, realising the importance of experiential learning in tandem with delivered tuition. 

As well as teaching our programme, we also provide reassurance and support throughout your studies and deliver lectures and seminars to smaller class sizes, getting to know you personally in what one of our international students has described as our “living classroom”. 


What you’llStudy

This Foundation Year will provide you with a broad subject knowledge base that will introduce you to the key themes and perspectives relating to your chosen degree. You will also develop the academic skills needed to succeed in your degree area, such as academic writing, referencing and public speaking.

In Year 1, modules will support your transition to university study whilst developing your knowledge and understanding of the school system and the concept of education. You will undertake your first placement.

Year 2 gives you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and focus on your chosen pathway with modules specific to this. Here, you can pursue our International pathway as well as exploring our study abroad opportunities and UK-based placements.

Year 3 enables you to question and challenge your practice, and to develop your skills in research by exploring an aspect of personal interest in greater depth. You will have a third year placement, allowing you to pursue employment opportunities and begin to tailor your career.

Module content:

Starting your first year at university is a new experience and it requires dedication, commitment and hard work. By making the choice to attend university you are responsible for your own learning which can be quite a change from previous study.

This module is designed specifically to introduce you to the academic and professional skills necessary to engage in Higher Education. It will walk you step by step through some of the major skills you will need to develop in order to be a successful student. 

Topics covered include how to get the most out of lectures, working as part of a team, how to find appropriate academic sources, how to use APA referencing, interpreting an assignment brief, structuring a written assignment, advancing a written argument, beginning critical analysis and wellbeing and resilience.


Module aims:

This module aims to:

  • introduce students to the academic and professional skills necessary to engage in Higher Education;
  • support students to make a successful transition to study and life at University;
  • build learning power to enable students to become effective and independent learners.

Module content:

This module will introduce you to the key skills and attributes required for successful practice in the workplace.  It will introduce you to legislative and statutory guidance for safeguarding, recognising when a person might be in danger or at risk and the procedures which must be followed.  You will be able to explore professional, generic, work-specific and transferrable skills in the workplace and set action plans and targets for professional performance.  This module will also enable you to begin the process of developing reflective practice skills and how to link theory with practice, and practice to theory.


Module aims:

This module aims to :

  • introduce students to placement learning in professional contexts which are relevant for their chosen programme of study.
  • guide students through the professional knowledge, skills and dispositions which will enable them to have an enriching placement experience and prepare them for further placement experiences at Level 5 of their programme.
  • introduce students to key elements of the University of Chester Citizen Student Strategy: it will support students in contributing to the community as engaged learners, foster a sense of the benefits of active learning and engagement with employers.

For students on the Early Childhood (0-8) pathway, the module will give the opportunity to complete elements of the Early Years Educator criteria and the Graduate Practitioner Competencies.

Module content:

This module provides a historical overview to the emergence of social justice, inclusive education, and special educational needs. Terms, perceptions, and concepts are considered, as well as the importance of reflecting on any personal bias that might impact professional practice. You will be introduced to key theories, legislation and policy and consider how this might translate into practice. Emphasis will be placed on how children and young people with special educational needs and other diverse needs can be supported and enabled in settings, in relation to both a learning and social context.


Module aims:

This module aims to:

  • examine concepts and theories relating to social justice, inclusive education, and special educational needs; 
  • explore how children and young people with diverse needs can be supported in settings and, the importance of early identification of need.

Module content:

This module aims to:

Explore how childhood is socially constructed and the ways in which children, as social agents, shape their childhoods, as well as considering the historical and social conditions that led to the introduction of a state system of schooling.

Discuss and consider the significant acts and events that marked the consolidation of state involvement and how changes in the structure of society led to advances in educational provision.

 


Module aims:

Students will be encouraged to explore historical and contemporary representations of children, and the concept of childhood. This module will then introduce the origins of a state-controlled education system where students will explore the social conditions which lead to this. Key moments in history will allow students to develop an understanding of how the past has shaped the present and will encourage comparison and contrast of current issues in education and society.

Module content:

In this module you will explore pedagogy, learning theories, key concepts and theories of play and the relationship between play and holistic development. 

You will engage with policy, practice, research and debates in relation to playful learning and thinking in the EYFS and National Curriculum.   This will include the importance of successful transitions between stages of learning.

You will explore how play and exploratory learning are used to scaffold, facilitate and extend children and young people’s learning and thinking.  


Module aims:

This module aims to:

  • examine key concepts and theories of learning and development;  
  • engage with policy, practice, research and debates in relation to playful learning and thinking:
  • explore the vital role of play in young children's learning, including how play and exploratory learning is used to scaffold, facilitate and extend learning and development.  

Module content:

Children and young people live in a social world and grow up with all kinds of different experiences which can impact on their personal, social and emotional development. In this module, you will explore the variety of factors which affect the behaviour of children and young people.  This includes topics such as attachment, self-esteem, parenting, family dynamics, temperament and personality and Special Educational Needs & Disability. 

You will also examine ways of supporting the social and emotional development of children and young people, including through multi agency working and whole setting approaches.


Module aims:

This module aims to:

  • support students in understanding the myriad factors which impact on the social and emotional development of children and young people;
  • develop insights into ways of supporting children and young people's social and emotional development.
BA Education YouTube video

BA Education - A Community of Learning

Who you’ll Learn from

Dr Helen Eadon-Sinkinson

Programme Leader
Helen Eadon-Sinkinson

Prof Mark Gant

Head of Modern Languages
Prof Mark Gant

Dr Paula Hamilton

Programme Leader, MA Education in Society
Dr Paula Hamilton

Debbie Ravenscroft

Senior Lecturer
Debbie Ravenscroft

How you’ll Learn

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as placement experience, which forms an important part of your learning.

You will be assessed in a variety of ways, including coursework, portfolios, essays, presentations, posters and digital outputs. You will also be assessed on placement by your tutor and placement mentor.

Beyond the Classroom

Our Experiential Overseas Learning module offers a unique opportunity to participate in a short-term placement around the world. 

This course offers the exciting opportunity to study abroad for a full academic year at one of our bilateral exchange partners or through ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs), a network of over 300 additional higher education institutions worldwide. 

If you choose a degree with a Placement Year, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year’s paid professional placement at the end of your second year, where you’ll experience the workplace, apply your learning and build connections for your future.  

On this course, you’ll spend time out on placement where you’ll apply what you have learnt to real scenarios in the workplace, giving you genuine experience and insight that will prepare you for your future career. 

This course is one of the few courses in the University of Chester where you will have placements in all three years of study. 

Our International pathway is run in partnership with the University of Chester’s Department of Languages and Cultures. The modules undertaken on this pathway may allow you to study overseas Education, learn a language, teach English to speakers of other languages, and more. This is an exciting new pathway not previously offered to University of Chester students, or widely within the UK. 

Entry Requirements

104 UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff

104 points

GCE A Level 

Typical offer – CCC-BCC

BTEC 

BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM

International Baccalaureate

26 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H4 H4

Scottish Highers - BBBB

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above

T Level 

T Level with a Pass grade and C or above in the core

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: DMM

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer.  We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Please note that GCSE grade C/4 or above in English (or equivalent) is required. GCSE grades C/4 or above in Maths and Science are desirable.

All successful candidates who receive an offer of a place for this course and choose the University of Chester as their Firm choice will be required to undergo checks with regards to their suitability to practice.

A couple of months prior to admission to this course, the University will contact you to request that you complete a self-declaration form detailing any relevant convictions or other information that you believe may have an impact upon your ability to undertake work with children or vulnerable adults.  You will also receive instructions on how to complete an online application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University as a registered body, there will be a charge for this.

Please note that the University does not accept previous DBS checks from other registered bodies or the update service.

For details about the cost of the DBS and for further information please visit our DBS web pages.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

  • IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
  • Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For those who do not have IELTS or an acceptable in-country English language qualification, the University of Chester has developed its own online English language test which applicants can take for just £50.

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72 UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff

72 points.

GCE A Level 

72 UCAS points from GCE A Levels to include grade D in at least one subject

BTEC 

BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP

International Baccalaureate

24 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers -  H4 H4 H4 H4 H4

Scottish Highers - CCDD

 

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall

T Level 

Pass (D or E on the core)

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: MMP 

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer.  We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Please note that GCSE grade C/4 or above in English (or equivalent) is required. GCSE grades C/4 or above in Maths and Science are desirable.

If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree.

All successful candidates who receive an offer of a place for this course and choose the University of Chester as their Firm choice will be required to undergo checks with regards to their suitability to practice.

A couple of months prior to admission to this course, the University will contact you to request that you complete a self-declaration form detailing any relevant convictions or other information that you believe may have an impact upon your ability to undertake work with children or vulnerable adults.   You will also receive instructions on how to complete an online application for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check through the University as a registered body, there will be a charge for this.

Please note that the University does not accept previous DBS checks from other registered bodies or the update service.

For details about the cost of the DBS and for further information please visit our DBS web pages

Where you'll Study Exton Park, Chester

Fees and Funding

£9,250 per year (2024/25)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2024/25 are £9,250 a year, or £1,540 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

The University may increase these fees at the start of each subsequent year of your course in line with inflation at that time, as measured by the Retail Price Index. These fee levels and increases are subject to any necessary government, and other regulatory, approvals.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU starting in or after the 2021/22 academic year will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

£13,950 per year (2024/25)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2024/25 are £13,950. 

This fee is set for each year of study. All undergraduate students are eligible for international and merit-based scholarships which are applicable to each year of study.  

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes. 

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills. 

 

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees & Finance section of our website.

Your future Career

Job prospects

Our commitment goes beyond your undergraduate studies. Subject to achieving a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree, you will benefit from a guaranteed interview on one of our postgraduate teacher training courses (PGCEs) and a range of other courses that will allow you to specialise in areas such as special educational needs, leadership and creativity, as well as pursuing research interests. 

Embedded at the heart of the course is the emphasis on employability skills, ensuring that you will be equipped to enter a diverse range of careers, both directly from the course as a graduate professional and with further study at postgraduate level. 

Education graduates enter a variety of education-related jobs, such as developing careers in training staff in industry, teaching, coaching, therapy, counselling, management, working in museums and galleries, and working in school in a range of support roles, including SEND support and learning mentors, to name but a few. To find out more about the possible career paths following your studies, take a look at the Prospects website.

Progression options

Coaching and Mentoring PGCert: Level 7 

Education, Society and Globalisation MA 

Educational Leadership MA, PGDip, PGCert 

Primary (5-11) PGCE with QTS 

Primary School Direct (5-11) PGCE with QTS 

Secondary (Lead School Partner Route) PGCE with QTS 

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.