The Student Room Group

What's the best university for Primary Teaching BA?

I was just wondering if there is a university with the best reputation in Primary Teaching BA?

or...do all the Primary courses have a good reputation at any University?


Random Question. I know; just came out of my head now. :p:

:suitd: Sezkin:suitd:

P.s: Best of luck to all those applying to universities and I hope you get the offers you want.! :smile:

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Reply 1
I don't know about a ranking for Primary Teaching courses. I know some colleges, such as Roehampton, have an excellent reputation for teaching. Teacher training colleges.
Other than that, no idea! I doubt it matters.
Reply 2
oxford brookes is good for teaching degrees
Reply 3
University of Gloucestershire
Canterbury Christ University College
University of Winchester

All good reputations - gloucestershire is particularly nice I thought when I looked round.
Reply 4
winchester is one of the best in the country. i would suggest exeter but they dont do a BEd anymore like cambridge
BGC (Bishop Grosseteste University College) in lincolnshire is one of the best
http://www.bishopg.ac.uk/
Reply 6
Middlesex University in London is also best rated for Primary Teaching.

Apply to Unis for 2007 entry (retaking GCSE maths+english. Finish AS&A Levels in year 12/13 sixth form):

Middlesex University - BSc (Hons) IT 'Awaiting' :

Nottingham Trent University - BSc (Hons) ICT 'Awaiting'

De Monfort University -BSc (Hons) ICT 'Awaiting'

University of Huddersfield -BSc (Hons) ICT 'Awaiting'

University of Teesside - BSc (Hons) IT 'Conditional' :smile:
Reply 7
http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/education/research/ceer/pdfs/tt-leag06.pdf

teacher training league table 2006.

dont know if this actually helps with anything - but they are always interesting to see if your choice is rock bottom or not.
Reply 8
hello.
Reply 9
The Boosh
http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/education/research/ceer/pdfs/tt-leag06.pdf

teacher training league table 2006.

dont know if this actually helps with anything - but they are always interesting to see if your choice is rock bottom or not.

Thanks! I don't care too much for league tables, but it was quite shocking to see all the London choices at the bottom :s-smilie:
Anyway, I was just offered a place to continue my teacher training in Germany, which I didn't think was possible after they switched to BA/MA and discontinued the state exams. However, it appears that two universities have stuck with state exams :biggrin:
oooh, so bye bye london?

the tables are generally pants as you say. but this one is very confusing. exeter and cambridge dont offer BEd courses anymore, only pgces - and i dont see a differentiation between pgce and BEd training which are very different things. They offer SCITT etc stats but not PGCE (wierd). Also - it really does depend on where you are placed. My pgce was aweful, so was my girlfriends, largely because the schools we were sent to were failing schools - how were we to observe good teaching from schools deemed "a cause for concern"? East London is slated - but its the most forward thinking part of the UK when it comes to special and inclusive education, with a unique structure and mainstream schools which support children of all abilities. In Exeter there is very little of that and plenty of special schools exist.

The newspaper tables are always biased too - because they assess education studies, not teacher training. People think they are getting a good deal because they are at oxbridge, durham, exeter and bristol because the teaching and research scores are high BUT these scores are years out of date. Those institutions deemed outstanding for teacher education (i.e. winchester) dont even get a mention because they are not research intensive universities.

Strange world eh?
Strange indeed!
I am not coming to London this year as it is. I have decided to stick with a) the distance learning degree, and then possibly b) continue ITT here.... it is just one or two years to go.
What do you think?
the sooner the better.... good luck!
Thanks :biggrin: I need to print off my stuff and send it to them asap :p:
I'm currently doing a primary teaching degree with an English specialism at Reading, and I have to say, it is a fab course. With it being a 4-year course, you get to spend more time on the specialism side, which means you are given time to actually enjoy your subject specialism.
Reply 15
My advice is not to do a teaching degree - it's worth bugger all should you decide not to go into teaching, or for whatever reason you can't get a position anywhere.
Reply 16
Slappywag the OP could really want to be a teacher and have the skills a teacher needs so why should they not do a teaching degree.

I know for me personally ive wanted to be a teacher for a while an have found through work experience ive had some very good comments back! I am now on my first year of my degree to become a secondary design tecnology teacher! There was never any doubt in my mind that i should do a teaching degree!

Think your post is very negative to be honest!
Reply 17
I was just saying that there could be a surplus of teachers in the future, or the OP may change their mind, no matter how certain they are at the moment. I'd study a traditional subject, and then look into the PGCE/grad teaching programme route so not to limit my options.
education degrees are a dying format, but i think they prepare you better for teaching than a pgce. i dont think initial teacher training is academic in the traditional sense - its more vocational, but an intensive 3-4 year course will no doubt prepare you better for teaching (primary at least) than an english degree and a pgce. however, i think slappywag is right if you are unsure about teaching - a general degree followed by a pgce (or a law conversion or medicine grad entry or psychology conversion) is the more flexible route, providing the pgce still exists in 3-4 years time and that you dont have to pay for it. though having said all of that, a degree in teaching certainly lends itself to other professions which involve children, so if you dont want to be a teacher you are not completely out of luck,
You can also always do a Master's degree with a degree in Primary Education.

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