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Applying to study EDUCATION
at Durham University
Dr. Caroline Walker-Gleaves
Director, Undergraduate Division
School of Education
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Contacts

Admissions Primary:

d.s.bolden@durham.ac.uk

Admissions Education Studies:

s.c.ward@durham.ac.uk
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Director of Undergraduate Education:
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caroline.walker-gleaves@durham.ac.uk
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Why Durham School of Education?
….Reputation

Education Studies 1st Place Sunday Times University Guide
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Primary Education 3rd Place Sunday Times University Guide
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Education (overall) 2nd Place Times Good University Guide

Primary Education 95% Overall Satisfaction in 2012 National Student
Satisfaction (NSS) Survey

One of only 3 institutions in England to have every single aspect (22
grading elements) of its Teacher Training Provision rated ‘Outstanding’
by Ofsted (the others being Cambridge and Exeter)

Durham is a world-leading university, 80th in the Times Higher World
Rankings 2012-13
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85% world-class and international quality research in the 2008 Research
Assessment Exercise
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Why Durham School of Education?
…Quality

Ofsted: we are an Outstanding Provider and our provision shows “the commitment of the high-quality
trainees to teaching and development of subject knowledge and their strong reflective practice”

External Examiner feedback on the programme is outstanding: Christine Doddington, of the Faculty of
Education at the University of Cambridge: “As well as a broad and relevant range of content covered
within the course, there is evidence of a depth of understanding in the widest interpretation of education
and therefore a strong commitment by those who teach on it to the development of critical thought,
mindfulness and self-knowledge which are clear markers of quality learning in the Higher Education
sector.”

We have outstanding teachers on our Education programmes (both Education Studies and Primary
Education): 3 award-winning National Teaching Fellows; 1 Boyer Award International Teaching Fellow;
2 Faculty Scholars; 1 Times Higher Education Teaching Finalist.
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We have outstanding researchers on our Education programmes, whose research is supported by
National and International Bodies such as Leverhulme and Nuffield and whose work is published in
world-leading journals such as Learning & Instruction, Computers & Education, Teachers & Teaching.
our academics also write and edit bestselling textbooks, for example on Phonics, Learning and
Teaching in post-compulsory education.
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We have experts who advise governments (UK and other countries) on wide-ranging policy such as
Phonics, Assessment, Learning Technology, Educational Progress of Looked After Children etc. as
such, students have the opportunity to work on projects alongside the world-renowned Centre for
Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM).
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Why Durham School of Education?
….Prospects

We have one of the highest employability rates of any general programmes in Education (92%,
HEFCE).
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15th in World Employability of Students (World Blue Chip Companies).
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Highly sought-after Education graduates: in 2011/12, 4 Education Studies finalists had Teach
First Places; this year (2012/13) 8 students already have places. Teach First is the
Government’s Flagship programme to reduce educational disadvantage and has highly
competitive entry.
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Very high entry levels to prestigious Post Graduate Programmes. In the past 3 years, graduates
have gone on to study the MA Social Work at Durham University, the MA Family Therapy at
King’s College London, the M.Phil Education at Cambridge University, the D. Ed. Psych. at the
Tavistock Institute London, the M.Sc. in Disaster Relief at Manchester University, the MA in
Music Therapy at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh and a PhD in English Studies at Trinity
College Dublin.

The Education programmes are highly unusual in that they are characterized by both depth
and generality and as such, graduates progress to a very wide variety of positions, including
Teaching, Educational Management, Publishing, Archiving, Curating, Music Therapy,
Midwifery, Nursing, Social Work, Charity Development, Policy Studies, Public Relations,
Journalism, Law Conversions.
+ The School of Education at Durham University
has
TWO Undergraduate Programmes

BA (Honours) Education Studies: Single Honours 3 Year Full
Time, comprising the study of Education and a choice of 2nd
Subject (each with a separate UCAS code) of either English
Studies, Geography, History, Music, Philosophy, Psychology,
Sociology, Theology, and Art History (new subject – check
website for details). Education Studies is taught mainly at the
Durham Campus.
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BA (Honours) Primary Education with QTS (Qualified
Teacher Status): Single Honours 3 Year Full Time, comprising
a General Primary Programme, but with possible final year
subject specialisms in Maths, English, Science, ICT and SEN
(new specialism). Primary Education is taught mainly at
Queen’s Campus.
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Durham Campus…Queen’s Campus
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BA (Hons) Education Studies: what
is it and what do you study?
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The degree is a three-year Full Time Single Honours course
in which half the time is spent studying within the School of
Education and half studying one of nine other disciplines:
English Studies, Geography, History, Philosophy, Psychology,
Art History, Music, Sociology or Theology.
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The BA (Honours) Education Studies programme is designed
to promote understanding and critical reflection on the role
of education in diverse societies and how learning continues
to be shaped by social, political, economic and cultural
factors. As such, students study Educational elements of
Psychology, Sociology, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Politics and
History.
+ BA (Hons) Education Studies: can you specialize and
what professions could you enter?

Yes, you can narrow down your interests as you progress
through the degree, and by the final year you may be able to
specialise in: Early Years Education, Special Needs
Education, Educational Technology, Children’s Literature,
Educational Philosophy, and Citizenship & Civic Education.
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Graduates of Education Studies are immensely employable.
Students who have graduated from Education Studies in the
past 5 years have taken positions as Archivists, Charity
Development Officers, Publishers and Music Therapists; and
they have progressed to professional preparation as Social
Workers, Teachers, Psychotherapists, Educational
Psychologists and Midwives.
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The School of Education compared:
BA (Hons) Education Studies entry
tariff
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Durham – AAA
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Cambridge – A*AA
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Goldsmiths College London – BBC
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Kings College London - AAB
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York – BBB
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BA (Hons) Education Studies: what
gets taken into account?
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GCSE grades
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AS grades (inc. module scores)
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Personal statement
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Clear rationale for choosing Education Studies and the joint subject
alongside it. We will look at for example why you are interested in
Learning (as opposed to wanting to be a teacher), what experiences
have you had of where learning was a success, or a struggle, or where
you have reflected upon your experiences to change your goals. We are
also looking for areas where you may have been involved in community
or national projects related to learning for example Sing Up, Church
Movements, Drama Charity work (eg Making a Song and Dance about
it)
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Predicted A-level/alternative grades
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Teacher references
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BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS:
what is it and what do you study?

The degree is a three-year Full Time Single Honours course that
prepares candidates to be teachers within the Primary Phase (511). The programme does this through the provision of subjectspecialism (currently Maths, English, Science and ICT but in
future including SEN) and on successful completion of teaching
practice episodes, the award of QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).
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The BA (Hons) Primary degree is designed to prepare teachers
to be the most able teachers, thinkers and leaders that they can
be. It is an extremely demanding programme in which students
are expected to show high levels of ability in the diverse range
of subjects that characterize the primary curriculum, from Maths
to Music, from Science to Psychology and from Early Years to
Adolescence.
+ BA (Hons) Primary Education: can you specialize
and what professions could you enter?

Yes you can specialize, through modules and through your final year research-based
dissertation. Currently the options comprise Maths, English, Science and ICT, but future
developments are in place to include SEN.
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Primarily, students enter this programme expecting to teach when they graduate, and as
such, that is what most of our graduates do. However, the range of contexts and
countries is vast: state schools, independent schools, state boarding schools,
independent boarding and day schools, state special schools, Pupil Referral Units,
Private Special Schools, international schools, embassy schools and so on.
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But in addition, some graduates decide that they want to go into Educational
Management and Allied roles, including policy making, working within LEAs, becoming
Education Publishers, becoming Learning Technology Developers and so on. For all
these roles, the experience of teaching is critical.
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It is also important to point out that many graduates (around 50%) go into further study
very soon after graduating, the most common programmes being MA (Education), MA
(Social Work) and MA (Ed Psych Conversion Route).
+ The School of Education compared:
BA (Hons) Primary Education entry tariff
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Durham – ABB
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Northumbria – BCC
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Brighton - ABB
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Roehampton - ABB
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Bishop Grosseteste – BCC
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BA (Hons) Primary Education: what
gets taken into account?

GCSE grades

AS grades (inc. module scores)

Personal statement

Predicted A-level/alternative grades
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Teacher references
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Interview
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Submitted school work at interview
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Presentation of relevant material and resources
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Additional tests (Maths & English)
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We look at the whole picture and everyone individually
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Are there key elements that we
look for: personal statements
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No errors of spelling, grammar or expression.
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Detailed description evidencing commitment to working
with children, context almost irrelevant.
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An awareness of education as a global issue, rather than
simply an academic field of study
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We want to hear candidates’ voices, not the same message or
same phrases over and over. Stress that every single person
is different and so should their application be.
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Are there key elements that we
look for: interviews
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Enthusiasm (even when terribly shy or quiet) and depth of
passion about teaching and education that is hard to suppress
especially when questioned further.
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Evidence that the candidate has reflected on any school
experience that they have had rather than just gone through the
motions.
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Knowledge about issues of substance, eg literacy issues,
educational difficulties of looked after children, whether
teaching is about subject or pastoral, etc etc.
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Knowledge about what teachers actually do: what is their role,
what does a standard day look like, is there a standard day. What
is it like being a teacher? why would they want to be a teacher?
what would be difficult, easy for them?
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What do the students say about us?
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"If I had to sum up in a few words what the Durham BA in
Primary Teaching offers, it would be tempting to focus upon the
clarity of subject knowledge that the course instils. However, it
is the fact that upon qualifying, you will be able to spot good
and outstanding teaching a mile off, quite simply because you
have been trained to deliver it consistently yourself.”
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“Quite simply, the course and the staff are amazing. The
knowledge, the lengths that they will go to to make sure that
you learn and that you change as a person. I cannot say how
much I am grateful for this experience and the respect I have
for my tutors is endless”
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What can you do to help?
Prospectus and all details of courses are online
 www.dur.ac.uk/education
 For more details about individual programmes, contact
the respective Admissions Secretaries:
 Education Studies: Dr Sophie Ward
 s.c.ward@durham.ac.uk
 Primary Education: Dr David Bolden
 d.s.bolden@durham.ac.uk
 Read testimonies/experiences online through TES,
Student Room etc.
 Visit us at open days, or by request
 Ask questions now!
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