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Why choose the School of Education
Our education courses rank in the UK top 15 in their subject field for career prospects (Guardian, 2025).
Our education courses rank in the UK top three in their subject field for teaching quality and in the top 10 for student experience (Times, 2025).
95% of our education students were satisfied with the learning opportunities their course offered and how well it developed knowledge and skills for the future (NSS, 2024).
About the course
This top-up course is ideally suited to those who already have a Foundation degree in education, early years, SEND or any other related field. It will bring you up to a full Honours degree in just one year, opening up exciting career opportunities. The course builds on the knowledge and skills you have gained in an early years, primary- or middle-school setting and explores a range of topics related to education including educational theory and professional practice.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Designated online classroom and learning space
- Forest School where you can deepen your understanding of the long-term educational benefits of outdoor learning opportunities
- Specialist Early Years and Sensory Centre to support your understanding of how teachers teach and children learn, within early years and SEND contexts
- Multi-media space for webinars and podcasting
- Designated study space and activity agenda for all Saturday study days
Industry links
As one of the largest providers of teacher education in the eastern region, we have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations, a network that puts us at the forefront of educational developments.
Work-based learners have a unique opportunity to be a purposeful and active part of the Students’ Union-affiliated Work-based Learning Student Society.
Your student experience
- Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.
- You benefit from the support of your own personal tutor, a unit and course coordinator, and the additional support of our experienced library staff, all of whom will help you throughout your student journey and with balancing study with work and personal commitments.
- You attend weekly sessions online that are enhanced and supported by the independent tasks your unit tutors allocate to you.
- The weekly sessions are extended during your Saturday study days, of which there are six across the academic year; these offer a unique mix of group work, tutor-led sessions and cross-course collaboration.
- You benefit from a strong focus on employability, developing your skills in education theory and curriculum content while putting them into practice in your workplace.
- You will build skills to help you communicate effectively with learners, parents/carers, colleagues and other professionals.
- After graduation, you can progress within your own education setting or apply for an Initial Teacher Training course.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Course Leader - Karen Siddons
I joined the University of Bedfordshire following 20 years working within the Early Years and Education sector.
I started my career working in a residential school for children with profound and multiple educational and health care needs.
My experience within Early Years and education spans a wide range of provision to include Nursery manager, Child minder, classroom assistant and lecturer.
I have extensive experience within the classroom and have worked in both HE and FE, delivering Early Years study programmes.
What will you study?
Studying our Applied Education Practice (Top-up) BA (Hons) course will equip you with the skills, theory and knowledge around primary education, curriculum and professional practice. You will learn the principles of curriculum design in our Exploring the Curriculum unit while also questioning its aims, effectiveness and structure as part of the National Curriculum in England. To prepare you for your work in education, Developing Professional Practice will explore aspects of professionalism in educational contexts. Here, you will have significant opportunities to develop your academic skills alongside your professional interests for the benefit of your own career.
Finally, you will complete a Research Project in Applied Education Practice where you will carry out a significant research project under the guidance of a supervisor to showcase your skills and knowledge gained throughout the academic year, while our Research Methods unit will prepare you with the skills for this. These include research methods, data collection tools, ethical research and how to analyse both quantitative and qualitative data so that you will be confident in carrying out your own extended research.
How will you be assessed?
In addition it aims to enable you to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the objectives of each unit as well as those needed for working within education as a profession. The assessment strategies are designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate the range of knowledge understanding and skills required by intending teachers and those who wish to work within education. At Level 6 the assessment strategy for the course is less formative in nature and more summative. The first unit studied focuses on Research Methods and will be an introduction to assessment at Level 6 and will act as preparation for the major piece of work that they undertake in the research project. A range of approaches to assessments are utilised throughout the course to include reflective writing case study poster presentations literature reviews and a final independent research project.
These tools have been chosen to ensure there is a balance of assessment. The research based dissertation will enable students to carry out their own research project guided throughout by a supervisor and will be the culmination of your work on the degree through the academic year. All assessments are applied to your work or volunteer experience with the intention of impacting on both your academic and professional development. You are required to demonstrate that the work you submit for assessment is your own and you will be supported in this process by using a range of tools to include: - Detailed assignment briefs and marking grids. - Engaging teaching sessions to included activities and discussions to support you in understanding assessment requirements. - Guidance in referencing and citing work correctly using the University Referencing Guidelines. - The University Virtual Learning Environment BREO which includes access to a range of teaching and learning materials and interactive discussion boards where you can post questions and gain feedback on ideas related to your specific assignment. During independent study the support of a research project supervisor to guide you in the research process and provide formative feedback on draft work.
Careers
Many students who successfully complete this degree course go on to further their career within the education sector including embarking on initial teacher training courses within the primary or early years sectors. Graduates also go on to have careers with both public and private sector employers in a range of fields such as HR; market and policy research; retail management; publishing; educational psychology; and careers guidance.
Entry Requirements
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