Degrees for Education

The Faculty of Education provides a wide range of high quality and innovative initial teacher education programmes. We have large, dynamic teams of staff much valued by student teachers, especially for the support they provide, and mature, successful partnerships with hundreds of schools in Kent, Medway, London and further afield. The Faculty welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and is strongly committed to equal opportunities and race equality.

The Faculty has consistently received the highest possible Ofsted grades for its Primary ITE programmes, and has also been awarded the top grade for the management and quality assurance of its Secondary provision. We believe our success is linked to our flexibility in providing programmes to suit many different needs, a focus on creativity and the critical analysis of classroom practice, and above all an emphasis on how teachers can engage, inspire and promote learning in all their pupils.

The BA (Hons) in Primary Education is a three year programme, leading to an honours degree and a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualified Teacher Status is subject to the student achieving the Government Standards for the award of QTS and passing the National Skills test in English, Mathematics and ICT, and meeting any other Government requirements which may be in force. The age ranges covered are 3-7 years (Foundation Stage and Key Stage One) and 5-11 years (Key Stage One and Key Stage Two).

A revised programme commenced in September 2007 which reflects current educational initiatives. It looks to preparing effective classroom practitioners to meet the needs of the primary schools of the future. The new programme is based around a set of key principles that underpin the work of the primary team at Canterbury Christ Church University. These include a belief that primary teachers must have a broad awareness of the learning needs of all children and of all aspects of the primary curriculum as well as strengths in one or two subjects. A central core of the programme is the professional studies course which covers the principles of child development; effective planning, teaching and assessment and the professional role and responsibilities of the teacher in a changing society. All aspects of the course are underpinned by principles of equal opportunities and inclusion.

This professional programme is offered by the YMCA George Williams College in East London and leads to a Canterbury Christ Church University award.

The programme is designed to meet the changing reflective needs of informal and community educators in adult education, community work, further education, schools, playwork, social work and youth work. It aims to develop its students as thinking professional workers and involves the special mix of ideas and activities used by educators who work ‘in the community’. Such educators work with adults as well as young people who work with them voluntarily, and places a special emphasis on helping them to think and talk about their lives and experiences, whether their work is formal or informal.

This innovative programme offers a challenging and engaging course of study for anyone interested in education and critical debate. The Education Studies degree develops ways of thinking and doing that are highly transferable, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in education in its broadest sense: from those who intend to teach, to those for whom studying a rigorous, relevant, academic discipline will form the basis for a career in the media, publishing, public services, the museum and library service, business, commerce, social and educational research.

The Education Studies degree builds on established and acknowledged Canterbury Christ Church University’s strengths in the field of education. The Faculty of Education is one of the largest and most successful providers of initial teacher education in the country. Its’ primary provision has consistently been awarded the highest possible grades in inspections by OfSTED, and all other courses which have been inspected to date are graded ‘good’ or ‘very good’.

The Early Childhood Studies (ECS) degree programmes, which focus on young children aged 0-8 years and their families, provide a sound academic knowledge base for all careers in early years. Both our programmes are multidisciplinary and prepare students for careers in education, health, social services, the private sector and/or the voluntary sector. For those wishing to pursue a career in teaching, the programmes give sound and highly relevant background knowledge to progress to the PGCE. In a rapidly changing field when early years stands firmly at the forefront of government agenda Early Childhood Studies degrees are considered as one of the progression routes to the Early Years Professional Status or careers in a range of early years professions. This is linked to the government’s restructuring of early years policy and practice and the early years workforce, both being linked to Every Child Matters.

The BA (Hons) Childhood Studies programme follows the same structure as the Foundation Degree Childhood Studies (Fd CS), allowing participants to study and earn at the same time. Participants attend classes one day a week and continue to work the rest of the time. This programme allows participants with a Foundation Degree qualification to gain a full Honours degree.