Primary Education BA (Hons) with iQTS - International Online

Undergraduate

Primary school students in red uniforms sitting at wooden desks inside a bright classroom, raising their hands to answer questions for their teacher

NITE’s Primary Education BA (Hons) with international Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) course combines online learning with in-school initial teacher training, offering access to university-led education grounded in classroom experience outside England.

Location

In schools

Study mode

Work-based learning with online study

Duration

4 years full-time

Course code

See how to apply

Start date

January
April
September

Age phases

Primary

How to apply

Course overview

Transform your passion for education into a career with a practice-based alternative to traditional teacher training.

You will learn:

Train to teach on the job: build practical classroom confidence with hands-on experience supported by expert school practitioners and mentors.
Study flexibly: complete academic modules online with guided support from university tutors.

You will gain:

iQTS qualification: earn international Qualified Teacher Status in primary schools either as an employed trainee or on a volunteer placement (GMT +/- 4 hours) which you will need to source yourself.
Tailored age focus: specialise in teaching either 3–7 years or 5–11 years.

Accreditation and professional recognition

Department for Education

The National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE) is accredited by the Department for Education (DfE)¹.

Course details

Develop the skills and confidence to become an inspiring primary teacher. You'll have opportunities to build knowledge and skills in key areas, including pedagogy, behaviour management, assessment, curriculum knowledge, professional skills and inclusive education (SEND), and apply your learning directly within your local educational context.

The course comprises 12 academic modules of 30 credits each, studied full-time over the first three years. Alongside these, you will complete three zero-credit practical placement modules each year for the first three years. In the final year, you will complete three zero-credit modules focused on developing your practice in school and preparing you for the final assessment for the international Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) award.

Alongside your Introductory Placement practical modules, you will complete four 30-credit learning modules per year.

Modules

An Introduction to Professional Behaviours – 30 credits

This module introduces the core professional behaviours essential for effective teaching, including safeguarding, communication, wellbeing, teamwork and reflective practice. You will explore the ethical and legal responsibilities within your own educational context and develop the skills to reflect on your own professional growth, identifying development needs and planning actions for continuous improvement.

Compulsory

An Introduction to SEND and Behaviour – 30 credits

This module introduces you to the fundamental principles of behaviour management and the creation of positive, inclusive learning environments in schools. Through exploration of key behaviour management theories, strategies, principles, approaches and real-world case studies, you will learn how to establish and maintain a classroom environment that promotes respect, engagement and effective learning. This module also focuses on understanding the diverse needs of learners and the role of proactive and preventative classroom management.

Compulsory

An Introduction to Subject Knowledge: Core Subjects – 30 credits

Learn the fundamental subject knowledge required to teach the core subjects of English, maths and science while also evaluating your current strengths and areas for improvement in each subject. During this module, you will create a subject action plan aimed at developing your subject knowledge as you embark upon your teaching journey.

Compulsory

An Introduction to Teaching and Learning – 30 credits

Study current neuroscientific research and gain insights into current thinking and pedagogical practice. Develop the skills to connect theoretical perspectives with classroom practice while learning to carefully plan and structure sequences of learning. Begin to understand the fundamental principles of assessment and how to use assessment to inform, adapt, and personalise teaching, ensuring all pupils make progress in lessons.

Compulsory

Introductory Placement 1, 2 and 3 – 0 credits

The practical placement modules will assess your teaching performance within your school placement and are used to formatively assess your progress against the Initial teacher training and early career framework and provide evidence towards recommendation for iQTS. Placement modules are assessed via Professional Placement Discussions (PPDs) and online portfolios.

Compulsory

Alongside your Developing Placement practical modules, you will complete four 30-credit learning modules per year.

Modules

Developing your Subject Knowledge – 30 credits

Deepen your understanding of the key concepts, skills and content that form the foundation of effective teaching. Critically examine national, local and school-specific curricula and develop strategies for strengthening your knowledge base for professional growth. Consider other approaches and opportunities beyond a taught curriculum, such as outdoor learning, the role of play and cross-curricular approaches to teaching and learning.

Compulsory

Becoming a Research Informed Practitioner – 30 credits

Build your understanding of educational research design in preparation for your level 6 dissertation. Apply these principles through a small-scale research project, exploring the wider role of the teacher and key school-based issues such as fundamental British values, cultural capital, social justice, multiculturalism and inclusive education.

Compulsory

Developing your Understanding of Teaching and Learning – 30 credits

Deepen your understanding of how pupils learn as you begin to shape your own teaching philosophy. Explore both seminal and contemporary learning theories, including Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and Cognitive Load Theory. Critically examine how these research-based approaches support pupil progress and reflect on your ability to apply them in practice. Through self-analysis, challenge your perspectives and consider how educational research, theory and classroom experience contribute to your professional development and evolving identity as a teacher.

Compulsory

Developing your Understanding of SEND and Behaviour – 30 credits

Explore a range of SEND, English as an Additional Language (EAL), and challenging behaviours you may encounter in the classroom. Learn how to adapt teaching using practical strategies and frameworks relevant to your local context, alongside guidance from the SEND Code of Practice. Examine theoretical perspectives that inform inclusive, effective classroom practice.

Compulsory

Developing Placement 1, 2 and 3 – 0 credits

Compulsory

Alongside your Extending Placement practical modules, you will complete four 30-credit learning modules per year.

Modules

Debates in Education – 30 credits

Explore and critique current issues and debates, influences, principles and practices in education globally and nationally. Consider how these factors shape curriculum and pedagogy at a local level in schools and the impact these debates have on your developing personal philosophy.

Compulsory

Enhancing your Understanding of Teaching and Learning – 30 credits

Deepen your understanding of both subject pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical approaches with a focus on creating inclusive environments. Engage in subject and age-specific strategies and approaches to adapt teaching to meet the needs of a diverse class. Key topics and areas include adaptive teaching methods, strategies for responding to diverse learning needs, including SEND and EAL. Learn how to adapt instructional approaches, as well as other approaches, to reduce barriers to learning.

Compulsory

Becoming a Teacher – 30 credits

Explore the wide-ranging responsibilities of teachers and develop your role as a leader, advocate, and mentor within the school community. Examine how teachers support pupils' social, emotional, and academic development while helping to shape a positive, inclusive school culture. Key themes include teacher identity, mental health and wellbeing, professional engagement beyond the classroom, and preparing for future career pathways.

Compulsory

Enhancing your Understanding of SEND and Behaviour – 30 credits

Extending Placement 1, 2 and 3 – 0 credits

Compulsory

This year focuses on developing your practice in school and preparing you to work towards the requirements for the international Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) award.

Modules

Contextualising Teaching and Learning – 0 credits

This module is designed to further develop your understanding of how pupils learn, what influences pupil behaviour, and the factors that inhibit effective learning. It should enable you to select and adopt relevant and appropriate teaching strategies that support pupils' learning and progress. The module builds on learning from earlier modules and enables you to critically reflect on your practice in an international context.

Compulsory

Contextualising Curriculum and Assessment – 0 credits

Contextualising Professional Practice and Development – 0 credits

Reflecting on the effectiveness of your own professional practice, you have the opportunity to engage critically and positively with feedback. In preparation for taking responsibility for your own continuing learning and future development, you can identify goals for your future professional development and career.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

Entry requirements

Applicants must:

hold a GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent in maths and English
hold a GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent in science. This can be combined science or a single
Level 3 qualifications; for example, A Levels or T Levels, up to or exceeding 104 UCAS points
If your qualifications were gained outside the UK, an official comparability statement for non-UK qualifications assessed by UK ENIC must be provided.

If you hold international qualifications equivalent to A Levels or T Levels, you will not be able to determine your UCAS Tariff points using the UCAS Tariff calculator. Your qualifications will need to be assessed separately by us, and you will be required to provide copies of your certificates for verification.

If you do not hold GCSE or equivalent qualifications for English, maths or science, you can complete equivalency tests (applicants need to apply and pay for this themselves). You can begin your application for the course prior to completion of equivalency tests, but you must provide the results before enrolment. The current providers that have been approved are:

If English is not your first language, you will need to hold an academic IELTS less than three years old, with a score of at least 7 overall with no component less than 6.5, or TOEFL 600.

Applicants must hold a satisfactory enhanced DBS or equivalent local safeguarding check for non-UK residents. Coventry University will coordinate safeguarding checks. Applicants will be responsible for obtaining their own overseas checks/DBS equivalent (criminal record checks) required by the respective country.⁵

In addition, you must have secured the support of a school willing to support you throughout the course, either as an employee or as a volunteer. Your host school will be required to sign a Partnership Agreement between them as hosting school and the University.

As the course is delivered online, you can be employed or on placement in a school in many countries outside England, subject to the school meeting the required selection criteria to ensure it can offer you the right support². Owing to the live content applications will only be accepted from areas and countries where the time is either four hours ahead or four hours behind GMT.

If the school is unable to support you at any point during the course, you must find an alternative school should you decide to continue.

For more information about this course, entry requirements or your educational setting suitability, speak to our team.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
International	£9,000* per year	Not available

*Fees for this course are £9,000 per year. Please be aware that students do not pay for the final year, so the course total will be £27,000.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance and see the University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

Tuition fees³ cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

How to apply

International students

International codes:
TU03QTPGL

Applications for this course should be made through our CU Apply portal using the course code TU03QTPGL.

Apply now

Applicants in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will apply through UCAS. Please contact us: nite@coventry.ac.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Why should I study this course?

School-based (International)
You will be based in schools for the entirety of the course. Teacher training is most effective ‘on the job’ in schools so the knowledge you gain can be instantly applied in real lessons.

Online
The course is delivered to you online through live seminars and tutorials alongside asynchronous online learning tasks. Our platforms are interactive and engaging, enabling both independent and peer learning. All course content and materials are available online, enabling you to study and revisit them as required.

Global
As the course is delivered online, you can be employed or on placement in a school in many countries outside England, subject to the school meeting the required selection criteria to ensure it can offer you the right support². Owing to the live content applications will only be accepted from areas and countries where the time is either four hours ahead or four hours behind GMT.

Support
Described by Ofsted as “excellent”, Coventry University’s online tutorial approach provides you with teaching and support, both one-to-one with your university tutor and in a tutor group. Tutorials deepen your understanding of topics, prompting you to think about what works best for you in your teaching. You will also be guided on a day-to-day basis by your in-school mentor, who will be an experienced teacher in your school.

Multiple start dates
You can choose to start the course in September, January or April, according to your preferences.

Employability
On successful completion, you will gain a degree and International Qualified Teaching Status (iQTS), which could enhance your employability.

How will I learn?

The course is designed to be highly practical to help trainee teachers develop their craft in schools under the supervision of skilled school-based mentors and experienced university tutors.

This is a university course so you can be confident you are following a high-quality evidence-based curriculum built on relevant educational theory. Designed to complement your teaching or placement role in school, our online course consists of webinars, podcasts, videos, research and tutorials. Our platforms are interactive and engaging and promote independent and peer learning. All the course content and materials are available online, enabling you to study and revisit them as required.

The course comprises 12 30-credit academic modules studied full-time over the first three years, alongside three Placement Practical modules each year. In the final year you will study three zero-credit modules to support your preparation for the iQTS award.

You will be in school between two-and-a-half to four days a week, during which time you will complete the Placement Practical modules while supported by an experienced school-based mentor. At the beginning of the course, you can expect to take on a support role in the classroom as directed by the class teacher and learning activities will include observations of experienced staff, teaching small groups or parts of lessons and team-teaching dependent on experience. As you work through the programme and your skills and confidence develop, you will take on more responsibility for teaching and during your final year you will reach 80% of a qualified teacher’s timetable to meet the requirements for iQTS. This course is designed to help prepare you for your first few years as a qualified teacher.

In your second year, you will complete a second school placement of a minimum of six weeks in a contrasting school to broaden your experience. Your second school placement school must offer a contrast to your employing school in some significant way, for example, large/small, faith/non-faith and urban/rural. This is to provide experience of a contrasting setting, which is a DfE requirement for trainees to be recommended for iQTS.

One fixed day per week during term time will be protected for your university learning. You will complete four online learning modules per year, each 50-60 hours made up of approximately 60% live teaching through seminars and tutorials and 40% self-study. During your studies, you will have access to an experienced team, including university mentors, subject and phase specialist tutors, who will support your studies through feedback and dedicated live tutorials. You will require access to a suitable device, a laptop or PC, throughout the course, will also be expected to be sufficiently competent with IT to learn and use our online platforms.

This combined approach to training will provide you with teaching by our highly experienced staff, as well as enabling vital peer support and a valuable collaborative learning environment. You will be supported to learn from each other, share experiences and reflect away from the school environment.

There are no elements of the course that require you to travel to Coventry or other venues.

All applicants must find their own schools willing to support them for the full duration of the course during the application process. NITE do not source placement schools for any undergraduate course. Classroom hours for the practical placement modules must be agreed by the school. If the school is unable to support you at any point during the course, non-apprentices must find an alternative school should they decide to continue.

How will I be assessed?

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

written assignments
presentations
oral presentations
observations.

The practical modules will be assessed on the evidence you collect, collate and upload to an electronic portfolio.

You will be visited by a Visiting Assessor (VA) at least four times during the course. They will observe you teaching and meet with you and your school-based mentor to discuss and oversee the assessment of your overall progress. At the end of the course, a final assessment is made on whether you meet the Teachers' standards.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

What career opportunities could I have after completing the course?

This course can provide a pathway towards a wide range of rewarding roles across schools, leadership and the broader education sector:

Primary and SEN Teaching: teach in primary classrooms, including specialising in Special Educational Needs (SEN).
School Leadership and Management: step into leadership roles such as Year Leader, Subject Leader, Phase Leader, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Deputy Headteacher or Headteacher.
Education Outreach Coordinator: work directly with communities to promote and support inspiring educational initiatives.
Curriculum Development: shape learning by creating and improving educational materials and programmes.
Educational Consultant: share your expertise to guide schools, teachers and parents on key educational matters.

This course is a formal Initial Teacher Training qualification for trainee teachers in English medium or bilingual schools outside England. The iQTS award is equivalent to England’s QTS, the qualification required by most schools in England and recognised by many schools and education ministries around the world. Upon successful completion of iQTS, the DfE will automatically award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which certifies you to teach in state-maintained schools in England should you wish to do so.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.

Is Student Finance available for this course?

Are there opportunities for further study?

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE) and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

⁵Health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure

Satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure is also required. As part of the health clearance checks, you will be required to provide information about your immunity and vaccination status. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility to go on placement(s). Placements are provided at the placement provider’s discretion. The University is, therefore, unable to guarantee the provision of placements or the location and type of placement offered.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the University. A copy of the current 2026/2027 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2026/2027 intake. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the University will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the University.

Primary Education BA (Hons) with iQTS - International Online

Location

Study mode

Duration

Course code

Start date

Age phases

Course overview

Accreditation and professional recognition

Department for Education

Course details

Modules

Modules

Modules

Modules

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

How to apply

Frequently asked questions

¹Accreditations

²UK and international opportunities

³Tuition fees

⁴Facilities

⁵Health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure

Student Contract

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Primary Education BA (Hons) with iQTS - International Online

Course features

Location

Study mode

Duration

Course code

Start date

Age phases

Course overview

Accreditation and professional recognition

Department for Education

Course details

Modules

Modules

Modules

Modules

Entry requirements

Fees and funding

How to apply

Frequently asked questions

You may also like

Foundation Degree in Professional Practice for Teaching Assistants

iPGCE with iQTS