BA in Education Studies
Course Overview
The BA in Education Studies at the London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a three-year undergraduate degree for students who want to understand how learning actually happens, how UK schools are governed, and how policy and pedagogy interact in classrooms across England's regions. Sitting in the Education & Professional Studies department, it is designed for future teachers (via PGCE and QTS routes), researchers, EdTech practitioners and education-sector managers.
You will spend structured placement weeks in primary and secondary settings across London, plus alternative settings such as alternative-provision schools, SEND units and adult-learning providers. By final year you will produce a 10,000-word dissertation grounded in a real classroom question. Online, on-campus and distance routes are available from 2026. Module structure is confirmed at enrolment.
Industry Context
English education has been re-shaped by three intersecting pressures since 2022: post-pandemic attainment gaps, the SEND and AP improvement plan's transition timeline, and a hard recruitment crunch in secondary STEM and SENCo roles. Ofsted's 2024 framework update emphasised curriculum quality, behaviour and attendance evidence; the Department for Education's 2023 teaching white paper pushed early career mentoring further into school practice. The BA in Education Studies is sequenced against that landscape so graduates can read a school context honestly rather than from textbook abstraction.
Key Features of the BA in Education Studies
- UK-accredited BA honours degree with curriculum mapping reviewed by the Chartered College of Teaching.
- Three study modes with placement blocks scheduled to align with the academic year in English schools.
- Placement strand — minimum 60 hours per year across primary, secondary and alternative settings.
- SEND module co-designed with a London special school SENCO.
- EdTech research stream evaluating learning platforms used in English state schools.
- Dissertation supervised by a faculty member with classroom experience, not just research credentials.
What You Will Learn on the BA in Education Studies
The degree is structured around three questions: how do children learn, how do schools work, and how does the English education system shape both? You will graduate able to evaluate a curriculum scheme of work, read an Ofsted framework critically, and design a small classroom intervention defensible at school CPD.
- Learning theory, cognition and metacognition
- Curriculum design and assessment
- The history and politics of English education policy
- SEND, inclusion and the SEND Code of Practice
- Safeguarding in education (KCSIE-aligned)
- Classroom behaviour, routines and management
- EdTech, blended learning and digital divide
- Education research methods — qualitative and quantitative
- Comparative education and devolved systems
Who This Course Is For
- School leavers aiming for a future QTS route through PGCE or School Direct.
- Teaching assistants and HLTAs progressing into qualified roles.
- EdTech professionals wanting an academic grounding in pedagogy.
- International students intending to teach English globally or pursue education research.
Assessment Approach
Assessment is portfolio-led across all three years. Modules combine short essays, lesson-observation write-ups, small-group teaching tasks during placement weeks, an Ofsted-framework critical review, an EdTech tool evaluation and the final-year 10,000-word dissertation. Two short timed examinations sit on the safeguarding and education-policy modules where regulators and PGCE selectors expect explicit recall.
Career Pathways After the BA in Education Studies
BA Education Studies graduates typically progress across English schools, training providers, EdTech, charities and education research. Typical destinations include:
- Teaching Assistant progressing to Higher-Level Teaching Assistant
- Trainee Teacher (via PGCE or School Direct)
- Early Years Practitioner
- Curriculum Support Officer
- Education Administrator
- EdTech Customer Success / Implementation Specialist
The degree is the standard academic prerequisite for a PGCE leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualifications do not guarantee a PGCE place or a teaching post, but the placement portfolio is exactly the evidence School Direct and university PGCE selectors look for.
Entry Requirements
- Three A-levels at grades BBC or above, or an equivalent UK / international qualification (IB 28+, BTEC DMM, Foundation Year pass).
- GCSE English Language at grade 5/C and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or equivalent) — both required for QTS progression.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- A personal statement showing classroom or youth-work exposure; mature applicants (21+) may apply with a portfolio of education work and a short interview.
Why Study at LSCT
The London School of Commerce and Technology (LSCT) is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies so qualifications carry weight with employers. London puts Whitehall, the City, Silicon Roundabout, the Royal Courts of Justice, the West End and the NHS estate within a short tube ride of every classroom — and our students use that proximity in their projects, placements and graduate job hunts. Education students gain placements in some of the most diverse classrooms in Europe — a substantive teaching advantage on any later application.
Apply for the BA in Education Studies
The BA in Education Studies is built to launch your career in the Education & Professional Studies sector. Click Enrol Now to submit your application; admissions reply within one working day with placement scheduling and DBS guidance.
