Primary teaching

What’s involved?

Primary school teachers deliver lessons in all areas of Curriculum for Excellence including: expressive arts, health and wellbeing, languages, mathematics, religious and moral education, sciences, social studies and technologies. They also usually work closely with the same group of children across the school year.

Undergraduate route options

For the four-year combined degree and other undergraduate degree programmes you must have at least:

• English and two other National Qualifications at SCQF Level 6 (Higher Grade) AND
• Mathematics and one other subject at SCQF Level 5 (or an accepted alternative, for example, National 5, Credit Standard Grade or Intermediate 2).

However, individual universities set their own entry requirements and are likely to require four Higher grades (often at AABB), so please double-check actual course requirements with the university in question before applying;

• Queen Margaret University
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Dundee
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland
• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (music only)

If you don’t have the correct English or Mathematics qualifications to enter teaching in Scotland, Online Access Courses in English (SCQF Level 6) and Mathematics (SCQF Level 5) exist which will enable you to work flexibly, online, towards attaining these qualifications. For more details on Online Access Courses, click here.

Post-graduate route options

For the one-year (or equivalent) Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme you must have:

• an undergraduate degree validated by a higher education institution in the United Kingdom or a degree of an equivalent standard from an institution outside the United Kingdom AND
• a National Qualification in English at SCQF Level 6 (for example, Higher Grade) or an accepted alternative AND
• a National Qualification in Mathematics at SCQF Level 5 (for example, National 5, Credit Standard Grade or Intermediate 2) or an accepted alternative.

Find out more about the PGDE courses each university offers;

• University of Aberdeen
• University of Dundee
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of the Highlands and Islands
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland

If you don’t have the correct English or Mathematics qualifications to enter teaching in Scotland, Online Access Courses in English (SCQF Level 6) and Mathematics (SCQF Level 5) exist which will enable you to work flexibly, online, towards attaining these qualifications. For more details on Online Access Courses, click here.

Alternate routes

There are a number of new teacher education programmes designed to offer flexibility and encourage diversity in the profession. These include:

• Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education PGDE Primary – University of Aberdeen
• Supported Induction Route (SIR) with a focus on STEM subjects – University of Dundee
• MSc Transformative Learning and Teaching programme – University of Edinburgh
• MEd Enhanced Practice with Specialism – Middle Years Maths Teachers – University of Glasgow
• Learn to Teach Primary Programme – programme for staff employed in all local authorities in Scotland to train to teach primary. Contact your local authority for more details.

Thomas Flower is a PGDE student currently halfway through his qualification. In this video he explains why, when applying for the course, a passion for teaching is the most important thing.