Education Studies & Drama

BA (Hons) Education Studies & Drama
Mode: full-time

Education Studies
Education Studies is an innovative, exciting and challenging subject that looks at education from sociological, psychological, cultural, historical and political perspectives. You will critically debate education policy and practice to get beneath the skin of the ever-changing face of modern education.

This flexible strand of the course offers a wide range of contemporary core and optional modules, so you can choose the modules you study to suit your individual career plans and interests. Apart from work placements, a typical week usually involves three days on campus. Dynamic, research-informed teaching is delivered by enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experienced tutors. We use a wide range of teaching styles, including lectures, interactive seminars, workshops and tutorials.

Placements
We believe that you can't study Education out of context and so we make sure that you have plenty of time in schools or, if you want, other educational settings.

Currently this is about 15 weeks over your whole course, 12 of these in Education Studies. Crucially, this means that you have the experience you need to help you make up your mind about what you want to do when you graduate. You can choose from placements in primary or secondary schools as well as colleges and a wide variety of other educational organisations currently including outdoor pursuit centres, heritage sites, centres for learning disabled adults and art galleries.

Modules
We offer a wide choice of modules in Education Studies. Each year there are some 'core' modules that everyone studies, including:

• Learning and development, including the psychology of learning and teaching;
• Effective classroom practice;
• Ideologies in education;
• Education beyond the classroom;
• Inclusive education and diversity;
• The curriculum.

In your second and third year you can begin to tailor your course according to your interests by choosing from our popular portfolio of optional modules. Current optional Education modules include:

• Education and the media;
• Disaffection, Society and Education;
• Gender;
• Sustainability;
• Gifted and talented education;
• Children's spirituality.

Drama
The relationship between Education Studies and Subject Studies is close. We liaise carefully to ensure that as far as possible assignments are reasonably spaced and that important events do not clash. You will have different tutors for each subject and different subject and education groups. The advantage of this is that you have potentially twice as many friends and twice as many tutors to seek advice from and that you are taught by specialists in all subjects.

The study of Drama is carefully combined with your work in Education Studies. For example, there are at least fifteen work-placement days undertaken as part of your time in Drama. But we have plenty more for you. We offer another degree in Drama; Drama in the Community, as well as this one which means that life in Drama is a lively, friendly and busy experience which offers plenty of opportunity for socialising, performing and participating in a variety of situations.

But what about work?
The average number of drama students on each year of this course is twenty. This means that you will know everyone well which is vital when, in the first two years at least, much of the work will be group work. The course is constructed to allow you to develop individual areas of interest whilst working alongside others.

Current Drama core modules include:

• Theatre In Education
• Directing and Devising
• Contemporary Theatre
• Cultural Context

In the third year you complete a research study on any aspect of Drama that interests you.

Alongside your Drama course, you also have the opportunity to choose options from other disciplines. Drama students may be particularly interested in modules from English, Music or Art but you can choose from any of our other subjects, such as Geography, History, Maths, Religious Education, Science or Sport. This can be especially useful if you are thinking about primary education.

First year students are involved in projects directed by third year students and outside agencies also offer us opportunities for workshops and projects. Drama students maintain a high profile in college life. They are heavily involved in the students union and rag week activities and generally at the centre of University College activities.

We believe that it is important that students are given plenty of tutor time. This course brings students into contact with community groups of real people, some of whom are vulnerable. It is vital that students respect everyone they work with and develop responsible, professional attitudes from the beginning. The best way to do this is to learn from example and students are given plenty of opportunities to learn from tutors who have practical as well as theoretical knowledge.

We work hard to ensure that our students are well prepared and confident in what they do and that takes time.

Whilst there are some formal lectures most of the teaching is done in whole group seminars, practical workshops and small group tutorials. As the average size year group in Drama is twenty this means that we have time and opportunity to get to know our students and address their needs on an individual level. At times Drama & Education students work alongside Drama in the Community students in their own year and sometimes in other years. This adds to the sense of a drama community and encourages a lively sense of debate and shared practice.

Assessment
Your first year is important. We know that you will need time to settle in to University and build up your academic skills and so, although you have to pass all of your first year modules to progress to the second year, your first year work doesn't count towards your degree. Instead, we give you detailed feedback on how you are doing and set you targets to improve your work. We use a wide range of different types of assessment throughout the degree including coursework portfolios, group discussions, multi-media technology presentations and individual projects as well as essays and exams.

Each drama module has a practical and a written element. The drama strand is deeply rooted in academic research but it is all related to workshop activities, presentation and performance. Drama assessments are embedded in practical drama and include presentations, essays, seminar papers and occasionally examinations.

Entry Requirements
You will normally need a minimum of:

• Five GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics.
• A Science GCSE at grade C or above (or equivalent) is preferred. However, if you apply for a Primary PGCE/GTP route, grade C or above is required at the time of application.

PLUS, one of the following:

• 160 UCAS tariff points, 80 of which need to be in Drama or related subject;
• Two A levels (CC), one to be in Drama, Performance Studies or a related subject;
• BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts (commenced pre-2003) (60% Merits);
• BTEC National Certificate in Performing Arts (2003 onwards) MM;
• BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts (2003 onwards) MPP;
• GNVQ Advanced in Performing Arts - Merit grade;
• NNEB/CACHE Diploma plus an A level in Drama or related subject (C);
• OU credits (30 credits) in Drama or related subject;
• International Baccalaureate - minimum diploma score of 60% or above with subject relevance;
• CCCCC in Scottish Certificate of Education (three must be Highers), one with subject relevance;
• Access Programme (in a relevant subject).

In addition all students will need a successful Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau and register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). This is arranged by the University College.

Students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the ISA. The ISA has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. Following successful registration you will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with you for the rest of your career. We will send you further instructions on registering with the VBS as part of the admissions process.

Please also note that currently we ask all candidates called to interview to prepare a short audition piece - details will be given when you are offered an interview. The audition piece is used to ensure that applicants have sufficient performance potential to fulfil the needs of the course.