School of Education – Bath Spa University

School of Education

In this section

Our mission

We work in classrooms and educational settings across the world, providing the highest quality teaching and research. We work with over 670 school partners, as well as with colleges, early years settings and anywhere learning takes place.

We promote excellence and expertise in educational research and practice across the globe. From the UK to Australia, New York to Zambia, our educators make a difference to the lives of all children and young people everywhere.

We train

The School of Education is the largest Initial Teacher Education provider in the South West.

We work in partnership with 300+ schools, both primary and secondary, and deliver research-informed training to 500+ teacher trainees every year.

All of our Primary and Secondary teacher training programmes have been rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted – the highest possible grade that can be awarded.

Search all courses

We inspire

It’s difficult to train and retain teachers into the profession. We want to make an impact.

To do this, we engage with all possible government routes into teaching, we go into the community to inspire local people to become teachers, and work with charities to address teacher shortages in areas of great need.

We create

Developing high-impact resources for the sector means we can support educators throughout their career. Recently, we've created:

Teacher Assessment in Primary Science: a resource for teachers with over 120,000 downloads
Attachment Aware Schools: this project influenced government guidance on the wellbeing of looked-after children
Network for Learning: these courses deliver professional development opportunities directly to schools.

Student writing on a tablet with a stylus

We connect

Working with government agencies and organisations locally, nationally and internationally, we’ve developed Department for Education-approved SENCO workload guidance, partnered with Universities in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece to develop a Refugee Teaching Certificate Programme, and Evaluated Ghana’s new teacher education curriculum.

School of Education

Facilities

Our Newton Park campus is a harmonious balance of the historical and the modern. A former Georgian country house estate, it became home to our Teacher Training College after World War II, and continues to house our teacher training provision to this day.

We've changed a bit since those early days. We now boast a range of state of the art facilities and buildings, including the eco-friendly Commons, the central heart of our campus with spacious teaching, social and digital facilities.

We also work in partnership with over 670 schools in the region.

History

We know a lot about education at Bath Spa – Newton Park first opened as Newton Park Teacher Training College in 1946, following the post-war shortage of teachers.

For over 70 years, we've been training the next generation of great teachers – and been rated as Ofsted 'outstanding' across our Primary and Secondary teacher training provision.

As well as becoming teachers, graduates from the Institute for Education go on to explore a diverse range of career paths in the field of education, with our undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes offering a broad, global context that will prepare you for whichever career path you choose to follow.

Ethos

Our School of Education is a place where students, teachers, governors, researchers, support staff and everyone interested in education can come together in a community of research and practice.

We are committed to providing a creative space to encourage innovative educational practice, through the promotion of debate, professionalism, expertise and partnership that creates globally aware, socially responsible and successful learners.

School of Education staff

“I have truly realised my potential.”

Lauren Emery, BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies alumna, was a Student Academic Rep during the coronavirus pandemic. She was an integral part of the School of Education community during a difficult time and her efforts saw her awarded Student of the Year in the 2020 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.

Read about Lauren’s career journey

"Great teachers make a real difference."

Dr Penny Hay is a Bath Spa alum whose passion for arts education has led to her extensive work in creative pedagogy at Bath Spa and beyond. She's dedicated to transformative teaching and learning, underpinned by a clear set of values and a focus on imagination and creativity.

Read Penny’s story

"What I enjoy most about teaching is sharing content and knowledge."

Harry Mungala completed his MA in International Education at Bath Spa University. He talks about why he became a teacher, his experience studying at Bath Spa and the differences between teaching in England and Zambia.

Read Harry’s story

"If you want to know something about primary science then I’m your girl."

Dr Sarah Earle is a Reader in Education and focuses on supporting science teaching and leadership in primary schools. In the last few years she’s supported over 8,000 teachers to develop their skills.

Read Sarah's story

“We educate over 500 new teachers annually, and foster strong partnerships with hundreds of education settings in the local community. Graduates from Bath Spa University are transforming children’s lives in our region and far beyond.”
Professor Kyriaki Anagnostopoulou, Head of the School of Education

Our research and projects

Our research is evidence-based and education-focused. It's aimed at providing practical solutions that have a real impact on the lives of children, young people and educators alike.

We've made a lasting impact in education policy and practice through our research and projects in fields including attachment awareness, diversity in teacher education and the National SENCO workload survey, to name but a few.

Find out more

Our partnership with international volunteering charity Project Trust

Project Trust has more than 50 years' experience in providing ethical, international volunteering placements for young people. In 2022, it helped BA (Hons) Education Studies student Jasmine Raymond-Barker to complete a virtual placement. Following in Jasmine's footsteps, two second-year BA Education Studies students embarked on their summer placements in Ghana.

Project Trust partnership

A young woman holding a child painting a handprint on a wall

Oak Tree Day Nursery

Set on the beautiful campus at Newton Park, and part of an active early years research community through the School of Education, Oak Tree Day Nursery boasts a close-knit team of nursery practitioners and Forest School leaders who provide quality childcare.

Find out more

Educational partners

We work with fantastic colleges, both in the UK and overseas, so that you can benefit from a broader range of courses, diverse facilities, and specialist staff - no matter which field of study you choose. Find out more about our partners.

Adobe Creative Campus

As an Adobe Creative Campus, all Bath Spa students have access to the entire Adobe Creative Suite of elite industry-leading apps, including Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Express and more.

With the ability to amplify your digital fluency from the moment you join Bath Spa, you’ll have the space to develop a wealth of indispensable skills to help you in your studies, and in the world of work.

Find out more about Adobe Creative Campus