Why study Education Studies in London?

Why study education studies in London?

Why study Education Studies in London?

If you’re an individual that is passionate about education, or you would like to work with children or young people in an education setting, an Education Studies qualification might be the perfect choice for you. Working in education is both varied and rewarding. And, a qualification in this field can lead you in the direction of many careers such as teaching, working with SEN children or adults or even education policy. So, here are a few of the reasons that answer the question – why study Education Studies in London?

So, why choose London?

London is an educational hub

If you’ve decided that a career in teaching is something you want to explore, you can get straight to it by opting for a degree or postgraduate qualification in Education Studies. London boasts top universities like Oxford and Cambridge which tend to be at the top of many rankings for educational degrees in the UK, so other London universities are competing with equally thorough and well-thought-out courses. It’s because of these high-brow universities that London has become world-class for education studies. 

King’s College London offers a good range of educational courses at postgraduate level through PGCE, master’s and doctoral qualifications. University College London offers undergraduate education studies bachelor’s as well as master’s, postgraduate programmes and PGCEs in early years, primary and secondary education, so they cover teaching for all ages. Or, the University of the West of Scotland (ranked no. 1 for Teacher Education in 2020 by the Guardian University Guide) offers an MEd in Education Studies (specialism) which is a great choice if you have some existing education knowledge to build upon. 

Opportunities

Completing an education qualification will usually require a lot of theory as well as practical work and in most cases, a significant part of the course will be spent in classrooms on work placements. With London’s huge population, completing a qualification like this here will mean that you can really make the most of the huge pool of 200 schools across London and the surrounding areas that you can choose from for opportunities. Your career will move quickly if you are able to move around between schools and places of education as you progress through moving sideways as well as upwards.

A huge network of connections

Another advantage of London’s huge population is the connections you can make while you study here. One of the most valuable things you can collect during your time at university is the people. Making contacts in your chosen area of study is important and being in London opens you up to a huge population of students and professionals in your field for you to network with and make some useful connections that could really help boost your future career prospects in education.

International educating

If you are an international student who speaks fluent English, you really are at an advantage. Being an English-speaking educator in an international city like London means that you can not only teach in English, but you can also choose to teach the English language as well as your own language. Plus, you can teach pupils here in London, or all over the world. Starting your career in education here really sets you up for travel later on because of the city’s huge network of international students. 

The huge international population across London also means the children or adults you will be working with will be from a wide rage of backgrounds and cultures, giving you the experience of working with a diverse range of individuals. Plus, having an awareness of other cultures will be immensely beneficial for your career as you can bring values of inclusivity to your workplaces in the future.

A London education qualification

Britain, and London especially, is recognised by the rest of the world as being prestigious for education-related studies, as well as its own educational standards. With a British degree having a powerful reputation across the world, gaining a teaching qualification here could put you at a real advantage over others when applying for roles in education across the world. And, London has been ranked the best city for students (in general) in 2022 by Topuniversities.com so you can be assured you’re in a great city for being a student, whatever qualification you opt for. 

Studying in the capital

If you know London well, you’ll know that there’s a buzz around the city. That buzz is a real driver for many people living, studying or working here. So even if you don’t plan on starting your professional teaching career here in London, carrying out your studies here means you get to experience the unique energy this city has to offer. 

Here in London we have 18 universities (more universities than any other city in the UK) which means you’ll be surrounded by other students exploring what the city has to offer alongside you. The city welcomes the droves of students coming in every year and is well adjusted for them with the range of parks, libraries, cafes and coworking spaces that students spend much of their time in.

If you’re someone with a passion for education or working with young minds, London is an exciting place to be. With more than 200 schools, there are real opportunities for kicking off your career in education here.

Why choose Education Studies?

Education offers wide-ranging opportunities

The most typical careers for graduates in education will be found in the primary and secondary school, college or university setting. These include teachers, teaching assistants, lecturers, educational consultants, headteachers, principals etc. But as well as this, education studies students can find roles that are right for them in the Government, their local council, their local community or education authority bodies. An education qualification does not necessarily mean you have to become a teacher or lecturer in the future. Graduates can go on to try a huge range of professions. As well as classical teaching, these include roles such as:

  • Education psychology
  • Education administrator
  • Education advice worker
  • Education careers advisor
  • Curriculum designers
  • Community education officer
  • Health and social work
  • SEN (special education needs) teacher
  • SEN (special education needs) specialist advisor
  • TEFL (teaching English as foreign language) teacher
  • Teaching assistant 
 

Education Studies is a great interdisciplinary choice

If you found in school that you were someone who struggled to choose your favourite subject, education might be a good choice for you. It’s famously a well-rounded option which allows you to specialise in different areas of teaching throughout your career. If you teach primary or secondary school children, you might find yourself teaching art in the morning and physics in the afternoon. As well as this, the curriculum is ever-changing, so you’ll always be challenged with the most up-to-date knowledge that you’ll need to pass on to the young minds you’ll be working with.

And, if you’re someone who likes to mix things up to keep your own education interesting, typical education studies will consist of quite a mixture of teaching methods. You will of course spend some of your time in the lecture theatre, seminar rooms and workshops with your classmates – but it’s likely that you will also be spending a significant part of your degree or course in the classroom in schools getting practical and hands-on teaching experience with kids of all ages. 

It’s said to be one of the most rewarding careers

Working with children or adults in an educational setting is known to be one of the most rewarding career choices out there. Shaping the minds of young people will almost certainly have you feeling like you’re making a difference to the world each and every day. 

When it comes to working with challenging individuals, it is hard work, but this is where the feeling of achievement comes from – when you are able to make a difference and improve someone’s circumstances through knowledge and growth. People who work with children often say that the best aspect of their job is seeing a child overcome a struggle and understand something they didn’t believe they could. Working in education really is helping to develop the minds of the future. You will be inspiring young minds every day who will continue to make the world a better place.

Working in education will allow you to incorporate themes that are most important to you into your own life, every single day – whether that be social justice issues, equality or human rights. Education really does change people’s lives for the better and it plays a central role in our society today. 

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