The pathway to primary school teaching hasn’t always been straightforward for everyone who passionately felt the calling for the role.
At Portobello Institute we know there is more than one way to achieve your goals and we are here to make them accessible.
The pathway through Portobello to primary school teaching is simple, and it is suitable for those who have just completed their Leaving Certificate and everyone else who is interested.
The Level 8 BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree is your end goal when you come to Portobello for primary school teaching.
Getting to that endpoint can be done in three years, just like any other degree programme. The only difference at Portobello is that each of those three years gives you an individual qualification – not just a difference, but a major benefit.
It should be noted that while Portobello Institute does not have minimum subject entry requirements for your journey with us, specific Leaving Certificate grades set out by the Department of Education will be needed to qualify for some masters and any future roles as a primary school teacher after Portobello.
In your first year, you will complete Level 6 ECCE with Montessori Teaching. This is a QQI accredited qualification in its own right and allows you to work in the capacity of a room leader, supervisor, or manager in a Montessori room within an early years setting.
This means you can secure a job working with young children as soon as you have finished your first year – something you are not qualified for after your first year in many other degrees.
This also allows for improved financial stability as you progress onto your second year which is our Level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Studies degree. This degree can be completed through blended learning meaning you can continue to work and you don’t need to travel to classes as you study. You will benefit from our small class numbers and one-on-one tutor support.
Upon completion of this Level 7 degree, you will be eligible to gain the higher capitation grant from the DCEDIY for your role in an early education setting as you continue working while you study. This puts you in a position to become a setting manager preparing you further for your future in primary school teaching. This Level 7 degree is the bulk of your work, it takes three academic semesters to complete.
Once you have done the heavy lifting in Level 7 – the cherry on top is to complete your Level 8 BA Hons Early Childhood Studies degree which involves one dissertation project (on a topic of your choice) which takes eight to ten months to complete. This can also be done through blended learning online. You will be assigned a personal academic tutor to support and guide you.
Usually, students pursue a topic of interest to them following their experience of working with children to this point.
When you gain your Level 8 BA Hons degree you really will have achieved a lot. At this point, you will be qualified to work in a multitude of roles, read more about them here.
After this point, in order to become a primary school teacher, you will need to progress on to complete a Professional Master’s degree in Education (with Hibernia college for example).
Portobello Institute offers a range of Early Years and Montessori courses as well as SNA that can help you on your journey to primary school teaching.
