About us
The School of Education and Social Work has a long and established history when it comes to delivering initial teacher training (ITT), education, childhood and youth courses in Birmingham. We offer high-quality courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate degree level that are tailored to meet the needs of the professions.
Our graduates are very successful in finding employment and many take jobs in the West Midlands. Courses are taught by a range of experienced practitioners, many of whom have been exceptional teachers or have worked as senior managers in education.
Please read the Occupational Health requirement.
Initial Teacher Education
Our strong partnership with more than 900 primary schools and over 200 secondary schools across the West Midlands ensures that trainee teachers can gain valuable experience in a culturally-diverse region.
Find out more about Initial Teacher Training courses
Education, Childhood and Youth
Our highly regarded undergraduate education courses in education, childhood and youth enable students to pursue rewarding careers in a range of early years settings, within the children’s services sector or in conductive education.
Find out more about Education, Childhood and Youth courses
Social Work
High-quality social work education and the development of high-quality social work practice are inextricably linked. We believe that they are an essential part of the ongoing response that is required to prevent, address and improve social challenges.
Our history
We have a long history going back to 1897, when the Anstey College of Physical Education was founded. Originally located at The Leasowes, it relocated to Erdington in 1907. Our roots are firmly embedded in the City of Birmingham College of Education, which was founded in 1948 and moved to Edgbaston in 1957, and the Bordesley College of Education, founded in 1963.
Anstey College specialised in training women PE teachers, Bordesley College offered teacher training to mature female students, while The City of Birmingham College offered primary and secondary teacher training.
The three Colleges became part of Birmingham Polytechnic in 1975, and were renamed The Centre for Teacher Education and Training (CTET), which had six departments. The art education, postgraduate and educational studies eventually rejoined the Art department at Margaret Street in 1981, while teaching departments at Anstey, Bordesley and Edgbaston became the Department of Undergraduate Teacher Training and Education in 1979.
A year later, it was renamed the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training (FETT) and had two departments, Curricular Studies and Postgraduate Teacher Training and Education Studies and Undergraduate Teacher Training.
In 1989, FETT became the Faculty of Education and in 2001 relocated to the Attwood Building in Perry Barr, now known as City North Campus.
In 2008, the Faculty of Education merged with the School of Law and the School of Social Sciences to become the Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences.
In 2014, the School of Education joined forced with the School of Nursing and Midwifery , the School of Health Sciences and the School of Defence Healthcare Education to become the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences.
In 2019 our City North Campus closed and all courses from the School of Education and Social Work were moved to the City South Campus.
