Who has a degree in early childhood education?

I have a Bachelors degree in early childhood education from the US & want to continue my education in England?

• I have a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education (children ages 4-11) from the US and want to continue my education in England. In the states, the next step would be a Masters degree but I'm not sure what I would qualify to take in England because of the differences in the educational system preparation. I mean, does my Bachelors from the US equate to a Bachelors in England. Even so, would my Bachelors prepare me to continue with a Masters degree there or do I need to go for a Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). I would like to eventually pursue a short educational career in England. Many have advised me to simply go through a recruitment agency, but I want to ensure that I have a firm understanding of the system before I teach in it, therefore my goal is to take courses that will help me better understand the English educational system. However, ideally, these courses would be something that would transfer/apply when I return the US (perhaps a college that internationally partners with colleges in the states). Any VALID information that anyone could provide would be appreciated.

• Answer:

  The entrance requirements for Masters are a lot less rigid than undergraduate degrees. Certainly your US BA is equivalent to a UK BA so you could go straight to a masters. A PGCE is specifically for those who want to "teach" if your interest are more academic driven the the MEd. programme will probably be more suited. Most Masters programmes in the UK include a module dedicated to preparing you for postgraduate study. You can take a PGCE then use this as partial credit towards a Masters this will be more gradual and will allow for a career in UK education. However the PGCEs usually are only given credit when you study your Masters at the same University. So a Uni of Oxford PGCE will not get you credit at London or Cambridge etc. As to a recruitment agency without some form of Postgraduate qualification in Education you could not "teach" in Uk schools though you could do other assistant roles. Hope this helps.