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Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT)
If you want to work with pre-school children, find out about early years teacher training in England.
CONTENTS
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What qualifications do you need to be an early years teacher?
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How do you get Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)?
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What do Early Years Initial Teacher Training courses cover?
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Postgraduate routes to EYTS
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Entry requirements
What qualifications do you need to be an early years teacher?
In England, Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) is a teaching award specific to working with children from birth to five years old. Early years teachers tend to be employed in nurseries. They’re largely responsible for early child development, so they must be skilled, competent and passionate.
EYTS qualifies you to teach children up to five years of age, so only go down this route if you’re sure it’s the age group you want to teach.
If you want to teach at primary level, you’ll need Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). If you don’t have QTS you won’t be employed to teach reception in a local authority school. It also means you won’t have the same pay structure and salary progression as QTS teachers. Training to gain QTS is separate from EYTS.
How do you get Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)?
To become an early years teacher, you’ll need to take an Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) course.
All routes require you to be a graduate, there are no undergraduate EYTS courses currently available. You could take a graduate employment-based route where you study for a degree part-time, or a university-based PGCE.
Whichever training course you take, they all follow the same criteria to ensure you meet the required Teachers' Standards (early years).
What do Early Years Initial Teacher Training courses cover?
Child development will be an essential part of the course. Key areas of learning in the early years foundation stage are communication and language, physical development, and social and emotional development. You’ll learn how to:
- Support and develop learning in literacy and maths, expressive arts and design
- Help children to make sense of their world
- Spark children’s enthusiasm for learning and develop their curiosity
- Help children to form relationships and thrive in them
As a teacher, you’ll learn about the role of the early years teacher, including how to:
- Plan and evaluate your teaching
- Assess children’s progress
- Use evidence and research to inform your teaching
You’ll also learn how to support children with special educational needs and disability.
To understand what’s required of children going into primary school, you’ll become familiar with Key Stages 1 and 2 through visits to schools or observation of lessons.
As well as gaining understanding and skills, you’ll build up your experience of working with children. If you’re on an academic course, you’ll spend at least 24 weeks in early years settings. If you’re taking an employment-based route it’ll depend on the programme, but you’ll need to experience different settings and different age groups in order to qualify.
Postgraduate routes to EYTS
There are three routes open to postgraduates:
- Graduate-entry EYITT courses
- Employment-based training
- Assessment only route
Your choice is likely to depend on your experience and whether you want an academic qualification as part of your training.
In England, courses that include a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) don’t always mean you’ll be able to teach early years in a school. For this, you would need to take a PGCE that focuses on the 3+ age range and leads to Qualified Teacher Status, rather than a PGCE focusing on children from birth onwards, leading to Early Years Teacher Status.
Graduate-entry EYITT courses
Graduate-entry courses may be provided by universities or by School-Centred Initial Teacher Training providers (SCITT). Courses usually take one year full-time.
A university course usually includes an academic qualification such as a PGCE, PGCert or MA, as well as leading to Early Years Teacher Status. You’ll attend university to learn the theoretical knowledge needed for early years teaching. To develop professional practice while on the course, you’ll have work placements in a minimum of two early years environments.
If you train with a SCITT provider, you’ll benefit from the experience of practising teachers but may not get an academic qualification such as an early years PGCE. However, a PGCE isn’t necessary to get Early Years Teacher Status.
Applications for graduate-entry courses are made directly to the provider, whether a university or SCITT.
If you're taking a graduate-entry EYITT course, your fees will be paid by the government. You may also qualify for a bursary of up to £5,000. The amount will depend on your degree classification and is only available to those with a 2:2 or higher. Student finance is not available.
Employment-based training
One-year, part-time courses are available for professionals already working in early years settings. This is a good option if you need a bit of extra training to fulfil and demonstrate the Teacher’s Standards (early years).
Similar to graduate-entry courses, employment-based training may be offered by universities or school-led SCITT providers, with applications made directly to the provider.
In terms of funding, you’ll be paid a salary and government money will pay your fees. There’s also an incentive paid to your employer to cover costs when you have to be on placement.
Assessment only route
This is a self-funded option that takes place over three months. It’s ideal for graduates with substantial experience who can meet the Teachers’ Standards (early years) without any further training.
As part of this route, you’ll need to compile a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate how you’ve met the Teacher’s Standards (early years). You’ll also have assessors observe your practice.
Providers of assessment only programmes may have different entry criteria and offer different levels of support, such as mentoring or assistance with portfolios.
Entry requirements
Below are the minimum course entry requirements; providers may have additional or specific requirements.
- You’ll need at least a grade 4/C in GCSE Maths, English and a science (or equivalent qualifications)
- You must also possess a good honours degree
- You’re subject to Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS), health and other background checks as part of the admissions process
You’ll also need to demonstrate pre-entry work experience with children of a relevant age, plus knowledge and understanding of early years.
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