Early years teachers are specialists in early childhood development and work with children up to the age of 5. They usually join this job role after completing an Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) which is a university level qualification via a postgraduate degree or as part on an undergraduate degree.

An early years teacher will work with children aged 0 to 5 to help them learn and develop. This helps to prepare them for school and involves day to day activities and responsibilities such as:

• creating lesson plans
• encouraging a child’s learning and development using stories, games and visual aids
• monitoring and recording a child’s progress and reporting any issues
• taking a lead in supporting other team members in their implementation of effective education and care

Qualifications

To do postgraduate training, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent. For example, a vocational, professional, or overseas qualification. To start early years teacher training, you’ll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent. This includes English, maths and science.

Use this link to find out more about becoming an early years teacher.  

If you're a non-UK candidate, you can apply for early years initial teacher training, if you meet all the academic entry criteria and immigration permissions for non-UK candidates.