Skip to main content

Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYTS) - Graduate Employment Route PT

Overview

Are you aspiring to be an early years specialist? Are you passionate about working with children and their families? Do you value high-quality early years provision and childhood development? Then this course is the right match for you. We will help you develop high quality practice while keeping you up to date with current government reforms in education. This course gives you an opportunity to play an important role in preparing young children for the best start in life.

Why Early Years Initial Teacher Training?

  • Upon completion of the course you’ll be awarded Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). This reflects the significant role you’ll have in working with young children. EYTS is awarded by the Department for Education and the Teaching Regulation Agency.
  • You’ll have the opportunity to gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of early childhood; looking at the role of play, considering different curriculum models and examining the impact of early childhood research and theories on current government perspectives and policies.
  • We work in partnership with a strong network of Early Years settings and schools to deliver EYTS training. These settings offer placements for graduate employed trainees who undertake a placement of four weeks in a setting that is different to their own. This forms a key element of your course. Your placement can provide you with opportunities to enhance your learning and to develop your skills of teaching and leadership in a different work context.

Key Information

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • Ordinary or Honours degree

In addition you must also:

  • Have GCSE or equivalent in English, Maths and Science at grade 4 or above, or grade C if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme, prior to application.
  • undergo Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and health clearances
  • currently be working with children up to the age of five in either an early years setting or in a school nursery/reception class, or as a registered child minder
  • be able to communicate in standard spoken and written English
  • complete a satisfactory interview

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

All conditions must be met by 31 August for entry in September in the year of application.

Start dates

1 September 2025

Duration

12 months part-time

Course Detail

In order to achieve EYTS you will experience a range of training, development and assessment activities that vary according to your individual learning and development needs. To ensure national consistency, all trainees, irrespective of their training and pathway, are assessed for competence against the 8 Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) at the end of their course.

The University of Huddersfield aims to support you through personalised provision that supports you to demonstrate your abilities across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You will take part in work-based learning, workshops and training events. You will have access to a range of mentoring opportunities, with mentors who have experience of delivering and leading practice in the EYFS.

All the training and assessment we deliver will be based on the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE 2021). You are required to be proactive in reviewing taught sessions with peer groups, tutors and mentors to ensure you deepen your knowledge and understanding of quality practice and how this supports your understanding of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years).

You will be offered ideas to structure your work-based learning, which you will need to negotiate with colleagues in the work place. Additional reading and desk-based research will be suggested. You are strongly recommended to use timetabled study days to build your underpinning knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in the Foundation Stage.

**The course is delivered through a blended approach consisting of taught days in the university and online live webinars and guided learning tasks. This equates to 20 days in which you will need to be released from you setting to engage in face to face teaching sessions (in university or online) and guided learning tasks.

You’ll be required to undertake a four-week placement in a setting that is different to your own plus an additional two week placement in a Key Stage one class in school.**

The course is assessed through course work, including observations of your practice in the workplace. You’ll typically be assessed against the eight professional standards for Early Years Teachers (NCTL, 2013). There are no timed tests or exams. The assessment on the course allows you to demonstrate your practical knowledge and skills alongside developing your critical and theoretical understanding of the subject. The assessment builds on your particular interests and context and is likely to have outcomes that will be of benefit to your professional life and to your employer. You will be provided with guidance to help you develop your assignment work.

Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback is available after the publication of results.

  1. Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

  2. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

  3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

Placements

During your time on the course, you will be required to undertake two compulsory placements.

  • Placement one: A four-week placement in a classroom setting different from your current role.
  • Placement two: A two-week placement within a Key Stage 1 classroom.

Throughout these placements, your progress will be assessed through classroom observations and the contributions you make to your online portfolio.

Postgraduate Open Days


Learn more about Postgraduate Study at one of our upcoming Open Days

Come along to an on-campus Postgraduate Open Day and discover all there is to know about our wide range of postgraduate taught courses, research degrees and professional development options at the University of Huddersfield. 

Book now

Discover more about the course

Your Career

Discover the job roles our graduates are working in now.

Professional links and accreditation

Recognised connections to give you an extra edge when you graduate.

Student Support

Discover all the support available so you can thrive.

Further Study

Learn about pursuing a Master’s or PhD at Huddersfield.

Research Excellence

See how our innovative research shapes what you'll learn.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

You may also be interested in...

Primary Education PGCE with QTS

Full-time

Postgraduate

If you're aspiring to become a primary school teacher, then our Primary Education PGCE with QTS course will help you on your way .

Find out more How to apply

View more courses