Overview
This information is for early years initial teacher training (YIT) providers.
If you are a trainee and are interested in applying to undertake an YIT course, visit the Get into Teaching website, or contact one of our YIT providers.
Advice for employers can be found in the early years initial teacher training guide for employers.
YIT leads to the award of early years teacher status (EYTS).
Training places
Requesting places
Providers who want to offer YIT places, must request to provide them by contacting us at eyitt.GENERALENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk.
Recruiting trainees
Once we’ve confirmed your allocation of places and have received your signed grant offer letter or letters, you can start recruiting candidates. Candidates will submit applications directly to you. You will be responsible for managing this process.
Becoming an accredited training provider
To offer YITyou must be accredited to run at least 1 programme leading to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).
Initial teacher training (ITT): accreditation for the academic year 2027 to 2028 provides more information about becoming an accredited provider.
The accreditation withdrawal process for initial teacher training explains how ITT providers can close their provision.
Working in partnership to provide training
If you’re not accredited to provide YITyou can work with an existing accredited provider. You must have a partnership agreement in place with your accredited provider which explains the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
Training
You’ll need to design your training programme to enable each of your trainees to meet the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years). The standards are designed to help EY teachers develop and demonstrate strong early development knowledge for children within the birth to 5 years age range. Your programme will include:
- the content they must cover
- how you structure and assess their performance
Trainee teachers must be trained to teach across the early years foundation stage (from birth to 5 years old). They must also understand how early education links beyond age 5 and into key stages 1 and 2 in school.
Your training programme must provide trainees with enough time in early years settings or schools to allow them to show they meet the standards.
Assuming trainees are full time, this would mean:
- 160 days (32 weeks) for a 4 year undergraduate programme
- 120 days (24 weeks) for a 3 year undergraduate programme or graduate (university-based) route
Placements should:
- take place in at least 2 schools or early years settings
- include at least 2 weeks in a school in key stage 1
For graduates on an employment-based route, the amount of time will be determined by their specific training programme.
You shouldn’t recommend any trainee for the award of EYTS until they have met all the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years).
Training routes
There are 4 routes that lead to the award of early years teacher status. Early years initial teacher training: 2024 to 2025 funding guidance contains details of available funding, including bursary rates.
1. Graduate entry (full-time)
We fund this route. Training is typically over a 1 year period. Some trainees may be eligible for a bursary.
2. Graduate employment-based (part-time)
This is for graduates working in an early years setting who require training and further experience to meet the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years). Training is typically over a 1 year period. We provide funding for training costs. Additional funding is also available to contribute towards employers’ costs.
3. Undergraduate entry (full-time)
This is for those who wish to undertake a level 6 degree in an early childhood related subject along with early years teacher training. It is typically a full time 3 or 4 year route for those entering the profession.
We don’t fund this route, but funding for course fees may be accessed by eligible trainees through tuition fee loans from Student Finance England (SFE).
4. Assessment only
This is for graduates with experience of working with children from birth to 5 years old who can meet the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) without further training. An example of this is an early years teacher from overseas. Assessment typically takes place over 3 months.
We don’t fund this route; it’s self-funded.
Our early years initial teacher training: funding guidance provides further information.
Entry requirements for candidates
You must ensure candidates:
- have achieved GCSEs, grade 4 (or equivalent) in English, mathematics and a science subject
- hold a degree (Level 6) from a UK higher education institution or equivalent qualification (in the case of graduate routes)
- have taken part in a rigorous selection process designed to assess their suitability to teach
Qualifications in key and functional skills at level 2 are not equivalent to GCSEs in terms of content. You should look for additional evidence of knowledge and understanding for applicants with these skills certificates but without GCSEs at grade 4 or above in English and mathematics.
Applicants with a GCSE grade 4 or above in English language meet the requirement. You should look for further evidence of a breadth of achievement in English where applicants have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above in English literature.
Inspection arrangements
Ofsted has been asked by the Secretary of State for Education to inspect the quality of early years ITT. This has further aligned the arrangements for the training leading to EYTS and QTS.
Quality assurance
You must ensure:
- your management structure supports the effective operation of the training programme
- you establish a partnership agreement setting out the roles and responsibilities of each partner, demonstrating the significant role of early years settings or schools in recruiting, selecting, training and assessing trainees
- you monitor, evaluate and moderate all aspects of provision rigorously and show how these contribute to securing improvements in the quality of training and the assessment of trainees
Employment-based requirements
All accredited providers of employment-based YIT must ensure that:
- for the period of training, all applicants who are undertaking the employment-based training route must be employed in a setting offering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- employers must not expect trainees to carry out more than 90% of the duties normally required of a full-time early years teacher
Programme requirements
Guidance on programme requirements can be found in the early years ITT requirements: supporting advice document.
If you have any questions, contact us at YIT.GENERALENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk
