Early Years (0-5) Initial Teacher Training with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)

Browse education and teaching courses in UK

Institute of Education · Education and teaching

Early years specialists are key to laying the foundation for children’s lifelong learning, well-being and success. At Worcester, we prepare you for a rewarding career as an Early Years Specialist through a mix of interactive seminars, group workshops and placements. Whether you’ve just graduated or are currently working in an early years setting, studying with us will give you the professional skills needed to become an inspiring and compassionate practitioner with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). As an Ofsted 'Outstanding' institution with a long and proud history of training teachers, we can offer you the support of knowledgeable and child-centred lecturers and an exceptional learning environment, where the happiness and well-being of children comes first. Designed to meet the Early Years Teacher Standards, this Early Years Initial Teacher Training course is fully funded by the Department for Education and will qualify you to teach and care for young children from birth to age 5. There are two pathways through this course: Graduate Entry and a Graduate Employment-Based route (see FAQs for full details). No matter your previous experience, you will be a qualified early years teacher with EYTS by completing this course. This is different to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is necessary to lead teaching and learning in maintained schools. Graduate Employment-Based route If you are currently working in an early years setting but would like to become a qualified Early Years Teacher, you can study the Graduate Employment-Based route part-time alongside your job so you can keep earning while getting the hands-on experience you need. You will need your employer’s ongoing support throughout the program. Your employer will also receive a £7000 incentive payment to cover costs during your studies. Graduate Entry route For graduates who are at the start of their career, you’ll study the Graduate Entry route full-time with placements built into your timetable, where you can apply and practice all that you have learnt. These practical experiences, in combination with your time on campus, prepare you to be a highly skilled and passionate early years teacher. By taking this route, you may be eligible for a bursary of up to £5,000. Why the University of Worcester? The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation. At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education. - University of the Year finalist four times in a decade (Times Higher Education Awards 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2025) - First in the UK for jobs - Our graduates have the highest rate of sustained employment, further study or both, from any multi-subject university in the UK (Longitudinal Education Outcomes 2017-2026) - Top 20 for learning opportunities, recognising how our courses develop the knowledge and skills students need for their future (National Student Survey 2026) - Ofsted Outstanding in 2023 the University’s primary and secondary teacher training programmes were rated ‘Outstanding’. Join us at one of our regular Open Days to see if the University is a good fit for you: www.worcester.ac.uk/opendays

Course details as published by the university. No graduate-outcome statistics are published for UK postgraduate courses, so none are shown.