PGCERT Early Years interviews

We are pleased to invite you to interview for the PG Cert in Early Years Practice with Early Years Teacher Status programme at the University of Reading and we are looking forward to meeting you.

We want this to be a stress-free process to enable you to perform to your potential and we hope that the following information will be helpful to you. Please read all of the information carefully.

• Familiarise yourself with the Teacher Standards (Early Years).
• Be aware of the current issues facing the early years' sector.
• Watch the Transforming Lives – the Institute of Education video.

The only document that you will need to provide at your interview is a piece of photographic ID so your identity can be verified (your passport, driving licence photo card, or ID card). You will need to hold this up to the camera, so please have this to hand at the start of your interview.

The format of the interview day will be as follows:

• introduction
• written task
• interview and short presentation.

Approximately two or three working days prior to your interview, you will be sent a Microsoft Teams meeting invitation and an email containing the written task and relevant instructions. Please complete and return the written task via email before your interview. Please let us know if any adjustments are needed for you to access this task.

Please be prepared to deliver a 5 minute presentation at your interview on this subject:

'What are the three key qualities you believe are the most important for an Early Years Teacher to have?'

The interview questions will focus on the following:

• your motivations for becoming an Early Years Teacher
• your understanding of safeguarding
• your own values and ethics regarding working with babies and young children aged birth to five years
• your ability to reflect on and analyse your own experience in the context of your development as a trainee teacher
• your awareness of the Teacher Standards (early Years) and relevance to your own development.

There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end of your interview.

You will be interviewed by two of the programme tutors from the Institute of Education. If you have any queries or concerns in relation to this, please contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.

We are looking look forward to meeting you at your interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if you require any assistance in relation to your interview, please contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.