Skip to main content

University of Reading Cookie Policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience. Find out more about our cookie policy. By continuing to use our site you accept these terms, and are happy for us to use cookies to improve your browsing experience.

Continue using the University of Reading website

  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
Show/Hide navigation
University of Reading University of Reading
Mobile search categories
  • Study and life
  • Research
  • About us
  • View courses
  • Home
  • Study and life
    • Study
    • Student life
    • Accommodation
    • Open Days and visiting
    • International students
  • Research
    • Themes
    • Impact
    • Innovation and partnerships
    • Research environment
    • Get involved
  • About us
    • Our global community
    • Business
    • Local community
    • Visit us
    • Strategy
    • Governance
    • Contact us
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • View courses
mask
CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2022/23
2023/24
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician Associate

Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

PGCert Early Years Practice (EYTS)

  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time:  12 months
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time:  12 months

Our PGCert Early Years Practice (PGCEYP) offers two routes: Graduate Entry (GE), full-time for 12 months, or Graduate Employment-based (GEB), part-time for 12 months.

On this course, you will train to teach early education and care across the birth-to-five age range, leading to 60 master’s credits and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

For those seeking to build careers specifically within the early years sector, this course gives you the experience, opportunity and knowledge to lead practice in work with babies, toddlers and young children in your chosen sector.

You will enjoy high levels of personal attention and strong support throughout your studies. Your tutors are on hand to offer regular guidance and support, ensuring any potential issues are addressed as early as possible. In addition to academic support, our Student Support Team are able to offer counselling services and wellbeing information.

To help build individual confidence and peer respect, we encourage you to share experiences and expertise with other trainees, enabling open discussion and group support.

During the PGCEYP, you will have the opportunity to gain placement experience in different settings.

The course culminates in assessment against the specialist Teachers’ Standards (Early Years), and qualifies you to work towards a leadership role, supporting young children and their families in private settings, voluntary settings, independent or ‘free’ schools, and some children's centres.

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we have set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching across all levels and subjects as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.Across all of our ITT programmes at the Institute of Education, you will learn about:
  • what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher
  • climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others and implications for teachers
  • how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.

Visit Partnering for the Planet to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.

Placements

On the PGCEYP, we ensure that students' placements meet their needs and complement their previous experience. You will gain invaluable experience in a number of different settings, one of which could be a children's centre. This variety of placement strengthens your knowledge and helps to develop your practical skills in real-life situations.

We have strong partnerships with hundreds of child-based settings and are well renowned for our excellent relationships with these settings. When commenting on early years teacher training/ITT in 2016, Ofsted said: "Setting leaders comment on the positive contribution that (Institute of Education) trainees and former trainees make to raising the quality in their own organisation."

While you are on a placement, you will be fully supported by University-trained subject mentors. Your progress is also closely monitored by your University tutors and you will be visited by a member of the academic staff.

Placements also provide students with the perfect opportunity to connect with potential employers and build a professional network.

Facilities

The Institute of Education is based at our historic London Road campus, which has undergone a £30m refurbishment of the classical Oxford-cloistered quadrangle to create a dedicated world-class education centre.

We have created custom-built spaces for the teaching of specialist subjects such as music, PE, drama, the sciences, ICT, and art, including:

  • modern laboratories
  • musical studios, including an electronic drum kit room and a recording studio
  • well-equipped art studios and facilities for the practise of work in drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media
  • studios for wet photography and printmaking, including silk screen.

Alongside these fantastic facilities, you will also find places to eat and drink, as well as plenty of green space to relax in.

The Learning Hub

We have an incredible collection of teaching resources housed in the Learning Hub. A treasure trove for teachers, the Learning Hub contains an extensive selection of teaching aids for loan or reference, from big books to puppets. A printing and binding facility and technical equipment library are also available for your use.

Research

The quality of research at the Institute of Education was recognised in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021), the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. 98% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Education).

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website. 

Overview

Our PGCert Early Years Practice (PGCEYP) offers two routes: Graduate Entry (GE), full-time for 12 months, or Graduate Employment-based (GEB), part-time for 12 months.

On this course, you will train to teach early education and care across the birth-to-five age range, leading to 60 master’s credits and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

For those seeking to build careers specifically within the early years sector, this course gives you the experience, opportunity and knowledge to lead practice in work with babies, toddlers and young children in your chosen sector.

You will enjoy high levels of personal attention and strong support throughout your studies. Your tutors are on hand to offer regular guidance and support, ensuring any potential issues are addressed as early as possible. In addition to academic support, our Student Support Team are able to offer counselling services and wellbeing information.

To help build individual confidence and peer respect, we encourage you to share experiences and expertise with other trainees, enabling open discussion and group support.

During the PGCEYP, you will have the opportunity to gain placement experience in different settings.

The course culminates in assessment against the specialist Teachers’ Standards (Early Years), and qualifies you to work towards a leadership role, supporting young children and their families in private settings, voluntary settings, independent or ‘free’ schools, and some children's centres.

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we have set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching across all levels and subjects as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.Across all of our ITT programmes at the Institute of Education, you will learn about:
  • what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher
  • climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others and implications for teachers
  • how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.

Visit Partnering for the Planet to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.

Placements

On the PGCEYP, we ensure that students' placements meet their needs and complement their previous experience. You will gain invaluable experience in a number of different settings, one of which could be a children's centre. This variety of placement strengthens your knowledge and helps to develop your practical skills in real-life situations.

We have strong partnerships with hundreds of child-based settings and are well renowned for our excellent relationships with these settings. When commenting on early years teacher training/ITT in 2016, Ofsted said: "Setting leaders comment on the positive contribution that (Institute of Education) trainees and former trainees make to raising the quality in their own organisation."

While you are on a placement, you will be fully supported by University-trained subject mentors. Your progress is also closely monitored by your University tutors and you will be visited by a member of the academic staff.

Placements also provide students with the perfect opportunity to connect with potential employers and build a professional network.

Facilities

The Institute of Education is based at our historic London Road campus, which has undergone a £30m refurbishment of the classical Oxford-cloistered quadrangle to create a dedicated world-class education centre.

We have created custom-built spaces for the teaching of specialist subjects such as music, PE, drama, the sciences, ICT, and art, including:

  • modern laboratories
  • musical studios, including an electronic drum kit room and a recording studio
  • well-equipped art studios and facilities for the practise of work in drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media
  • studios for wet photography and printmaking, including silk screen.

Alongside these fantastic facilities, you will also find places to eat and drink, as well as plenty of green space to relax in.

The Learning Hub

We have an incredible collection of teaching resources housed in the Learning Hub. A treasure trove for teachers, the Learning Hub contains an extensive selection of teaching aids for loan or reference, from big books to puppets. A printing and binding facility and technical equipment library are also available for your use.

Research

The quality of research at the Institute of Education was recognised in the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021), the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. 98% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Education).

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website. 

Entry requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 6.0 (or equivalent)

Entry requirements: Normally a good undergraduate honours degree (2:2 or above), or equivalent from a university outside the UK

You will also need GCSE Grade C (or 4) or above in English Language* (English studied as a foreign language is not an equivalent), Mathematics* and a Science.*

As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview.

However, each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis and practical experience may be taken into account where appropriate.

*Please note: some tests stated as being a GCSE equivalent are not accepted for Early Years ITT. Please contact your provider for advice on suitable courses before booking.

Additional requirements for Graduate Employment Based Pathway:

  • trainees must be employed in an appropriate Early Years setting for at least 16 hours per week
  • trainees must be working in settings that operate the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

Structure

  • Year 1

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Professional Studies: The Reflective Early Years Teacher

Code:

EDM182

Convenor:

DR Geoff Taggart

Summary:

This module is linked with experiences in settings and requires critical analytical reflection of practice. There is a focus on evaluating the process of planning and teaching to promote an inclusive and enabling environment that celebrates diversity. Trainees are expected to develop their understanding of the EYFS for children’s various developmental stages and the most appropriate environment for teaching and learning. The role of the Early Years Teacher, children’s development and learning and implementation of the EYFS will be studied in detail.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Families and Learning

Code:

EDM200

Convenor:

DR Geoff Taggart

Summary:

The interaction between the two sites of family and school gives rise to a series of perennial questions of theoretical and practical relevance:

  • ‘What kinds of parent produce great learners?’
  • ‘What do we mean by teachers operating in loco parentis?’ (i.e. what kind of parent?)
  • ‘What is the impact of family circumstances upon educational achievement?’,
  • Do we (and should we) have childcare or early years education? What is the difference?
  • ‘What kinds of learning happen at school and which at home?’
  • ‘What characterises effective relationships between schools and families?’

The module offers students with teaching experience of all kinds the opportunity to consider and apply a range of possible answers to these questions, as provided in scholarship and research.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 80%, Portfolio 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
EDM182 Professional Studies: The Reflective Early Years Teacher DR Geoff Taggart
EDM200 Families and Learning DR Geoff Taggart

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students:

£7,000 per year

New international students:

£7,000 per year

Additional costs

These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Further information

This degree is fully funded by the DfE.

The DfE may award bursaries to trainees who have a UK degree with a first or 2:1 degree classification.

 

Careers

Successful completion of an early years teacher training course leads to the award of Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). This award is different to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), and is designed for those who wish to specialise in work with babies and young children from birth-to-five years.

Through the PGCEYP, students train to become graduate leaders, responsible for organising and leading high-quality practice in early years settings. The placements students complete, alongside their academic training, ensures that they are highly attractive to employers. In fact, our trainee teachers are so sought after, most have jobs before they finish their course.

Upon graduation, you will be qualified to work in a wide range of settings, including daycare, nurseries and preschools, academies and free schools, out-of-school settings, and children's centres, as well as home-based childcare settings, such as childminding.

Teacher training information


Register with us to get:

  • general information about training to become a teacher
  • information about the School Direct and University PGCE programmes
  • details about the structure of our courses
  • entry requirements, deadlines and how to apply
  • invited to an online information/Q&A session.

Visit the news and events page on the Institute of Education website to find out more.

By furthering my study in education, I have begun to achieve excellence in nurturing a child's development, managing behaviour, and I can inspire and influence others in my profession to do the same.

Sarah Gresty
PGCert Early Years Practice

Take the next step


Apply online now

Ask us a question

Come to a postgraduate event

Get a prospectus

Related Subjects


  • Education
  • Teacher training

Ready for more?

Apply now
How to apply
Visit an Open Day
Get a prospectus
  • Charitable Status
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Sitemap

© University of Reading