The early years are critical in children’s development. As an early years teacher you’ll work with young children up to the age of 5. You’ll use your knowledge and skills to help young children enjoy high standards of teaching and open their minds to new ideas every day.
To teach in a nursery or early years setting, you’ll need early years teacher status (EYTS). EYTS is also recognised in academies, free schools and independent schools. You can achieve EYTS through either early years initial teacher training (EYITT) or an early years teacher degree apprenticeship (EYTDA).
If you want to teach in a primary school, including in a reception class, then you’ll need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). Find out more about training to teach primary pupils.
If you’re interested in exploring other opportunities to work with pre-school children, you can find out more about a range of careers in early years education.
What you need to become an early years teacher
There are several ways to train to become an early years teacher. You can do undergraduate degree training, an early years teacher degree apprenticeship, or there are postgraduate options if you already have a degree. All of these routes lead to early years teacher status (EYTS).
To start early years teacher training, you’ll need these GCSE qualifications:
- maths grade 4 (C)
- English grade 4 (C)
- science grade 4 (C)
If you do not have GCSEs, you’ll need an equivalent qualification, such as a vocational or professional qualification, or an equivalent qualification you gained outside the UK.
To do postgraduate training, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent, for example, a vocational or professional qualification, or equivalent qualification you gained outside the UK.
Early years initial teacher training routes
Postgraduate training
This route is designed for people who have an undergraduate degree and want to continue full-time study to achieve early years teacher status.
- Cost
- Your course fees of up to £7,000 are covered by the Department for Education and are paid directly to the training provider. You do not need to do anything to access this funding.
- Salary
- No
- Length of training
- Typically 1 academic year
- Qualification
- Early years teacher status
Bursaries are only available for this route as follows:
- £5,000 if you have a first class degree
- £4,000 if you have a 2:1 degree
- £2,000 if you have a 2:2 degree
You are not eligible for a bursary if you do not have these qualifications or if you’re completing any other EYITT routes.
You do not need to do anything to access this funding. You can learn more about early years initial teacher training funding.
Postgraduate employment-based training
This route is for graduates working in an early years setting who want to achieve early years teacher status.
- Cost
- Your course fees of up to £7,000 are covered by the Department for Education and are paid directly to the training provider. You do not need to do anything to access this funding.
- Salary
- Provided by employer
- Length of training
- Typically 1 academic year
- Qualification
- Early years teacher status
Postgraduate assessment only training
This self-funded route is ideal for graduates with early years experience. If you already meet the early years teachers’ standards you may be able to gain EYTS without the need for further training.
- Cost
- This could be around £2,500 or £3,000 depending on the provider
- Salary
- No
- Length of training
- 3 months
- Qualification
- Early years teacher status
Undergraduate training
This route is for people who want to study for a full-time bachelor’s degree in an early-childhood related subject leading to EYTS.
- Cost
- Up to £9,535 per year
- Salary
- No
- Length of training
- 3 or 4 years
- Qualification
- Early years teacher status and a bachelor’s degree
Undergraduate tuition fee loans are available from Student Finance England (SFE).
How to apply for early years initial teacher training
To apply for an early years initial teacher training route, contact accredited early years training providers directly.
Find early years training providers
Early years teacher degree apprenticeship (EYTDA) route
This is a new route, designed for people who want to combine studying for a bachelor’s degree with being employed in an early years setting.
The first early years teacher degree apprenticeships are expected to start in 2026. More information will be available on this page later this year, including how to apply and course details.
- Cost
- Your course fees of up to £9,000 per year are covered by your employer’s apprenticeship levy payments or co-funded between your employer and the Department for Education. You do not need to do anything to access this funding.
- Salary
- Provided by employer
- Length of training
- 3 years
- Qualification
- Early years teacher status, a bachelor’s degree, and level 6 early years teacher apprenticeship