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  • About the course
  • Why choose this course?
  • What will I learn?
  • How will I be assessed?
  • Entry Requirements
  • Career prospects
  • Fees and Funding
  • Extra Costs
  • Facilities
  • How to Apply
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Early Years (Birth to 5) (with EYTS) PGCE

About the course

The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Early Years Birth to 5) offers a unique route into achieving Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

The course promotes flexibility in your own career pathway and provides opportunities to achieve a recognised birth to 5 teaching qualification. It enhances the professional requirements for EYTS by giving you extensive experience in a variety of work based settings including children centres, pre-school, and nursery.

This offers a holistic experience of the developing and learning child from birth to aged 5. The course focuses on the importance of teaching and learning at this critical stage of a child progressing through the Early Years Foundation Stage to their primary school provision.

In addition, the PGCE provides you with skills, knowledge and understanding in developing yourself as a leader in high quality early years settings.

This is an exciting PGCE leading to Early Years Teacher Status. You will develop as a highly qualified, effective and confident early years teacher, able to lead in a variety of Early Years settings. You will develop skills, knowledge and understanding in child development; early literacy and mathematics; and the Early Years Foundation Stage. You will be taught in lectures and seminars (including the integration of the University’s own Forest School and outdoor learning environment); and Early Years placements from birth to age 5.

Course Leader

  • Apply Via - UCAS
  • Course Level - Postgraduate
  • Campus Location - Bedford Campus
  • Start Dates - Sep
  • Duration - 1 Year
  • Attendance - Full-time | Part-time | Part-time day
  • Download Course Specifications
Accreditations
  • Department for Education

Why choose this course?

  • This course leads to a postgraduate qualification in teaching young children from birth to 5.
  • It develops the skills and knowledge required to become an outstanding Early Years teacher and leader within a breadth of Early Years settings.
  • The course will give you a deep understanding of the complexity of early education, child development, and the developing child in the context of essential learning that takes place in babies and young children from birth to 5.
  • The course develops clear understanding of essential learning processes of babies and young children preparing them for their journey into lifelong learning.
  • This will give you significant opportunities to develop your academic and professional interests into early years teaching and be accredited with Early Years Teacher Status.
  • On meeting the required professional standards you will be recommended to the Department for Education for the award of Early Years Teacher Status.
  • This will qualify you to teach in a range of early years settings including children's centres, pre-school, nursery, and schools (primarily Free Schools and Academies).
Visit the School of Teacher Education

 

Unit Information - What will I learn?

Units

  • Leading High Quality Practice In The Early Years (EDC168-3) Compulsory

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a range of formative and summative tasks, including presentations, portfolios, development of resources, research proposals, written tasks and a research project in an area of particular interest to you. As part of your Early Years placement, you will be observed teaching and working with young children by your mentor and University tutor. This will support your development as an Early Years teacher and allow you to focus on ensuring that you meet the necessary Early Years Teacher Standards. The passing of all three units will mean that you can be recommended you to the Department for Education for EYTS. In exceptional circumstances, approved by the Head of School, it may be possible for recommendation for EYTS to be made without completion of the academic units. This option is not an automatic entitlement. In all your assessments, you will be encouraged and supported to make links between your developing practice in the workplace and your unit assessments.

Entry Requirements

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree at Honours level, or equivalent.

To apply for a place on a postgraduate course (MA/MSc/MBA) at the University of Bedfordshire you should have a good first degree and the required English language qualification

Find out more about specific entry requirements for your country

To apply for a postgraduate degree (MA/MSc/MBA/LLM) at the University of Bedfordshire you should have a good honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in an appropriate subject from a recognised university or HE institution.

We will also consider candidates with other relevant qualifications or appropriate work experience.

You also need to have the required English language qualification

Contact your country’s International Admissions Team for more information.

 

You will take part in a selection process designed to assess your suitability to become a teacher of young children from birth to 5. All applicants for an EYTS programme are interviewed as part of the admissions process. Anyone admitted to an early years ITT programme, must be deemed suitable to become an early years teacher. Prior to the start of the course you will need:

  • a minimum of 2:2 honours degree or equivalent.
  • a standard equivalent to a grade 4 (or GCSE A to C) in the GCSE examinations in English, mathematics and a science subject.
  • to have IELTS with an average score of at least 6.0 if your first language is not English and you do not have GCSE grade C in English
  • an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check and all other safeguarding checks required at the time of application

How will this course improve my career prospects?

Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) is a new nationally recognised Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme. This course will place you at the forefront of the profession. The course enables you to become an outstanding practitioner in an early years setting qualified to teach young children from Birth to age 5.

In addition, the course equips you to aspire to becoming a leader in the field more broadly, and in future roles. Accordingly, you will be encouraged to present your learning to peers and other professionals. You will present studies and develop improvement projects that you may use as evidence in future applications.

An integral part of the course is giving you opportunities to develop your practice in a range of Early Years’ and school settings. This will provide further opportunities to make contacts that will help you with finding work at the end of the course.

Fees and Funding

  • PGCE Early Years (Birth to 5) (with EYTS) FT route

This course is fully funded subject to eligibility.

Course fees of £7,000 are covered by a training grant from the DfE paid to the training provider.

Trainees with high academic achievement may be eligible to receive a training bursary.

  • Tier 1, £5,000: first-class honours degree, doctoral degree, medical masters (distinction)
  • Tier 2, £4,000: 2.1 honours degree, master’s degree
  • Tier 3, £2,000: 2.2 honour’s degree

Scholarship Available

The University of Bedfordshire is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.

We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.

  • Terms and Conditions

Extra costs

You will need to pay for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and travel costs to placement.

Find out more about additional costs while studying at Bedfordshire. Click here

 

Facilities

 

Gateway Building

Gateway Building

Campus Centre

Campus Centre

Gateway Building Front

Gateway Building Front

Gateway Building Interior

Gateway Building Interior

Campus Gym

Campus Gym

Campus Library Entrance

Campus Library Entrance

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Gateway Building

Gateway Building

The Gateway Building located at the entrance of the Bedford campus holds a wide range of facilities including the main reception, student information desk, a café on the ground floor, large lecture theatres as well as a range of study rooms & breakout spaces on all floors.

Part of the University's 'greening of the campus' initiative, the £25m investment in the Gateway includes a number of sustainable and low carbon technologies such as rainwater harvesting. The project team are aiming towards a BREEAM sustainability rating of 'excellent'.

Bedford campus centre

Campus Centre

The Bedford Campus Centre holds the large 280 seat professional theatre on the ground floor and the 80 seat studio theatre on the first floor as well as a box office just inside the entrance where students, staff and the wider community can get tickets for the variety of student performances that are held by our School of Media & Performance

Also on the ground floor is the main campus café which offers a wide variety of tasty food & drink and is a great social space for meeting friends and group working.

Bedford Campus accommodation

Bedford Campus Accommodation

The University guarantees accommodation to all new students.

Choose from Liberty Park's en-suite study bedrooms or the Student Village which offers standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities, and en-suite rooms with a private shower. All have fully-equipped kitchens.

Our rooms are on-campus and have easy access to the town centre and train station.

Sports Science Labs

Sports Science Labs

Our specialist labs give students a fantastic environment to develop their research skills and expertise, where a student can explore the biology of an elite athlete who could be performing simultaneously within the sports hall.

Few Sport Science courses in the country offer students such unique discipline leading research experience and skills, alongside intimate access to world leading researchers within their field. Students are regularly offered the opportunity to be involved within discipline defining Sport, Health and Exercise Science research

Our state-of-the-art laboratories are purpose built for research and teaching in the fields of exercise and nutrition science. This includes specialised equipment and facilities for assessing human health risk and delivering exercise and diet interventions for health promotion.

Bedford Campus theatre

Campus Theatres

Set within the Campus Centre is a 260 seat professional theatre on the ground floor with industry-standard lighting, media desk, roll-down screen, full backstage comms system and large dressing rooms with en suite showers. On the first floor there's also a well-equipped 80 seat studio theatre.

Our theatres welcome new and existing audiences to see a range of student work including contemporary dance, theatre and performing arts; holding regular performances. The performance facilities are designed to emulate professional working conditions.

Aspire gym - Bedford

Aspire Gym - Bedford

The Aspire Gym has state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smart phone compatibility.

There is also an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area.

Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.

Teacher Education Centre

Teacher Education Centre

The teacher education centre is set out over a number of blocks on campus containing realistic mock classrooms for students to learn and train within.

As part of this our Forest School also provides the opportunity for teachers to be trained in outdoor learning and the educational benefits of outdoor play.

We have a long-established history in teacher training and education with over 500 partnerships with schools, colleges and other organisations.

Bedford Campus Sports Hall

Sports Hall & Fields

The sports hall is an integral space in the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity, complementing discipline leading Sport and Exercise Science and modern biological analysis laboratories, all co-located on the Bedford campus.

The sports hall is proud to host all Bedfordshire Bulls students' sports matches as well as national standard sporting events including British University College Sports championships – one of the few indoor sporting venues in the county to host prestigious tournaments all year round.

The facility also plays host to a number of University promoted Get into Sport activities which are open to all University students and staff.

Alongside the large sports hall the campus is surrounded by sports fields and a multi-use games area for the University's Sport and Physical Education degree students.

Bedford - Location

The Bedford campus is located just outside the centre of town within easy walking distance. For students and staff travelling by train we also run a free regular bus service from Bedford Station to the Campus. Bedford has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK as it sits between the M1 and the A1. The town connects by train to Luton (20 minutes) and London (40 minutes).

How to Apply

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

UK students applying for most postgraduate degrees at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form

International students applying for a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country. You can also apply online

Find out more about how to apply as an International student

International students applying for a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country. You can also apply online

Find out more about how to apply as an International student

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