Key Facts
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
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).
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.
PGCE Entry Requirements
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
Entry Requirements
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.
Entry Requirements
UK
Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree at Honours level, or equivalent.
EU
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
International
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Campus Library
The Bedford Campus Library set over four storeys offers students access to our extensive range of physical and digital resources with 300,000+ books & 80,000+ ebooks.
PCs are provided on each level for students to use offering access to a wide range of applications as well as access to group-work areas and presentation-practice rooms and a dedicated silent study floor.
BedsSU - The Hub
The Hub is home to BedsSU providing a great space for socialising with friends, catching up on some coursework or taking a well-deserved break.
The Hub is the place to go to take a break from your studies, play table tennis, socialise and watch live sport on the big screen.By night the venue becomes the place to be, with a variety of student events such as pub quizzes, live music and various themed club nights. Evening food includes delicious freshly made pizzas as well as a range of other beverages and snacks.
Bedford Gym
The Aspire Gyms offer a range of affordable membership options giving students exclusive use of a convenient campus-based fitness facility.
The Bedford gym facilitates state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smartphone compatibility as well as 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.
Dance Studios
At the centre of our campus is four fully sprung dance studios equipped with ballet barres, mirrored walls, audio playback and projection for our dance and performing arts students.
Our two campus theatres also provide the ideal performance space for students with regular events held that are open audiences of students, staff and the wider community.
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 events that are open to students, staff and the wider community.
Sports Science Labs
Our specialist sports science 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.
The 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.
How to Apply
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
How to Apply
UK
UK students applying for most postgraduate degrees at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form
EU
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
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
