Family life

How to Become an Early Years Teacher in the UK

“I want to teach little ones” sounds wonderfully clear until a course page asks whether you mean nursery practitioner, early years teacher or primary teacher. Those roles overlap, but the qualification can change what settings you may work in, how your pay is set and where you can move later.

This guide sorts out the labels without making you learn the entire education system first. It covers routes for school leavers, career changers, graduates and people already working in a nursery. It also explains a live 2026 proposal to change early years teacher training in England—without pretending a consultation has already become policy.

If you are researching the sector as a parent rather than an applicant, start with our guides to checking the full cost of childcare and helping a child settle at nursery. This page is about choosing and beginning a career.

Choose the exact job before choosing a course

Job titles are not perfectly tidy. One nursery may advertise an “early years educator”; another may call a similar post “nursery practitioner”. Read the person specification, age range and required qualification instead of buying a course because its title sounds right.

The simplest decision is this: if your goal is a nursery or pre-school role, compare early years practitioner and EYTS routes. If your goal is to be the teacher responsible for a reception or primary class in a maintained school, look for a route that explicitly awards QTS.

Do you need a degree?

Not for every early years job. You can begin in an assistant role, take a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, or complete an apprenticeship while employed. A degree-level route is relevant when you specifically want EYTS, QTS or certain graduate and leadership roles. That is very different from saying everybody working with young children needs a bachelor’s degree.

If you already hold a degree, a postgraduate EYITT route can lead to EYTS. If you do not, an undergraduate programme that explicitly includes EYTS—or the emerging early years teacher degree apprenticeship—may be suitable. For primary QTS, use a primary teacher-training route rather than assuming EYTS can be swapped for QTS later.

What does the work actually feel like?

Early years teaching is not miniature secondary school. Good practice uses conversation, stories, movement, routines, carefully chosen resources and play to help children communicate, explore and become more independent. You will still plan, assess and adapt, but much of the evidence appears while a child is building a tower, arguing over a dinosaur or deciding whether paint belongs on the paper.

A normal day may include:

• welcoming children and speaking with parents or carers;
• setting up play and learning opportunities around children’s needs and interests;
• supporting communication, early literacy, maths, physical development and relationships;
• helping with meals, toileting, rest and personal care in a respectful way;
• observing what children know and planning a useful next step;
• spotting safeguarding, health, development or special educational needs concerns and following the setting’s process;
• working with colleagues, a special educational needs co-ordinator and outside professionals;
• checking rooms, resources and outdoor areas are safe and inviting;
• recording the information that matters without spending the whole day producing paperwork;
• cleaning up a quantity of glitter that science cannot fully explain.

Try some of the activities on KidsCo before an interview. Our playful spelling ideas, early reading programme guide and low-pressure learning activities can help you think about how an adult adjusts an activity rather than simply delivers it.

Skills that matter more than having a perfect “teacher voice”

• Warm, clear communication: with children, families and colleagues.
• Curiosity: noticing what a child is attempting before jumping in with the answer.
• Patience and steadiness: especially when a room is noisy or a child is distressed.
• Observation: seeing changes in language, play, confidence, health or behaviour.
• Planning and flexibility: preparing well, then changing course when children need something else.
• Teamwork: care and education are shared work, not a solo performance.
• Professional judgement: knowing when to record, share, ask and escalate.
• Respect: for children’s cultures, home languages, disabilities, families and privacy.

Routes into early years work in England

The routes below are current on 10 August 2026. Training names and funding can change by academic year, so check the live official qualification or provider page immediately before applying.

Route 1: start in a nursery and train while working

Some settings employ beginners in supervised, unqualified roles and support them towards an approved qualification. This lets you test whether the reality suits you while building experience. Ask whether the post includes protected study time, who pays course and assessment costs, which qualification you will receive and whether it is approved as “full and relevant” for the role.

A Level 2 early years practitioner apprenticeship is an entry route. A Level 3 early years educator apprenticeship can support progression into practitioner work. An apprenticeship is a real paid job with training and assessment; it is not unpaid work experience with a nicer label.

Route 2: study for an approved Level 2 or Level 3 qualification

College-based study may suit school leavers or adults who want structured learning and placements. Before enrolling, use the Department for Education’s early years qualification checker. The checker helps establish whether a qualification counts at Level 2, Level 3 or Level 6 for staff-to-child ratios in England. Ask the college to show the exact qualification title, awarding organisation and code—not merely a brochure category.

Route 3: graduate-entry EYITT

If you already have a bachelor’s degree or recognised equivalent, graduate-entry early years initial teacher training is normally one academic year and leads to EYTS. Training should include experience across the birth-to-five age range and help you meet the early years teachers’ standards.

The full-time graduate-entry route is study-based. A graduate employment-based route is designed for graduates already employed in an early years setting. Assessment-only EYTS is a shorter, self-funded option for experienced graduates who can already demonstrate all the standards; it is not a shortcut for somebody new to the phase.

Route 4: undergraduate degree with EYTS

You can take an early childhood-related degree that also leads to EYTS. Check both awards are explicit. A degree called childhood studies, education studies or early childhood education may be valuable but does not automatically confer EYTS or QTS.

Route 5: early years teacher degree apprenticeship

The Department for Education says the first Level 6 early years teacher degree apprenticeships are expected to start in 2026. The route combines employment, a bachelor’s degree and training towards EYTS, normally over three years. Availability will depend on employers and approved providers, so treat “expected to start” as something to verify—not a promise that a suitable vacancy exists locally today.

Route 6: primary teacher training with QTS

Choose this when your intended destination is a maintained primary school, including teaching reception. Routes include undergraduate training with QTS and postgraduate teacher training for graduates. QTS courses have their own entry, application, placement and funding rules. When searching, check the age range and how much early years placement experience the course includes.

Entry requirements: what to check

Requirements differ by route and provider. Do not rule yourself out—or pay to repeat a subject—until the provider has assessed your actual qualifications.

If your GCSEs or degree are from another country

A provider must decide whether qualifications meet its entry requirements. It may ask for a UK ENIC statement of comparability, translated certificates or more evidence about course level and content. Do not assume an online conversion chart settles admission. International applicants also need the appropriate permission to study or work for the whole training period.

If a qualification is old or has an unfamiliar title

Rules can depend on the qualification title, awarding body, dates and sometimes additional conditions. Use the official checker and keep certificates and transcripts. If the result is unclear, ask the Department for Education or relevant nation’s regulator rather than buying a replacement course on a training company’s say-so.

Get useful experience without pretending to be qualified

Experience can confirm the job suits you and give you real examples for an application. It does not need to involve leading a whole nursery room on day one.

1. Approach a range of settings. Try a nursery, pre-school, reception class, playgroup or holiday scheme where possible.
2. Ask for a defined opportunity. A short observation visit, volunteer role or paid assistant vacancy is easier to discuss than “anything with children”.
3. Follow the setting’s safeguarding process. Do not expect immediate, unsupervised access to children.
4. Watch the adults. Notice how they extend play, support conflict, speak to families and include children with different needs.
5. Keep a reflection log. Record what happened, what the practitioner did, why it helped and what you would ask next.

Babysitting and parenting can build useful skills, but neither automatically proves professional early years practice. Explain what you learnt without presenting family experience as a qualification.

Three reflection prompts after a visit

• When did an adult join a child’s play, and when did they deliberately stand back?
• How did the setting make communication possible for children with different language or development needs?
• What happened when a child was upset, hurt or excluded?

How to compare courses and providers

A polished homepage can still leave out the one fact that matters: what status or qualification you hold at the end. Put these questions in an email and keep the reply.

Ask every provider:

1. What is the exact qualification title, level, awarding organisation and course code?
2. Does it lead to EYTS, QTS, an approved early years educator qualification—or only an academic degree?
3. Which ages and types of setting will I experience?
4. Who finds placements, and how far might I travel?
5. How many days are in placement and how are missed days handled?
6. What is the complete cost for my academic year, including assessment, registration, travel and resits?
7. Which funding is confirmed for my route, and who receives it?
8. Can you assess my existing English, maths, science and degree qualifications before I accept?
9. How are trainees supported with disability, caring responsibilities or part-time study?
10. What proportion of the latest cohort completed, achieved the stated status and entered relevant employment?
11. What happens if a placement breaks down or my employer changes?
12. Which official register or government list confirms your accreditation?

For EYITT, start with the Department for Education’s current list of accredited providers. For QTS, use the official teacher-training search. Then verify details directly with the provider because a national list does not tell you whether this year’s local cohort has places.

Red flags

• “Become a qualified teacher” without saying EYTS or QTS.
• A childcare course advertised as suitable for ratio purposes without an exact checkable award.
• Pressure to pay before your prior qualifications are assessed.
• A guaranteed job, salary or promotion that is absent from the written terms.
• US tests or licences presented as requirements for a UK role.
• Funding figures copied from a different academic year.

If you will train while raising children, check GOV.UK childcare support alongside course funding. Eligibility and timing can affect whether an employment-based, part-time or university route is realistic.

Fees, funding and the questions that prevent surprises

Funding is route-, nation-, academic-year- and eligibility-specific. Keep “course fee covered”, “bursary paid to me”, “salary from my employer” and “student loan” as four separate ideas.

England EYITT funding for 2026 to 2027

The Department for Education’s 2026 to 2027 provider guidance says graduate-entry EYITT providers receive a £9,535 training grant to meet course costs. Eligible graduate-entry trainees may receive a bursary based on their highest degree class: £5,000 for a first, £4,000 for a 2:1 and £2,000 for a 2:2. The employment-based graduate route carries provider funding plus an employer incentive, but that employer payment is not a personal bonus and training costs must not be deducted from the trainee’s salary.

The general government page on bursaries available also points early years applicants towards the appropriate funding information. Because public pages can briefly show figures from different recruitment cycles, ask the provider to confirm in writing which dated guidance applies to your start date.

Other routes

• Apprenticeship: you are employed and paid; eligible training costs are funded through the apprenticeship system. Ask about working time, study time and any travel you pay.
• Undergraduate degree: tuition-fee and maintenance support may be available through the student-finance system for your nation and circumstances.
• Assessment-only EYTS: this is normally self-funded. Ask for the total including assessment visits and any repeat assessment.
• Primary QTS: funding depends on route and, for some postgraduate bursaries, subject. Do not assume a school-teaching bursary automatically applies to early years.

Your personal budget

Course fees are only one line. Add travel to placements, reduced working hours, childcare, meals away, books or equipment, background-check arrangements and the gap before a first salary. If you have children, check current support rather than relying on an old allowance page; government childcare services and eligibility rules can move as schemes change.

Pay, contracts and progression

There is no single UK “early years teacher salary”. Pay depends on the nation, setting, status, employer, hours, term-time calculation, responsibilities and local labour market. Two jobs with similar titles can have very different contracts.

In England, an EYTS holder working in a private, voluntary or independent setting is not automatically covered by national school teachers’ pay and conditions. A QTS teacher employed in a school teaching post may be on the relevant school pay framework. That distinction is one reason to decide on the intended setting before training.

Compare the whole offer

• annual salary and actual paid weeks;
• weekly hours, opening and closing duties, and paid breaks;
• whether planning, meetings and training happen in paid time;
• holiday entitlement or term-time calculation;
• pension and sick-pay arrangements;
• room, age group and staff-to-child responsibilities;
• funded qualifications and what happens if you leave;
• progression to room leader, SENCO, curriculum lead, deputy or manager;
• whether the role actually requires and uses EYTS or QTS.

Progression is not one ladder. A practitioner may specialise in inclusion, language, family support, safeguarding or leadership. An early years teacher may lead pedagogy across a nursery. A QTS teacher may work across reception and later primary years. Ask people in the setting what the last two promotions looked like, not only what the careers poster promises.

Good early years practice includes knowing where families can find help. NSPCC support for parents is a useful general signposting route, although it is not a training qualification or registration requirement.

Safeguarding and background checks

Working with young children brings safeguarding duties. Training should help you recognise concerns, respond calmly, record accurately and follow the designated safeguarding lead’s process. It should also cover professional boundaries, safe use of phones and images, confidentiality, whistleblowing and online safety. Our plain-English online safety checklist is written for families, but it gives applicants a useful view of the issues settings manage with parents.

In England and Wales, a recruiting organisation may request the level of Disclosure and Barring Service check legally available for the role. Work in regulated activity with children may be eligible for an enhanced check with a children’s barred-list check. The employer or provider normally starts the appropriate process; a DBS certificate is one part of safer recruitment, not a guarantee that somebody is suitable.

Scotland uses the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme through Disclosure Scotland. Northern Ireland uses AccessNI. Tell a provider about names and addresses exactly as requested, but do not send identity documents to an unverified contact or buy a random “enhanced check” from an advert.

Other checks may include:

• identity, right-to-work and qualification verification;
• references and an explanation of employment gaps;
• health and fitness declarations handled through the proper process;
• checks connected to overseas residence;
• disqualification or suitability declarations where applicable;
• paediatric first-aid requirements for particular roles and ratios.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: do not copy the England route

Education, childcare regulation, qualifications and disclosure systems are devolved. EYTS and the English EYFS framework are not a universal UK licence. Start with the country where you plan to work.

Scotland

The Scottish Social Services Council sets out the qualifications accepted for practitioners in day care of children services and the time allowed to gain them after registration. Check the current SSSC role page and register rather than translating an English Level 3 or EYTS title by guesswork.

Wales

Working Wales describes routes from assistant work through Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications and apprenticeships. Social Care Wales publishes a current qualifications framework for job roles. Welsh language skills can be useful or required in some workplaces; ask rather than assuming fluency is essential everywhere or irrelevant everywhere.

Northern Ireland

Use nidirect’s current careers and apprenticeship information, then confirm the exact award with the employer, college or regulator. AccessNI checks have different levels, and the organisation determines which is legally appropriate for the post.

What to put in an application or interview

A strong application connects a real example to what children needed. “I have always loved children” is warm, but it does not show how you listen, plan or keep them safe.

Prepare six short examples

• a time you helped somebody communicate or join in;
• a time a plan failed and you adapted;
• a difficult conversation handled respectfully;
• a safeguarding or safety concern you would report rather than solve alone;
• an activity changed for different needs or interests;
• feedback that altered how you worked.

You can also discuss why process matters. Praising effort specifically is more useful than handing out a generic “well done”; our guide to celebrating children’s achievements has examples you can adapt without turning learning into a prize conveyor belt.

Questions worth asking at interview

• How are new staff inducted and supervised?
• When do practitioners plan and complete essential records?
• How does the team respond when somebody raises a safeguarding concern?
• What training has staff completed in the past year?
• How does the setting support children with SEND and home languages other than English?
• What is staff turnover, and why is this vacancy open?
• Which duties sit with this role on an ordinary opening or closing shift?

A 30-day way to start

At the end of the month, you do not need your whole career mapped to retirement. You need a verified next step: apply for an assistant apprenticeship, enrol on an approved qualification, contact an EYITT provider, or switch your search to primary QTS because reception teaching is the real goal.

What is changing in England in 2026?

As of this guide’s 10 August 2026 review, current official applicant guidance still says EYITT leads to EYTS and primary teaching, including reception, requires QTS. Existing EYTS holders do not automatically have QTS. Check the consultation response and updated provider documents if your course will begin after policy changes are announced.

Common questions about becoming an early years teacher

How do I become an early years teacher in the UK?

Choose the nation and setting first. In England, the current specialist route for birth-to-five teaching is approved early years initial teacher training leading to EYTS. If you mean reception or primary teaching in a maintained school, choose training leading to QTS. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use their own systems.

Can I work in a nursery without a degree?

Yes. Many nursery assistant and practitioner routes do not require a degree. You may begin in a supervised role, take a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, or complete an apprenticeship. Degree-level training matters for EYTS, QTS and some graduate roles.

Can I work in a nursery without any childcare qualification?

Some settings employ unqualified staff under supervision, but duties and whether you count in staffing ratios may be limited. Employers still carry safer-recruitment and suitability duties. Ask what training is provided and which approved qualification the job can lead to.

What is the difference between EYTS and QTS?

EYTS is England’s current graduate status specialising in teaching children from birth to five. QTS is the professional status used for qualified teachers in maintained schools. EYTS does not itself qualify you for a maintained-school teaching role that requires QTS.

Do I need QTS to teach reception?

If your aim is to be a reception-class teacher in a maintained primary school, current government guidance says to achieve QTS. Other settings can have different staffing arrangements, so read the exact advert, but do not choose EYTS on the assumption it is identical.

Can I get EYTS without a degree?

EYTS is a graduate-level status. You can take an undergraduate programme that includes a degree and EYTS, or explore the Level 6 early years teacher degree apprenticeship expected to begin through participating employers and providers from 2026. Postgraduate EYITT requires a degree or recognised equivalent.

Can I train while working?

Yes. Options include Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeships, graduate employment-based EYITT for eligible graduates already working in a setting, and the developing early years teacher degree apprenticeship. Availability and entry conditions vary.

How long does early years teacher training take?

Graduate-entry and graduate employment-based EYITT are typically one academic year. Assessment-only EYTS can be around three months for experienced graduates already meeting the standards. Undergraduate routes normally take three or four years, and the new degree apprenticeship is expected to take about three years.

Is EYITT funded?

Some England EYITT routes receive Department for Education funding. For 2026 to 2027, official provider guidance sets a training grant for graduate-entry and employment-based routes and degree-class bursaries for eligible graduate-entry trainees. Undergraduate and assessment-only funding works differently. Confirm the dated scheme with the provider.

Will EYTS become QTS?

The Department for Education is consulting in 2026 on future training leading to QTS and possible treatment of existing EYTS or EYPS holders. That is not yet an implemented conversion. Current applicants should use the status awarded under current rules and watch for the official response.

Do I arrange my own DBS check?

Usually the employer or training provider determines and starts the legally appropriate check for the role. England and Wales use DBS, Scotland uses the PVG scheme and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI. Do not buy an “enhanced” check from an unrelated website.

Do UK early years teachers take the Praxis test?

No. Praxis examinations are associated with teacher certification in parts of the United States and are not a requirement for EYTS, QTS or UK nursery qualifications. A US Praxis Core prep collection may appear in search results, but it is not a UK training route.

The bottom line

The best first step is not “get a teaching degree”. It is “name the role and setting”. For an England nursery assistant or practitioner job, an approved Level 2 or Level 3 route may be enough. For graduate birth-to-five teaching, check EYTS. For a maintained-school reception or primary post, check QTS. Elsewhere in the UK, begin with that nation’s regulator and qualification framework.

Once the label is clear, compare the exact award, placement experience, full cost and employment terms. Then spend enough time in a real setting to find out whether the lovely parts—and the noisy, physical, responsible parts—still feel like work you want to do.

Continue through the KidsCo family-life hub, see how practitioners can support a calmer nursery drop-off, or read our editorial and correction standards.