PGCert Early Years Practice (EYTS)

Gain the knowledge and skills to be an early years leader, and ensure children get a positive start in life, with our PGCert Early Years Practice course.

Work with babies, toddlers and young children in your chosen settings, and learn at one of the UK's leading providers of teacher training – the Institute of Education.

Options with PGCert Early Years Practice at the University of Reading

• For those seeking to work with babies, toddlers and young children: Graduate Entry (GE), full-time for 12 months.
• For those already employed in the sector: Graduate Employment-based (GEB), part-time for 12 months.

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

There are no fees to pay as the Department for Education fully funds this degree.

How you’ll learn

On this EYTS course, you will learn through a series of lectures, workshops, tutor- and student-led seminars, and placements.

Throughout your course, you will:

• work on tasks in groups
• have individual tutorials
• carry out work-based learning activities
• present work to your peers and the academics
• undertake self-guided independent study
• review relevant legislation and statutory frameworks
• gain practical experience in different settings.

You will participate in activities designed to help you plan your teaching and care effectively and imaginatively.

We encourage you to share your experiences and expertise with other trainees. This enables open discussion and group support, as well as building individual confidence and peer respect.

Your learning environment

The Institute of Education offers an exciting and nurturing environment, where you’ll be challenged and supported to grow as an individual and as an early-years practitioner.

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 offers counselling services and wellbeing information.

Partnership with schools

This course is designed in collaboration with our school's partnerships, ensuring that it meets both your needs as a learner and the needs of the children you teach.

We have long-standing partnerships with hundreds of child-based settings and are renowned for our excellent relationships with our partners. It is a testament to the strength of these partnerships, and the reputation of our graduates, that most Berkshire schools employ at least one graduate from the University of Reading.

Placements

On our PGCert Early Years course, we ensure that your placements meet your needs and complement your previous experience. You will gain invaluable experience in a number of different settings, one of which could be a children's centre. The variety of placements we offer will strengthen your knowledge and help develop your practical skills in real-life situations.

While you are on a placement, you will be fully supported and closely monitored by your University tutors. You will also be visited by a member of our academic staff.

Your placements will provide you with the perfect opportunity to connect with potential employers and build a professional network.

Facilities

The Institute of Education, based at our historic London Road campus, has recently undergone a £30m refurbishment to create a dedicated world-class education centre.

We have an incredible collection of teaching resources housed in our 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.

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading, we believe climate and sustainability education is everyone's responsibility. You will be given access to training that enables you to incorporate climate education into your teaching, as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.

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

Research

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.