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Course overview
Designed to meet the Teacher Standards (Early Years), the course prepares apprentices to deliver high-quality, purposeful and effective critical pedagogy to children and their families. This course is designed with local providers and informed by international research, ensuring that its content is contemporary, relevant and research-informed. It is ideal for school leavers, teaching assistants or career changers who are ready to make a meaningful impact in education.
Why should your setting employ an early years teacher degree apprentice?
- Grow your own early years teachers: develop new entrants to the early years sector, career changers, career progressions or college leavers into qualified early years teachers.
- Reduce recruitment costs: fill hard-to-recruit roles with trainees who train and work in your setting.
- Access government funding: cover training costs using your apprenticeship levy or government co-investment.
- Tailored practical experience: apprentices are based in your setting and understand your culture, children and community from day one.
- Access government funding: cover training costs using your apprenticeship levy or government co-investment.
- Employment costs funded: up to £8,000 will be made available for each apprentice to help with backfill and other associated costs.
- Specialist training: apprentices develop their own practice and thinking through access to research and contemporary pedagogical approaches.
Please note, we can only respond to enquiries from employers, or individuals with agreement from their employer to undertake an apprenticeship.
* Subject to University approval
Course details
Course structure
Level 4 modules
Reflect on key moments in the history of British education that have shaped current education policy, practice and curriculum. Through a historical approach you consider education changes through a wider moral, social?and political context.?
Introduction to Pedagogical Theory
Study foundational pedagogical theories and their application in education. Exploring the biosocial, cognitive, neurological and psychosocial development from birth through adolescence, with emphasis on how the developing brain is shaped by interactions between biological, social and environmental factors.
Professional and Academic Practice Portfolio
Early years-based workplace and additional placements enable trainees to link theory to practice. At work or on placement you are given increasing levels of responsibility and are expected to engage in all aspects of organisational life.
Working Collaboratively in Multiagency Teams
Consider the diverse needs of children and young people within their social and family contexts, and the ways multi-agency teams coordinate to deliver appropriate resources and support.
Level 5 modules
You explore pedagogical approaches to supporting the learning and development of babies and young children. Examine the importance of play, the acquisition and development of language, and interactions between children and practitioners for children’s learning.
Diversity in Education – Reality or Rhetoric?
You look at diversity in society and examine ways in which education systems respond to it. Explore how social inequalities such as class, gender, race and disability can be challenged or reinforced by educational policy, systems and pedagogy.
Professional Practice Portfolio
You continue your mandatory placement developing your graduate skills, including developing an understanding of your strengths and areas for development as you progress through the course.
You develop an understanding of the importance of safeguarding children and promoting health and wellbeing throughout childhood. Explore current and contemporary aspects of safeguarding policy and practice, examining how professionals meet children’s needs and maintain their rights.
Level 6 modules
You complete a presentation with questions and a professional discussion underpinned by portfolio of evidence.
You draw on your learning in previous years to deepen your understanding of how to support children’s learning and development, with a focus on early mathematics.
Professional Practice Portfolio
You continue your mandatory placement developing your graduate skills, including developing an understanding of your strengths and areas for development as you progress through the course.
You develop, propose and then complete an independent research study on a topic related to an area of personal interest of relevance to your course.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
Apprentices spend time both in the workplace or placement and at university, with a combination of lectures, seminars, independent study and professional development activities.
This apprenticeship includes employment in a setting with a significant amount of practice experience. Partnership settings provide the opportunity for trainees to observe experienced teachers, become a part of all aspects the life of the setting within, benefit from the input from a mentor and gain practical early years teaching experience.
Teaching is delivered by a team of early years experts that have recent extensive sector experience and are experts in initial teacher education.
How you are assessed
Apprentices are assessed through a combination of written assignments, professional reflections, classroom observations and evidence of teaching practice.
Informal assessments are embedded through all modules. Writing workshops and tutorial sessions support apprentices in developing confidence in critical thinking and academic writing, enabling collaboration and shared academic discussions.
Formal assessments are aligned with the course learning outcomes. Apprentices receive feedback on all modules that gives clear guidance to support them prior to submission and for future assessments. Apprentices meet with their personal tutor to discuss their feedback across modules and this will be used to develop a plan how they can improve and develop future grades.
At the end of the course, you complete the End Point Assessment, which consists of a presentation with questions and a professional discussion, underpinned by portfolio of evidence.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be accepted on to a degree apprenticeship course you must have support from your employer and meet the course entry requirements.
Apprentices must be:
- a resident of England for the last three years or more
- 18 years of age
- employed or starting to work in a paid position in an early years setting registered with Ofsted to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.
To meet the academic requirements, apprentices must have:
- GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English, maths and science
- two or three A-levels or equivalent
- ability to demonstrate capacity to meet the Early Years Teachers’ Standards
- a satisfactory suitability assessment in line with the requirements of keeping children safe in education
- successful completion of a formal interview and selection process.
We cannot accept applications from international students requiring a student visa.
Eligibility for apprenticeship funding in England
To qualify for apprenticeship funding in England, an apprentice must meet all the criteria outlined by the Department for Education in the Apprenticeship Funding Rules. These requirements apply to programmes starting between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026.
1. Right to work
The apprentice must have the legal right to work in England.
2. Residency eligibility
The apprentice must meet the residency requirements detailed in Annex A of the Funding Rules. This includes (but is not limited to):
- being ordinarily resident in the UK (or specified territories) for at least three years immediately before the apprenticeship begins, unless a specific exemption applies
- exemptions may apply to individuals with:
- refugee status or humanitarian protection
- permission under the Ukraine or Afghan schemes
- stateless status
- certain family member rights
- pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
3. Visa duration and completion viability
For apprentices with time-limited immigration permission (such as visas), the permission must cover the entire duration of the apprenticeship, including the end-point assessment. If the visa expires before completion, the apprentice is not eligible for funding.
Full details can be found in the official guidance: Apprenticeship Funding Rules 2025 to 2026
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
Apprentices finish ready to enter teaching roles in early years settings and in non-state-maintained primary schools across England. This qualification is nationally recognised and provides a strong foundation for a long-term career.
This apprenticeship also lays the groundwork for future progression into areas such as leadership, pastoral care, special educational needs, or educational management. Helping apprentices have meaningful impact in settings and communities.