Everything you need to know...
Course summary
- Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- Build on your current experience in teaching children aged 0-5 years, in early years settings
- Gain useful practical experience, and strengthen your expertise in teaching numeracy and literacy
- Cover all age groups within the 0-5 year range, ensuring rounded knowledge
- Develop useful academic and professional skills on a course with an 'Outstanding' OFSTED rating
This course strengthens the expertise of professionals currently working with children aged 0-5 in early years settings. Adaptable to your work and commitments, the PGCE ensures rounded teaching practice, alongside sound postgraduate theory.
Student View
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
On this course, you'll spend time at work, on campus and on placement. Your placements will take place at your current setting, as well as in another setting which caters for a different age group. You'll study child development, working with families and staff leadership, and gain a well-rounded and versatile knowledge of childcare and education.
You learn through
- Placements
- Assessments
- Independent learning
- Coursework
- Reflective writing
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Work placements
You complete an assessed teaching practice in your home school or early years setting, and a second assessed placement with a younger or older age-group in a second school or early years setting. Placement experience is organised so that you cover the age groups within the 0-5 age range.
Future careers
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work in
- private nurseries
- preschools and children's centres
- working with individual children and their families
- further education teaching
- reception classes
- nursery schools
Recognition
By meeting the standards for Early Years Teacher Status, you are recognised as an Early Years Teacher (0-5) with EYTS by the Departement for Education (DfE).
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | Campus facilities | Keeping safe on Campus
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
Normally GCSE grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and mathematics and science, or equivalent, plus one of the following
• 2.2 degree or above
• current employment as a teacher, practitioner or manager in an early years foundation stage class or setting
You can apply before achieving the GCSE requirements, however, they must be passed before the start of the course.
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event and you should present a passport or photo driving license. You can present other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to starting your course.
As you will be working with children, you must complete a declaration of criminal convictions and health check forms.
Candidates who are successful will demonstrate a sound understanding of teaching and how children learn, where possible within a school setting. We encourage all candidates to evidence their understanding by drawing on related examples or experiences, such as time spent in schools or other learning settings. Demonstrating an ability to make links between experience and knowledge, and their proposed career would be desirable.
If English is not your first language, you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills or equivalent. For equivalents see our English language entry requirements
Employment-based requirements
For the period of training all applicants must be employed at a school, academy, independent school or an early years setting. You will not perform more than 90% of the duties normally completed by a full-time early years teacher.
Course enrolment - professional requirements
Before enrolling you must complete all the professional checks that are required as part of entry for the course:
Suitability Declaration
You must fully declare the following information on the pre-admission suitability declaration form provided during the admissions process:
• unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
• involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments
• involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations
• if you have ever been removed from a teacher training programme as a result of your behaviour, or would have been removed if you had not left the programme
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check
• you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
• you will need to present valid identity documents (PDF) as part of the DBS application process
• if you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining an overseas criminal record check.
• where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Academic Administration Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.
• In addition to this all those who are made an offer of a place will be checked against the DfE children’s barred list.
Occupational Health Screening
You will need to undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge. As part of this assessment you are expected to provide all relevant, truthful and accurate information to ensure a safe environment for yourself and service users.
Other background checks
All applicants that have accepted an offer will also be checked against the prohibition list to ensure you are not:
• subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State
• prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA)
If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, please notify the Academic Administration team immediately by emailing tedss@shu.ac.uk.
Additional information for EU/International students
This course is not open to international students who require a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK. If you are an international applicant but do not require a Tier 4 (General) student visa, contact our Admissions Team to find out whether you’re eligible to apply.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Exploring An Aspect Of Early Years Through Collaborative Development | Credits: 30 |
| Module: Professional Practice: 3 To 11 | Credits: - |
| Module: Professional Practice: Birth To 3 | Credits: - |
| Module: Reflecting On Approaches To Teaching | Credits: 30 |
Fees and funding
Home students
Fees are paid by DfE.
† If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Teaching and education courses (PDF, 257.5KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
