Study PGCE Early Years Free at University of Reading – 2027 Application Guides
The University of Reading’s Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) is a professional certification in England, UK, awarded to specialists who teach and work with children from birth to age 5. It is a 12-month course that trains you to teach children from birth to five and awards Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
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The Department for Education (DfE) UK funds the course, and the university lists tuition as £0 for new international students as well as UK and Irish students. Applications for September 2027 open at 09:00 GMT on Monday 26 October 2026 and the window closes at 17:00 GMT on Friday 18 December 2026.
This guide covers who can apply, what international applicants need, what the funding covers, how the placements work and what happens after you qualify. Information verified in October 2026 from the University of Reading.
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Programme Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | PGCE Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) |
| Host Country ⇒ | UK, University of Reading (Institute of Education, London Road campus) |
| Study Level ⇒ | Masters, Postgraduate teacher training; 60 master’s credits |
| Benefits ⇒ | Fully funded tuition and a bursary on the Graduate Entry route up to £5,000. |
| Funded By ⇒ | Department for Education (DfE) |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | International applicants can apply to the Graduate Entry route, which the university sponsors for Student visas |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 17:00 GMT, 18 December 2026 (18:00 WAT). Places are limited |
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What EYTS Is, and What It Is Not
Early Years Teacher Status is a specialist teaching status for work with babies and young children from birth to five. The university states that EYTS is different from Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which covers school teaching. You qualify as a graduate leader responsible for organising and leading high-quality practice in early years settings. The course carries the PGCE title and 60 master’s credits. Applicants who already hold QTS can be considered. Applicants who hold EYTS or Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) are not eligible.
Who Can Apply
You need all of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent qualification, in any subject. The programme page says “normally a 2:2 or above.” Higher National Diplomas and other Level 5 qualifications are not accepted as equivalent.
- Grade 4/C or above, or an equivalent qualification, in English Language, Mathematics and Science. Combined science or a single core science (biology, chemistry or physics) is accepted.
- Two satisfactory academic or professional references from professional or institutional email addresses. Gmail, Hotmail and similar personal accounts are not accepted.
- An online interview. All shortlisted applicants attend one.
- A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and an online Occupational Health Fitness to Teach assessment, if you receive an offer.
- A police clearance certificate or equivalent from the relevant country, if you have lived outside the UK for more than six months in the last five years.
The university says practical experience may be taken into account case by case. It also says it cannot assess qualifications individually before you submit an application.
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What International Applicants Should Check Early
Most international applicants will hit the English requirement first. Reading requires a qualification equivalent in breadth and depth to GCSE English Language. Its FAQ states that IELTS and other English language tests are not accepted as evidence of that requirement, and that English studied as a foreign or second language does not count. The programme page also lists IELTS 6.5 overall with no element below 6.0. Those two statements address different things, so check with the admissions team whether you need an English language test as well as a GCSE-equivalent qualification.
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The university recommends uploading transcripts or certificates for any English, maths and science qualifications from senior or high school. If you receive an offer, it will tell you whether they meet the equivalency standard or whether you must take an equivalency test. Accepted test providers are astarequivalency.co.uk, mmerevise.co.uk and equivalencytesting.com. The university runs its own tests only for offer holders based in the UK. It may also ask for an ENIC Statement of Comparability if a qualification is uncommon, hard to verify, or old. The pages do not name specific national qualifications as accepted or rejected.
The Two Routes
| ROUTE | WHO IT SUITS | FORMAT | VISA SPONSORSHIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Entry (GE) | Degree holders not working in an early years setting | Full-time, 12 months, on campus | Yes |
| Graduate Employment-Based (GEB) | Degree holders already employed in a UK early years setting | Part-time, 12 months | No |
The GEB route requires you to work at least 16 hours a week in a UK early years setting that follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Your employer must release you on Tuesday afternoons and evenings for university sessions, provide a mentor and support your placements. The employer receives a £7,000 incentive.
The University of Reading sponsors Student visas for the Graduate Entry (GE) route only, so international applicants should plan around GE.
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Costs and Funding
- Tuition: The DfE funds both routes. The programme page lists UK and Irish students as fully funded, with limited places available, and lists new international students at £0.00 per year.
- Bursary: The DfE offers a bursary to eligible Graduate Entry students, paid automatically in ten monthly instalments after enrolment to those with a first, 2:1 or 2:2, with the first payment normally in October. University will use the trainee’s highest qualification to determine how much they will get, for example: tier 1, £5,000 – first-class honours degree, doctoral degree; tier 2, £4,000: 2.1 honours degree, master’s degree; and tier 3, £2,000: 2.2 honours degree.
Bursary Markdown
| TIER | HIGHEST QUALIFICATION | BURSARY AWARD | MONTHLY INSTALMENT (10 PAYMENTS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | First class honours degree or doctoral degree | £5,000 | £500 |
| Tier 2 | 2:1 honours degree or master’s degree | £4,000 | £400 |
| Tier 3 | 2:2 honours degree | £2,000 | £200 |
- Living costs: You pay these yourself. The university offers no additional scholarships for this programme.
- Student visa money: You need £10,539 in living costs as the maintenance requirement, which you will show as proof of funds during the visa application stage. You also pay the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. See the guide to UK student visa proof of funds on GOV.UK for the rules.
- Dependants: You cannot bring them. The Home Office and DfE have confirmed that DfE funding does not allow international students to sponsor dependants.
Also join the ScholarWaka Connect Community – we are sharing more PGCE Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) opportunities and how you can apply for them
How the Course Works
You learn through lectures, workshops, tutor-led and student-led seminars, tutorials, group tasks, independent study and placements. The 2026/27 core modules are:
- Professional Studies: The Reflective Early Years Teacher
- Families and Learning
- Shared Implementation (Early Years)
- Guided Implementation (Early Years)
- Independent Implementation (Early Years)
The course also covers climate and sustainability education. Module lists may change, so check the programme page.
Placements
Graduate Entry students complete three placements: a non-assessed Key Stage 1 placement in a primary school with children aged 5 to 7, and two extended placements in different early years settings. One of those is usually a specialist placement, often in a special educational needs nursery. You must show experience across the full birth-to-five range to earn EYTS. You arrange the Key Stage 1 placement yourself. The programme director arranges the other two.
Two practical limits apply. The course is full-time and on campus only, so you must live in the UK within reasonable travelling distance of Reading. You cannot complete it by distance learning or from outside the UK. Graduate Entry students can take only very limited extra employment, and none of it may involve working with children.
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Documents you need to Apply
You will need to provide the following as part of your application:
- Copies of your qualification certificates (including your degree qualification and GCSE English, Mathematics and Science certificates, or recognised equivalent qualifications).
- A personal statement outlining your reasons for applying to the programme and your motivation for pursuing a career in Early Years education.
- A current CV detailing your qualifications, employment history and any relevant experience.
- The names and email addresses of two referees who can comment on your suitability for Early Years teacher training. Please note that referee email addresses must be professional or institutional. References submitted from personal email accounts (such as Gmail, Hotmail or similar services) cannot be accepted.
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How to Apply
- Apply through the University of Reading’s online application service (RISIS).
- Upload your degree certificate and your English, maths and science certificates or transcripts.
- Write a personal statement on why you are applying and your motivation for a career in early years education.
- Attach a current CV covering your qualifications, employment and relevant experience.
- Give the names and professional or institutional email addresses of two referees.
- Attend the online interview if shortlisted. The first interviews are scheduled for late November 2026.
- Wait for a decision. The university says review can take up to six weeks.
Gain some experience through work, volunteering or observation in an early years setting before you apply. The university says successful applicants usually show they understand the role through such experience.
Also see a list of common questions about the PGCE Early Years to help inform your application.
Application Deadline
The application window runs from 09:00 GMT on Monday 26 October 2026 to 17:00 GMT on Friday 18 December 2026 (10:00 to 18:00 West Africa Time).
The course offers a September start only.
The Graduate Entry route is highly competitive, places are limited by the DfE allocation, and applications close once the places are filled, which can happen before 18 December.
If vacancies remain, applications may reopen in 2027, with updates published on the programme page. You cannot defer an application. If you are unsuccessful or decline a place, you must reapply in the next cycle.
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After the Course
Completing the course gives you EYTS, which qualifies you to work in:
- day care, nurseries and preschools
- academies and free schools
- out-of-school settings
- children’s centres
- home-based childcare, such as childminding
The university reports that 99% of graduates who said their main activity was full-time employment were in graduate-level work or study 15 months after the course, based on HESA Graduate Outcomes data for 2022/23 (Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education respondents from the Institute of Education). It also says most trainees have jobs before they finish. International graduates may be eligible to apply for the Graduate visa. GOV.UK currently states that it lasts 18 months for applications made on or after 1 January 2027, so confirm the current length before you plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Nigerian and other African applicants apply, and is tuition really free?
Yes, on the Graduate Entry route. The university sponsors Student visas for that route and lists tuition for new international students as £0.00 per year, because the DfE funds the course. You still pay for living costs, the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, and you must meet the visa maintenance requirement.
Will my WAEC or NECO results count as GCSE English, maths and science?
The university’s pages do not name specific national qualifications. It says it assesses most international qualifications, and that after an offer it will tell you whether yours meet the equivalency standard or whether you need an equivalency test. Upload your senior-school certificates with your application.
Do I need IELTS?
The programme page lists IELTS 6.5 overall with no element below 6.0, but the FAQ says IELTS cannot count as evidence of GCSE English equivalence. Ask the teacher training admissions team whether you need both a GCSE-equivalent English qualification and an English test.
Can I study this course online or part-time from my home country?
No. The Graduate Entry route is full-time and on campus. You must be based in the UK near Reading to complete placements in local early years settings.
Can I bring my family?
No. The university states that DfE funding does not allow international students to sponsor dependants.
What if I miss the first application window?
The course usually fills its places from the first applicant pool. Applications may reopen in 2027 if places remain, and any update is posted on the programme page. You cannot defer to next year.
Also see a list of common questions about the PGCE Early Years to help inform your application.
Disclaimer: All programme details, dates and requirements in this post were verified from the University of Reading’s website as of October 2026. The two Reading pages differ on the bursary degree classification and on the role of IELTS, as noted above. Information is subject to change without notice, and DfE funding depends on annual place allocations. Always confirm the latest details directly with the University of Reading’s teacher training admissions team before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the University of Reading.
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