Qualifications update

RESOURCES

February 2025

The Department for Education has confirmed that apprentices aged 19 or older at the start of their apprenticeship will no longer be required to hold Level 2 English and Maths qualifications to complete their apprenticeship.

The change will apply to both new and existing learners currently undertaking their apprenticeship programme, and will 鈥渁llow many thousands more apprentices to complete their apprenticeships and enter employment, supporting vital sectors such as early years to meet skills and workforce demands鈥, according to the Department for Education (DfE). 

In February it also released an updated list of early years qualifications that can be achieved in the UK. 

January 2025

The Department for Education has confirmed the details of the new experience-based route for early educators to gain approved status to work within staff:child ratios at Level 3. As part of the changes, settings will be able to make assessment decisions about their staff's knowledge, skills and experience, and will decide whether they meet the criteria to work in ratios at Level 3.
 
Eligible educators can start the process of accessing the new route from March 2025, though those who gain the status would not count in Level 3 ratios until the necessary changes have been made to the EYFS expected from September 2025. 
 
In addition, the government has also published a new Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA) standard. It is a new, three-year undergraduate-level apprenticeship qualification open to all provider types that the government hopes will 鈥渂ring new opportunities to early years educators and settings鈥 while increasing the number of early years teachers. 

The programme is aimed at school-leavers and existing early years staff qualified to Level 3 with GCSEs in mathematics, English and science, and will enable a trainee to obtain a full and relevant Level 6 qualification with an early years degree and Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). 

 

April 2023

The Department for Education has published new criteria for the  which will be in place from September 2024. 

February 2023

The DfE has published guidance covering routes into careers in early years education:

February 2022

The government has published guidance on

In addition, they have also published guidance on early years qualifications completed outside the UK, and how educators can apply for recognition of these qualifications in the UK: 

January 2022

The DfE has published guidance on qualification specifications and role descriptions for early years special needs coordinators (SENCOs)

April 2019

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has approved the new .

26 July 2018

The Department has set out the criteria for new Level 2 early years qualifications.

3 March 2017

The Department for Education has confirmed that alternative Level 2 English and maths qualifications other than GCSES (such as Functional Skills) are now acceptable qualifications for Early Years Educators to be counted in Level 3 ratios.

5 November 2016

The Department for Education has launched a consultation  on the literacy and numeracy skills needed by early years staff, which will inform the upcoming early years workforce strategy:

5 August 2015

The Department for Education has confirmed that practitioners who hold Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) can now count in staff ratios, whether or not they hold GCSEs at grade C or above.

31 July 2015

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has removed the previous GCSE English and maths entry requirement for standalone Level 3 EYE courses. The SFA confirmed that, while it will not place a formal exit requirement of GCSEs, it does expect providers of standalone courses 鈥渢o support learners to achieve the necessary GCSEs in English and maths alongside their Early Years Educator qualifications.鈥

Updated 鈥楽FA funding rules: 2015 - 2016鈥 document
Download our Level 3 Early Years Educator Qualifications: Frequently Asked Questions document

1 July 2015

The government has confirmed that, as of 1 August, GCSEs will be an exit, rather than entry, requirement for apprentices undertaking Early Years Educator (EYE) level 3 qualifications.

The Under 5 story on the announcement.

12 February 2015

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has removed an apprenticeship requirement which previously stated that practitioners wanting to start a Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship must have gained GCSEs in English and maths within the past 5 years if they had achieved a Grade B or C.


22 August 2014

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has published the early years educator apprenticeship standard.

The Under 5 news story on this announcement

25 April 2014

The National College of Teaching and Leadership have created a searchable list of early years qualifications to allow practitioners to check if their qualifications allow them to be counted in staff ratios.

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3 April 2014

The Department for Education has published guidance on becoming an early years teacher (EYT), including information on the four routes to early years teacher status and available funding.

25 February 2014

T has confirmed that funded early years educator course entrants will GCSE maths and English at grade C or higher on entry of their course. The NCTL has also confirmed that all practitioners holding the new EYE qualification must have these qualifications in order to count in staff ratios.

NB: This only applies to practitioners holding the new EYE qualification, not those holding existing 鈥榝ull and relevant鈥 level 3 qualifications.

Policy updates