Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)

Information Events and School Experience – Bright Futures Educational Trust

This is an employment-based route for candidates who are currently employed in an Early Years setting.  We are now recruiting for September 2026. The EYTS qualifications allows you to teach in private nurseries, academy chains and independent schools in the 0-5 years age range.

Entry Criteria 

• A level 6 degree or above. 
• A grade C/4 GCSE (or equivalent) in English, Maths and Science. 
• Employment in Early years (at least 15 hours per week).  

Fees and Funding

• The government will pay tuition fees of £9,535 in full  – no cost to the student or setting.
• Employers receive £7,000 to support the trainee during their training year. These cover trainee absences due to training and to cover time for a mentor to support the trainee. We will provide mentor training.

The Training Programme 

• The training programme runs from the end of September to end of June and is based on trainees’ practice in their current setting. 
• Trainees attend 16 training days across the year at our training centre, based at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, or occasionally online. 
• Trainees will have a mentor based at their setting (or we can appoint externally), who will meet and observe them once per week to set targets, and write 2 progress reports per term. 
• An external assessor will visit trainees once per term. 
• Trainees will spend 4 weeks over the year in a contrasting setting to ensure they have experience in all age ranges from 0 – 5 years. As part of this, all trainees must observe and lead teaching in a reception class for 2 weeks during their training year, and observe in KS1 and KS2.  This can be in a block or spread over individual days across the year.
• Assessment is through observations of the trainees’ work and they will produce a portfolio of evidence that shows they are meeting and exceeding the Early Years Teachers’ Standards.

Selection Process

• You will be asked to prepare a lesson/activity walk through which you present at interview. This is followed by an interview and written task. Interviews are normally online.

The use of Artificial Intelligence and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) – all written responses will be run through an AI checker

The Department of Education (DfE) outline clear compliance criteria to which all accredited ITT Providers must adhere. In the criteria, there is a section that focuses on ‘Intellectual and academic capabilities’ which states that all candidates need to demonstrate their competence regarding their ‘fundamental proficiency in English’. ITT statutory guidance 2025 to 2026 September 2025 update (publishing.service.gov.uk)

As part of our proficiency checks, Bright Futures SCITT and Lead Partners assess a candidate’s proficiency in written English through the submission of a personal statement on the application form, and a written task which takes place after interview.

Please note, that pre-interview, all personal statements will be run through an AI checker so we strongly encourage all candidates  to write using their own words.

At interview, if the use of AI is detected in the written task, the submission will be discounted and candidates will be offered a final opportunity to submit one further piece, written in their own words. These checks are critical so that ITT Providers have evidence that all candidates have a high level of literacy skills

We appreciate AI has many benefits and can support with workload and well-being, and on our ITT programme we do further explore the effective use of AI, but for interview and compliance purposes the use of AI is strongly discouraged.

Early applications are recommended as places fill up quickly. 

If you are interested in any of our programmes, we’d love to hear from you, or click here to sign up to our next Information Event.

Contact us

admin@scitt.bright-futures.co.uk
Mobile:  07549 025620 (8.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday)

To Apply 

To apply please complete our online form by following the below link.

You will need your GCSE and degree subjects, grades and dates, 2 referees and your work history and dates. 

Please note, you can save this form at any stage by scrolling to the “save and continue” button at the bottom of the page.”