Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) Qualification Guidance
To begin an Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) pathway you need GCSEs in maths and English and at least a foundation degree (or a recognised equivalent).
1. GCSEs (or a recognised equivalent)
You will need Grade C or above in English and maths or a recognised equivalent. You will need to show us your certificates. The regulations do not allow us to accept initial results slips or a letter from your school saying you passed your exams.
Recognised equivalents are: |
Achieved |
Requirement Met |
|
|---|---|---|---|
English |
Maths |
||
GCE O, OA, AO Level Pass |
Up to July 1975 |
P |
P |
GCE O, AO, OA Level C or above |
July 1975 onwards |
P |
P |
CSE Grade 1 |
P |
P |
|
GCE A Level (at N or above) |
P |
P |
|
GCSE Equivalence Test |
P |
P |
|
If you have mislaid your certificate you can get a statement of results from the exam board. If your exam board no longer exists, don't worry as another of the boards will have taken your results into their records. Please see overleaf for a list of awarding bodies. You will need to contact the relevant board and let them know where you took the exam and they will tell you if they have your records. The exam board may make a charge for this service.
If you have been admitted to a university/college course that required you to have GCSE equivalence in English/maths, you can get a statement from that university/college to confirm this. An email from the university/college is acceptable or a letter on headed paper. The university/college should write something like:
All students who entered [course title] in [year] were required to hold GCSE or equivalent in English and/or maths at Grade C or above. [Your name] entered this course on [date].
Awarding body |
Former examination boards |
|---|---|
Associated Examining Board |
|
Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (NICCEA) |
Northern Ireland Examinations Board |
East Anglian Examinations Board |
|
East Midland Regional Examinations Board |
|
If you did your exams overseas you need to confirm equivalence between international and UK You need to send your details to NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre) UK. Their website is www.naric.org.uk and telephone number: 01242 260010. They will be able to advise whether a qualification is equivalent to GCSE Grade C or above, we can then take this as confirmation. You must provide us with your NARIC letter, along with copies of the original certificates that you sent to NARIC. academic qualifications.
If you were admitted to Teacher Training in England or Wales from 1984 onwards you do not need to show us GCSE certificates as this was a mandatory requirement at the time - you only need your teacher certification to prove this.
PLEASE NOTE:
Level 2 Key Skills in Literacy & Numeracy or Adult Literacy and Numeracy are not considered GCSE equivalent for this course as the scope of the subject is not considered sufficient.
Equivalence Tests
If none of the above apply to you, you do not need to take a GCSE, but can do an equivalence test. We can supply this for you. Please let our Programme Coordinators know if you would like more information on the equivalency tests offered by Equivalency Testing. There is a fee payable for these tests but if you are on the Short, Long or Full Pathway, Best Practice Network will pay for you to take this test once. You will need someone in your workplace or at a school/college to supervise you in exam conditions. The results will come within a few weeks of taking the test. We recommend you do some revision first. Good refresher tools can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths or www.emaths.co.uk.
Pathway specific information
Validation : You must have a degree, GCSE English and maths at grade C or above (or equivalence) AND your certificates before joining this pathway.
Short EPD: This programme is only 6 months and you will be very busy working on your EYPS standards related work and writing your tasks. You will not have time to take both English & maths equivalence tests. If you need both you need to pass at least one test before starting EYPS.
Long EPD: This 15 months programme offers enough time to take equivalency tests whilst completing EYPS training. However candidates need to start work straight away so the tests are out of the way as soon as possible.
Full Pathway: The 12 months for this pathway will be very full. We suggest candidates take the equivalency test before starting EYPS.
2. Degrees (or a recognised equivalent)
You'll need to have been awarded a degree or a recognised equivalent.
Qualification |
Achieved |
Requirement Met |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Degree |
Foundation |
GCSE English |
GCSE maths |
||
Bachelors / Masters Degree |
P |
||||
Cert Ed |
Before 1980 |
P |
|||
QTS |
From 1984 |
P |
P |
P |
|
Degree with QTS |
From 1984 |
P |
P |
P |
|
PGCE |
P |
P |
P |
||
Foundation Degree |
P |
||||
| a. | Candidates should hold a degree awarded from a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution or recognised overseas equivalent qualification.
A degree comprises a single named degree award consisting of at least 300 HE credit points, of which 60 must be at a level 6 of the national qualifications framework (NQF). The only exception to this is the Cert Ed Pre 1980 - which is accepted as a degree equivalent. |
| b. | For entry onto the Long EPD pathway, the requirements are that candidates should have a Foundation Degree or equivalent qualifications that have attracted 240 CAT points (which need to be recognised and accepted by the HEI offering the top-up course). The required 'top-up' for EYPS equates to a further 60 credits at Level 6, giving candidates a total of 300 points. |
| c. | The NVQ Level 4 is acceptable as a foundation degree equivalent at most institutions, however please check with the university where you are hoping to do your topup. Sometimes additional work may need to be submitted to bridge any gaps between NVQ and foundation degree level, but this varies from institution to institution. If you are unsure of the level of your qualification, please contact the awarding body/college or university who will be able to help you. |
Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) Qualification FAQs
GCSEs
1. What qualifications do I need?
GSCE Grade C or above maths and English or a recognised equivalent.
2. Are other qualifications that are considered equivalent to GSCE Grade C or above accepted?
Yes. The recognised equivalent qualifications are:
- CSE Grade 1
- GCE Pass (up to July l975)
- GCE Grade C and above (July l975 onwards)
- GCE A level at Grade N or above
Please refer to the attached link for Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) guidance on Scottish qualifications: www.tda.gov.uk
3. Are other forms of equivalence to GSCE Grade C and above acceptable?
Yes. For example, a GCSE equivalence test. We can arrange that for you. Or you may have completed one in the past for entry to initial teacher training. Proof of passing this would be accepted.
If you were admitted to initial teacher training in England from 1984 onwards you would not need GCSE certificates as this was a mandatory requirement at the time - you only need your teacher certification to prove that you have GCSE Grade C or above equivalence.
4. I have a CSE Grade 2, is this acceptable?
No, CSEs need to be at Grade 1.
5. I have completed initial teacher training and needed GCSE Grade C or above for that course. I can't now find my GCSE certificates what can I do?
If you did initial teacher training from 1984 onwards you can submit your teaching qualification to us as evidence that you have GCSE Grade C or above equivalent qualification. If you did initial teaching training before 1984 you will have to provide GCSE Grade A-C or equivalent certificates to show you meet this requirement.
6. I achieved my qualifications before GSCE, will these be acceptable?
Yes, if they are the required level. CSE needs to be at Grade 1. GCEs need to be Grade C and above if after 1975. GCEs before that time must state they are passes on the certificate.
7. Are Level 2 certificates in adult numeracy or literacy or application of number accepted?
No. This is because literacy and numeracy are only part of the broader subjects of English and maths. If you have adult numeracy or literacy qualifications you will need to take an equivalence test. However, because you have already demonstrated you can pass the Level 2 tests, you will probably find the equivalence tests straightforward.
8. My qualifications are from a country other than England and Wales. Will they be acceptable?
This needs to be checked. You will need to check this with NARIC who will review your qualifications and send you confirmation of their level, compared with GCSEs. If you did your exams overseas you need to confirm equivalence between international and UK academic qualifications. You need to send your details to NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom). Their website is: www.naric.org.uk and phone 01242 260010. They will be able to advise whether a qualification is equivalent to GCSE Grade C or above and we can then take this as confirmation. You must submit your NARIC letter to us, along with copies of the certificates that you sent to NARIC.
9. Do I have to have the actual certificates?
Yes. You will need to show your tutor your certificates (or statement of results from the exam board as described above) and provide us with a photocopy of each certificate. A results slip is not sufficient. If you have mislaid them, you can contact the awarding body for a statement of results. There will be a charge for this.
10. I can't find my GCSE certificates but I've got a letter from the school where I achieved them. Is this acceptable?
No. We cannot accept written notification from a candidate's school to meet this requirement. You'll either have to send off for a certifying statement of results from the examining body or ask the examining body to write a letter to a third party (i.e. Best Practice Network) stating your qualifications. This is often cheaper but you may find having the actual certificates useful for future job opportunities.
Degrees
11. Is a full degree needed for all EYPS pathways?
For the full training pathway, validation and short extended professional development pathways you need a full degree at ordinary level. For the long extended professional development pathway, the minimum entry requirement is a foundation degree as you will be able to top up to ordinary degree level through that pathway.
12. Do I need an honours degree?
No, the required level is ordinary degree. If you have an honours or masters degree you also meet degree entry requirements.
13. Is a degree from another country acceptable?
This needs to be checked. You will need to check this with NARIC who will review your qualifications and send you confirmation of the level. If you did your exams overseas you need to confirm equivalence between international and UK academic qualifications. You need to send your details to NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom). Their website is: www.naric.org.uk and phone 01242 260010. They will be able to advise whether a qualification is equivalent to a UK degree and we can then take this as confirmation. You must submit your NARIC letter to us, along with copies of the certificates that you sent to NARIC.
14. I have a Level 6 qualification that is not a degree, is that acceptable?
You need to have been awarded a degree. You may be able to talk to the university where you achieved the qualification to see if they will award you credits towards a degree with your existing qualification.
15. I have a professional qualification that is considered to be at degree level. Will it be accepted?
Unless you have been awarded a degree, this will not meet entry requirements for EYPS. Your qualification must be a degree equivalent qualification rather than a qualification at Level 6 (or degree level) to be accepted.
16. Does my Level 7 qualification gained through CATS (credit accumulation and transfers) count as a degree, even though I haven't actually been awarded one?
No. Some degrees are awarded on the basis of different CATS points that have been collected - however final degree awards in these cases have been made. The 'collection of CATS' points in most cases cannot be drawn from a host of entirely unrelated subjects. Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) do not feel that they can be assured of EYPS being a 'graduate status' if no degree has been awarded. There are some exceptions to this (eg. NVQ Level 5) which are not necessarily degrees but recognised equivalents. Level 7 qualifications short of degree award cannot be accepted as recognised equivalents because they can be made up of various numbers of masters level points which are not recognisable as degrees in themselves.
17. My university will give me a letter saying I have achieved 300 credits. They will award a degree once I have achieved honours, is this enough?
No. The university must award a degree before you can be assessed for EYPS. Best Practice Network is discussing this issue with partner universities to ensure they are clear about the requirement to award a degree.