Early Years Professional Status

What is Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)?

EYPS is a graduate-level professional accreditation programme for leading practitioners in the early year’s sector – the Early Years Foundation Stage (ages 0-5 years), which is intended to be broadly equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (ages 5 – 18 years).

Since its launch in 2007, EYPS has become recognised as the gold-standard in early years training and the only government endorsed accreditation for the early year’s workforce. The status was changed in September 2013 to be now know as Early Years Teacher.

What is an early years professional (EYPS)?

  • EYPS’s are early years practitioners who can demonstrate they are leading and delivering excellent practice in line with a set of national professional standards and the ethos of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
  • EYPSs are key to raising the quality of early years provision, modelling the skills and behaviours that safeguard children and promoting good outcomes for children.

The status is only awarded to those who can demonstrate that they meet a set of national, professional standards that relate to working with children from birth to five.

It is now well recognised that the first five years of life are critical in children's development. Research has shown that the quality of early year’s provision is higher in those settings that employ graduate trained staff and the positive effects are greater for disadvantaged children. The effects of high quality provision have been shown to be long lasting, improving chances at primary school and beyond. A longitudinal study and research conducted by Oxford University has shown that Early Years Professional have made significant improvements in the quality of provision for pre-school children.

“The Early Years Professional Status is key to raising the quality of early year’s provision.”