View in EDS

Evaluation of the Expansion of Funded Early Years Initial Teacher Training. Research Report

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Evaluation of the Expansion of Funded Early Years Initial Teacher Training. Research Report
Language: English
Authors: Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom), IFF Research
Source: UK Department for Education. 2025.
Availability: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 87
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Early Childhood Teachers, Educational Finance, Financial Support, Program Effectiveness, Outcomes of Education, Student Financial Aid, Incentives, Program Improvement, Faculty Mobility, Employment Opportunities, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
ISBN: 978-1-83870-664-7
Abstract: The Department for Education (DfE) developed the Early Years Education Recovery (EYER) programme to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the programme, DfE committed £153 million for the development of high-quality professional development of early years practitioners. One element of this was the funding of additional places for Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) courses. EYITT is a Level 6 qualification which leads to Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), run by universities and school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) organisations. EYITT provides specialist training covering the education and care of children from birth to the age of five and is distinct from primary education. In April 2023, DfE commissioned IFF Research to evaluate the effectiveness of the increased number of funded EYITT places. This report outlines the findings from that evaluation, which was conducted using the development of a Theory of Change, baseline and follow-up surveys of two cohorts of EYITT trainees, qualitative interviews with EYITT providers, trainees, and managers of those that took the course, and secondary data analysis of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census, ITT Performance Profiles and the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers (SCEYP). Findings show the number of trainees who took up EYITT increased during the same time period that DfE increased the number of funded places. Filling places was a bigger challenge for university providers, whereas SCITTs were able to fill their courses with greater ease. The intended short-term outcome of an increased number of Early Years Teachers within the early years workforce, and an increased number of settings with a graduate, has been partially realised. The majority of trainees stayed in the same setting they were in before training, which tended to be private, voluntary and independent (PVI), but impacts on retention in the sector are unclear based on the currently available data. Providers identified various challenges and suggestions for increasing take up of the course, relating to wider sector issues, and issues related more closely to the course. Challenges included difficulties releasing staff onto the course, pay in the sector, course eligibility, the perceived lack of value of the qualification for progression, and a lack of awareness about the course. Suggested solutions to these challenges put forward by research participants included increasing pay in the sector, increasing employer funding, and DfE raising awareness of the course.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676809
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED676809
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED676809
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Evaluation of the Expansion of Funded Early Years Initial Teacher Training. Research Report
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Department+for+Education+%28DfE%29+%28United+Kingdom%29%22">Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22IFF+Research%22">IFF Research</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22UK+Department+for+Education%22"><i>UK Department for Education</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 87
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preservice+Teacher+Education%22">Preservice Teacher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Teachers%22">Early Childhood Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Support%22">Financial Support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Financial+Aid%22">Student Financial Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Incentives%22">Incentives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Improvement%22">Program Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Mobility%22">Faculty Mobility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Opportunities%22">Employment Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink>
– Name: ISBN
  Label: ISBN
  Group: ISBN
  Data: 978-1-83870-664-7
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The Department for Education (DfE) developed the Early Years Education Recovery (EYER) programme to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the programme, DfE committed £153 million for the development of high-quality professional development of early years practitioners. One element of this was the funding of additional places for Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) courses. EYITT is a Level 6 qualification which leads to Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), run by universities and school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) organisations. EYITT provides specialist training covering the education and care of children from birth to the age of five and is distinct from primary education. In April 2023, DfE commissioned IFF Research to evaluate the effectiveness of the increased number of funded EYITT places. This report outlines the findings from that evaluation, which was conducted using the development of a Theory of Change, baseline and follow-up surveys of two cohorts of EYITT trainees, qualitative interviews with EYITT providers, trainees, and managers of those that took the course, and secondary data analysis of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census, ITT Performance Profiles and the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers (SCEYP). Findings show the number of trainees who took up EYITT increased during the same time period that DfE increased the number of funded places. Filling places was a bigger challenge for university providers, whereas SCITTs were able to fill their courses with greater ease. The intended short-term outcome of an increased number of Early Years Teachers within the early years workforce, and an increased number of settings with a graduate, has been partially realised. The majority of trainees stayed in the same setting they were in before training, which tended to be private, voluntary and independent (PVI), but impacts on retention in the sector are unclear based on the currently available data. Providers identified various challenges and suggestions for increasing take up of the course, relating to wider sector issues, and issues related more closely to the course. Challenges included difficulties releasing staff onto the course, pay in the sector, course eligibility, the perceived lack of value of the qualification for progression, and a lack of awareness about the course. Suggested solutions to these challenges put forward by research participants included increasing pay in the sector, increasing employer funding, and DfE raising awareness of the course.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: ERIC
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED676809
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED676809
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 87
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Preservice Teacher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Financial Support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Financial Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Incentives
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Improvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Mobility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Opportunities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Evaluation of the Expansion of Funded Early Years Initial Teacher Training. Research Report
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: IFF Research
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 978-1-83870-664-7
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: UK Department for Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1