early years initial teacher (EYITT) training from April.
About 40 providers are currently accredited to offer Early Years Teacher Status at higher education institutions and school-centred ITT across England.
Ofsted said this was part of a drive to help raise standards in nurseries and early years settings.
Early years teachers with EYTS have to meet the same entry requirements as those applying to become primary school teachers.
Ofsted currently inspects initial teacher training in the primary, secondary, and further education phases. However, this is the first time that early years initial teacher training will be inspected.
Ofsted will update the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) inspection handbook before it begins to inspect early years initial teacher training providers in April.
The early years initial teacher training phase will be subject to the same two-stage process, as in other phases, in that inspectors will check on the quality of training and the trainees’ teaching in the summer term. There will be a second stage in the autumn term when inspectors will see how well early years teachers were prepared by their training to teach in a range of early years settings where they work.
Nikki Fairchild, EYITT Programme Co-ordinator at the University of Chichester, said that she had been working closely with colleagues in the university’s Institute of Education to ensure the Early Years Initial Teacher Training programme aligned to other Initial Teacher Training programmes offered and to consider the requirements should Ofsted be appointed.
Ms Fairchild said, ‘We will continue to work closely with the Institute of Education to make sure that we fit with Ofsted’s requirements and are ready for inspection. It follows that Ofsted were likely to be our inspectors given that we’re now delivering Early Years Initial Teacher Training. Ofsted already covered inspection for teacher training in primary and secondary teaching, and this is extending its remit to add another age phase.’
Part of the alignment was to build on the local partnerships held and to work with the sector in the recruitment, design and assessment of the teacher trainees.
‘We’ve also built and extended our partnerships with local schools and nurseries who participated in the recruitment of trainees for EYITT, they also fed back on the programme design and assessment of the trainees and continue to work with us to support placements and those currently in training.'
Jo Morgan, Ofsted’s national director for initial teacher education, said, ‘Early years teachers have a very important role. They help to create a culture in which young children can learn through play, and begin to get used to a structured day. This means they will be more ready to learn when they begin primary school.
‘As Ofsted’s early years annual report identified, young children’s progress depends on the quality of early education and childcare they receive.
‘It is crucial then that early years teacher training is of the highest quality possible. I am confident that these inspections will help to enhance the quality of training for early years teachers.'
