Early years teacher status: constraints, implications and reforms required for a twenty-first-century early years workforce

This article arose from teaching Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) Students both undergraduate and postgraduate, and working alongside EYTS Mentors who viewed the roles through varied lenses. The impact of student feedback, their experience and observations on practice prompted this review of EYTS, their professional status and professional reflections. The research focused around a quantitative and qualitative approach based on data collected from the EYTS community and providers from across the sector. This small-scale action research project examined beliefs, assumptions and individual perspectives about the EYTS role through interviews. Research findings highlight this workforce is at risk of losing its Early Years identity through mixed perceptions of what the role is and purpose of the qualification. Findings reveal that Early Years Teachers (EYTs) are employed as unqualified teachers in the sector leading some to qualify further to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to obtain teacher pay and conditions.