Early Years Educator Apprentice

The Little Acorns Nursery

WILMSLOW (SK9 3JZ)

Closes in 24 days (Tuesday 26 August 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 23 April 2025


Summary

Do you want to be part of an outstanding Nursery? At Little Acorns Day Nursery we are keen to employ the ‘right person’. Personality, enthusiasm and ambition are the most important qualities within our practitioners. You will receive a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship Qualification.

Wage

£16,640 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Paid breaks and lunch

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday - Shifts TBC during interview.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • Working with children in the setting and on outings
  • Ensuring the safety and security of children in the setting
  • Promoting the children's learning and enjoyment through provocations and invitations to play
  • Supporting children's care routines
  • Supporting meal and sleep times
  • Helping to prepare, carry out and clear away a wide range of childcare activities from outdoor play to creative activities and reading stories
  • To supervise and support children's play extending their interests and ensuring they feel safe and secure at all times

Where you'll work

223 WILMSLOW ROAD
HANDFORTH
WILMSLOW
SK9 3JZ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MACCLESFIELD COLLEGE

Training course

Early years practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
  • Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
  • Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
  • Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
  • Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
  • Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
  • Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
  • Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
  • Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
  • Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
  • Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
  • Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
  • Use learning activities to support early language development.
  • Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
  • Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
  • Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
  • Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
  • Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
  • Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
  • Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
  • Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
  • Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
  • Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
  • Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
  • Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
  • Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
  • Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
  • Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
  • Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
  • Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
  • Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
  • Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
  • Use learning activities to support early language development.
  • Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
  • Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
  • Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
  • Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
  • Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
  • Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
  • Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.

Training schedule

  • Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship Qualification
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Functional Skills in English and maths if required

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

  • English (grade 5/C+)
  • Maths (grade 5/C+)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Patience
  • Enthusiastic
  • Ambitious
  • Passionate

About this employer

About Little Acorns We understand that children learn more in their first years than at any other time but they must enjoy their environment and learn through play. When a child attends our nursery their days will be filled with fun, laughter, love and excitement. Whilst attending our nursery the children will follow the ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ which is the current welfare standards and learning framework for children from birth to 5 years. This framework is designed to nurture children’s progression and recognises each child as an individual. Development is monitored and recorded by a child’s ‘Key Person’. This involves the completion of on-going observational assessments which inform planning for each child’s continuing development through play based activities. Learning Journeys are also initiated when a child enters the nursery, noting all their significant achievements until they leave us to start school. Although these profiles remain confidential to others, they are available for parents to see upon request.

http://www.little-acorns-nursery.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

After completion of your apprenticeship, you will potentially have the opportunity to progress onto full-time positions within the business.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MACCLESFIELD COLLEGE

Maxim Business Training

apprenticeshiprecruitment@macclesfield.ac.uk

+441625410022

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000316735.

Apply now

Closes in 24 days (Tuesday 26 August 2025 at 11:59pm)

Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.