Early Years Apprentice

Summary

Cally Smith Childcare offers a Level 3 early years apprentice position. Gain qualifications and experience in a cosy home-like setting. Assist with record keeping and more. As part of a team, you will also contribute to food preparation; cleaning after meals including the kitchen; keeping all areas setting clean; gardening.

Wage

£11,778 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Thursday, 8.00am - 5.30pm.

30 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

Cally Smith Childcare is a childcare setting that is run from our family home in Brompton on Swale. Cally Smith is a registered childminder who is passionate about her early years.

The setting is open Monday - Thursday, 8.00am - 5.30pm, 48 weeks a year. We care for children from birth to 8 years old.We are looking for a hardworking, passionate and reliable individual who can use their own initiative. Applicants should be fun, creative, calm and well-presented but most importantly have a passion for early years.

You will be registered as a childminding assistant and key responsibilities will include:

Providing a safe, caring and educational environment, both indoors and outdoors, where children are happy, secure, relaxed and have opportunities for challenge
Delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in line with the setting ethos
Planning age-appropriate activities, in line with children’s interests & the curriculum and delivering those activities
Working in line with the settings policies and procedures ensuring they are put into practice, including knowing how to deal with child protection/safeguarding issues appropriately and how to respond to incidents, accidents, complaints and emergencies
Assisting with record keeping, including daily attendance registers, accident records, cleaning schedules & risk assessments
Observing children and recording their progress in their digital learning journals
Interacting with children & their parents or carers in a warm, positive manner
Ensuring the care needs of children are met at all times including; changing nappies, attending to toileting needs, feeding babies, assisting at mealtimes, changing children’s clothes where
needed
Accompanying staff and children on outings
Being responsible for any tasks delegated by the Manager & Deputy Manager
Ensuring proper maintenance and high standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety of toys & equipment in use. E.g., cleansing of equipment, laundry, keeping up to date with health and safety requirements
Undertaking appropriate continuous professional development in fulfilling the requirements of the Apprenticeship Scheme, this includes attending College on a weekly basis, completing all
academic aspects of the apprenticeship, attending supervision meetings with the manager, attending staff meetings and planning and carrying out work-based assessments with the assessor
As part of a team, you will also contribute to preparing healthy meals & snacks; clearing away after meals; keeping the kitchen clean and tidy; keeping all areas of the setting clean including
vacuuming, dusting & mopping; gardening, including growing my own vegetables on our allotment; following strict deep cleaning lists to ensure the highest standards within the setting

Applicants must:

Have a genuine love for babies & young children
Be positive, outgoing and have the ability to work as a team
Be motivated to enhance children’s learning & development experiences
Be driven to go above and beyond to build your professional knowledge
Be able to follow lists and schedules
Have good spoken and written English
Have excellent communication skills
Love the outdoors & be happy outside all year round in all weather
Be willing to undertake any training required by management (cost to be covered by the employer)
Should be able to work flexible hours within the opening times

In return, you will be an integral part of the setting & family and will form part of a fantastic, friendly team who are dedicated to delivering the highest standards of early years education in a rewarding environment.

Where you'll work

22 STEPHENSON ROAD
BROMPTON ON SWALE
RICHMOND
DL10 7TP

Training

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

College or training organisation

DARLINGTON COLLEGE

Your training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Recognise when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
Advocate for all children’s needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
Promote and facilitate children’s interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child’s voice.
Apply strategies that support children’s ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and interests.
Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.
Recognise when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
Advocate for all children’s needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
Promote and facilitate children’s interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child’s voice.
Apply strategies that support children’s ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and interests.
Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.

Your training plan

Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard:

Apprentices must successfully complete a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification

Please refer to the DfE list of approved EYE qualifications:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eyfs-staffchild-ratios-dfe-approved-qualifications

Apprentices without Level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking their end point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirements are Entry Level 3, and the British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for apprentices for whom this is their primary language
Apprentices must successfully complete the Apprentices must successfully complete a first aid qualification in line with the requirements of the EYFS Framework (Annex A): Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Location: Brompton on Swale.

Working 4 days a week, including training time at Darlington College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths and English (grade A*-C/9-4)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Team working
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience

About this company

Cally Smith Childcare is a childcare setting that is run from our family home in Brompton on Swale. Cally Smith is a registered childminder who is passionate about early years. The setting is open Mon-Thur 8.00am-5.30pm, 48 weeks a year. We care for children from birth to 8 years old.

After this apprenticeship

After completion of your apprenticeship, a long-term position will be considered.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DARLINGTON COLLEGE

Nagina Patrai

NPatrai@darlington.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000322507.

Apply now

Closes in 28 days (Friday 4 July 2025 at 11:59pm)

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