Early Years Educator Apprenticeship

LITTLE ACORNS CHILDREN'S CLUB (UK) LTD

ILFORD ESSEX (IG6 2LA)

Closes on Friday 25 July 2025

Posted on 2 June 2025

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Contents

Summary

We have a fantastic opportunity for an aspiring apprentice to join our team. We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are ambitious and want to gain playworker qualification while getting experience. You'll create meaningful relationships with the children, your team and with parents.

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)

Salary increase opportunities

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday, hours between 8.00am - 6.00pm. Flexible working hours, full time or part time hours available.

30 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 2 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

Supporting children: Providing care, play, and learning activities for children of different ages and developmental stages 
Creating a safe environment: Ensuring the crèche environment is inclusive and appropriate for children's needs and cultural backgrounds.

Communicating with parents: Sharing information about children's needs and progress with parents and carers 
Observing and assessing children: Monitoring children and discussing concerns with a line manager.

Maintaining records: Keeping records of attendance, contact details, and other relevant information.

Attending courses: Participating in courses and meetings to develop skills and knowledge.

Completing tasks: Completing tests, assignments, and other tasks as part of the apprenticeship.

Working with others: Collaborating with colleagues and other professionals to meet children's needs.

Following policies: Adhering to policies and procedures relevant to the work of the setting.

Where you'll work

ST FRANCIS CENTRE
144 FENCEPIECE ROAD
HAINAULT
ILFORD ESSEX
IG6 2LA

Training

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

College or training organisation

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED

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

The programme offers a blended approach including virtual classrooms, webinars, work-based tasks and online assignments
We use an online platform (BUD) that helps you learn the topics and skills, reflect on your practice and build your portfolio.

Candidates are not required to attend college, instead, this will include off the job training hours used throughout this apprenticeship
These OTJH will be within working hours of Employment- e.g., 30+ hours per week = 6 hours per week OTJH, less than 30 hours is 20% OTJH.

You will also receive one-to-one support and tuition from your apprenticeship tutor, this tutor will make in person visits to you at the nursery, or schedule online meetings every 5-6 weeks.

More training information

Best Practice Network is one of the UK’s leading providers of training, development and support for education professionals.
We share the desire of every practitioner that every child, regardless of their background, should benefit from an excellent education.
We do this by working in close partnership with practising education professionals to develop and deliver high-quality CPD and qualifications that help school leaders, teachers, early years practitioners, business managers, support staff and SENCOs be the best they can be and transform the lives of children and young people.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English Language (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 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
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Patience

Other requirements

If you are successful in this role, you will need to complete an enhanced DBS check with through the nursery. A DBS check is used to verify that the person is of good character, has no previous convictions that may make them untrustworthy, and that they do not pose a risk to the safety of other people. It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. Please ensure to check your travel route to the nursery when applying.

About this company

Little Acorns Children’s Club (UK) Ltd is registered as a limited company with Companies House with office at the Parish Hall of St Francis of Assisi Church, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2LA The company runs the Little Acorns Children’s Club, an educational and childcare/development setting consists of a Breakfast Club, Preschool/Nursery, Afterschool Club and a Holiday Club.

https://www.littleacorns-childrensclub.com/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Opportunity to stay with the employer when qualified, training offered from the setting for future career opportunities

After this apprenticeship

You could progress to the Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship and do further training to reach Early Years Teacher Status.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED

Courtney Pring

courtneypring@bestpracticenet.co.uk

0117 235 5256

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000323678.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 25 July 2025

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