Early Years Educator Apprenticeship

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

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Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8.00am to 6.00pm.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 6 October 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

Applicant will work alongside qualified teachers and nursery educators to create, develop, and implement core lesson plans to meet the individual and specific emotional, educational, social and cognitive requirements of children from ages of 3 months to 8 years.
To use Lesson Plans to motivate and stimulate children's learning and play.
Keep an accurate record of children’s development and to monitor children’s progress through observation as a group and one–on–one involvement in child-centred activities as delegated and self-directed as an apprentice.
Applicant will work in partnership with parents/carer and to have deep insight into organising each day’s activities that provide children with a variety of experience, opportunities aimed at developing children’s curiosity, initiative and problem – solving skills.
To attend lectures or carry out self-directed learning as may be required for the apprentice training and development.
To work as a decisive team member and be part of the team working collaboratively with colleagues and parents at all times.
To engage in team building training/in-house inset training as required for the staff.
To maintain the classroom's hygienic environment by cleaning after the children when a spillage occurs, thereby protecting them from any preventable accidents such as falling over resources or others.
To serve meals and drinks to the children.
To take children out to the local park if weather permits or use the nursery garden's outdoors twice a day.
To be punctual to work.

Where you'll work

116
Norwood Road
Herne Hill
London
SE24 9BB

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

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English Language (grade 4)
Maths (grade 4)

BTEC in:

Health & Social Care (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
Non judgemental
Patience

Other requirements

Closed for Christmas yearly and allowing staff to celebrate Christmas / new year with loved ones for 7 working days excluding bank holidays. (Staff's annual leave are used if they wish to cover these holiday.) We are an equal opportunity employer. We believe in helping staff to achieve their qualifications at the end of their agreement with us.

About this company

There is a sense of warmth when you come into our secured nursery school. Trust is our motto between our nursery staff and the parents. We maintain ratios in line with Ofsted Standard. Our primary consideration in the day to day running of our services is your child’s safety and security. We have established safety measures to respond to emergencies and refer cases beyond our control to other professionals with your expressed permission and consent. Our classrooms have high-quality, educational, hands-on Montessori materials. In this safe and nurturing environment, learning and growth are free to blossom with independence and freedom within limits and a sense of order.

https://cutekidsmontessori.com/ (opens in new tab)

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 VAC1000324868.

Apply now

Closes on Tuesday 30 September 2025

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