Early Years Educator Apprenticeship

TIPTREE PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP

Colchester (CO5 0ND)

Closes in 12 days (Friday 27 June 2025)

Posted on 13 June 2025

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Summary

We are looking for fun-loving, hard-working, dedicated individual to join our preschool. The apprentice will play a vital role in providing high-quality care and education to children in our setting. This position requires a strong commitment to nurturing children's development and creating a safe, engaging environment where they can thrive.

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, 8:30am - 3:30pm, with a 20 minute break. 30 - 35 hours a week.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 8 September 2025

Duration

1 year 9 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

  • Provide attentive and compassionate care for children aged 2-4 years, ensuring their safety and well-being at all times.
  • Plan and implement engaging activities that promote early childhood education and development, focusing on physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth.
  • Manage daily preschool operations, including maintaining cleanliness and organisation of the nursery environment.
  • Foster positive relationships with children, encouraging their curiosity and exploration through play-based learning.
  • Communicate effectively with parents regarding their child's progress and any concerns that may arise, building strong partnerships with families.
  • Collaborate with team members to create a supportive atmosphere that enhances the overall nursery experience for both children and staff.
  • Maintain accurate records of children's development.

Where you'll work

Townsend Road
Tiptree
Colchester
CO5 0ND

Training

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

College or training organisation

COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

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 apprentice will be working towards the Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard including a paediatric first aid qualification.
  • Apprentices will receive tutor support throughout the programme from an assessor and class tuition will be arranged on an individual basis.
  • Resources will be accessed via an online e-learning platform.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

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

Other in:

Early Years (grade Pass)

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
  • Initiative
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

We are open term time only and holiday pay is paid 5.6 weeks during the summer holidays.

About this company

We are a charity-based preschool. The candidate will be expected to support any fund-raising events. We have 2 settings in Tiptree.

After this apprenticeship

Once the Apprenticeship is completed then where possible we will offer any future vacancies to the candidate.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

COLCHESTER INSTITUTE

Colchester Institute - Apprenticeship Team

ci.apprenticeships@colchester.ac.uk

01206 712043

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000325614.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Friday 27 June 2025)

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After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.