Early Years Apprentice

THE OLD STATION NURSERY LTD

Grantham Close (SG8 5WY)

Closes in 31 days (Friday 29 August 2025)

Posted on 28 July 2025

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Contents

Summary

Looking for a career in childcare? Sunhill Day Nursery, part of the Old Station Nursery Group, believe in creating brighter futures for every child in their care by providing the very best care and learning environment to the children so that they are ready for every stage of learning. Lots of great benefits including Perkbox and your birthday off!

Wage

£15,704 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 practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday - shifts to be agreed at offer stage

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

1 year

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

At The Old Station Nursery, our top priority is ensuring that every child feels safe, happy, and supported in our care. We aim to nurture a lifelong love of learning and help each child build the confidence to succeed in all that follows. Our mission is to inspire, nurture, and innovate—creating brighter futures together. We are always looking for enthusiastic, passionate, and hard-working individuals to join our team. As an Early Years Apprentice, you will work towards a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner qualification while supporting the nursery’s daily routines and working collaboratively with staff.

This role is 30 hours per week over four days. Key responsibilities include assisting with activities, supporting mealtimes, building positive relationships with children, and helping to maintain a high-quality, inclusive environment. You will also develop a strong understanding of child development and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), while contributing to the health, safety, and hygiene standards across the nursery. In return, we offer a 52% childcare discount (subject to terms), a day off for your birthday, continuous opportunities for personal development and qualifications, free staff uniform, a £100 referral reward, and 31 days of paid holiday including national Bank Holidays and a full week off at Christmas.

You’ll also enjoy access to Perkbox, which offers a wide range of discounts and deals on food and drink, tech and electronics, home and garden, health and beauty, entertainment, and more—helping you save on the things that matter most to you.

Where you'll work

Grantham Close
SG8 5WY

Training

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

Training provider

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

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.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 work setting and during off site visits.relating to both children and staff
  • Demonstrate skills and understanding for the prevention and control of infection, including hand washing, food preparation and hygiene, dealing with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and setting’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 settings by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy and balanced 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/complimentary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty/toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children in ways that will be understood, including 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 communication methods to exchange information with children and adults.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan enabling environments, activities (both indoors and outdoors), play opportunities and educational programmes (both adult led and child initiated) 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, sharing results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory framework and setting’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 assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing (the graduated approach) 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, mentoring and/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 and/or carers and recognise their role in the baby’s/child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents and/or carers to take an active role in the baby’s/child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents/carers about the importance of healthy balanced diets, looking after teeth and being physically active.
  • Support babies and young children through a range of transitions.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 work setting and during off site visits.relating to both children and staff
  • Demonstrate skills and understanding for the prevention and control of infection, including hand washing, food preparation and hygiene, dealing with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and setting’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 settings by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy and balanced 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/complimentary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty/toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children in ways that will be understood, including 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 communication methods to exchange information with children and adults.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan enabling environments, activities (both indoors and outdoors), play opportunities and educational programmes (both adult led and child initiated) 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, sharing results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory framework and setting’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 assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing (the graduated approach) 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, mentoring and/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 and/or carers and recognise their role in the baby’s/child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents and/or carers to take an active role in the baby’s/child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents/carers about the importance of healthy balanced diets, looking after teeth and being physically active.

Training schedule

Your full role and responsibilities will be set out by your employer. They will provide you with all of the on-the-job training you need to up-skill in your role, and your 20% off-the-job learning will be incorporated as part of your working day.

You will be working towards the Level 2 Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship standard, which includes:
• Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
• Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Qualification
• Functional skills in Maths and English if required
This will be delivered by your dedicated training provider, Realise.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths and English (grade Grade 3)

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

Skills

  • Communication Skills
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Logical
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

DBS required

About this employer

The Old Station Nursery Group was established in 2002 when we opened our very first nursery. Since then, the company has grown steadily, creating a similar feeling and ethos in each setting while nourishing each nursery’s unique strengths. The Old Station Nursery Group comprises of 79 exceptional nurseries across the UK. Every year, Nursery World releases a Nursery Chains article which ranks nursery groups in size. We are proud to announce that we are ranked at 13 in this league.

After this apprenticeship

We believe in creating brighter futures for our people; as we work with, train, progress and develop our team through professional development.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000334216.

Apply now

Closes in 31 days (Friday 29 August 2025)

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