Childcare Apprenticeship - Christchurch

DELL COTTAGE DAY NURSERY LTD

Christchurch (BH23 5QG)

Closes on Tuesday 23 September 2025

Posted on 7 August 2025

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Contents

Summary

Dell Cottage Day Nursery are looking for a new Nursery Assistant Apprentice, you will be studying toward your Early Years Practitioner L2 / L3 Dependent on experience.

Wage

£11,778 to £19,047.60, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

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Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday- Friday (Shifts Range Between 8am- 6pm)

30 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 30 September 2025

Duration

1 year 3 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

As an Early Years apprentice, you will be working towards being able to deliver on the following: 

  • Ensuring a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual education and care for all children
  • Following the requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage welfare requirement
  • Working as part of a team, encourage positive attitudes between staff and children at all times
  • Acting as key person for a small group of children keeping records, setting individual targets, regularly updating and assessing progress and recording observations in line with the
  • Early Years Foundation Stage, whilst liaising closely with parents/ carers to ensure each child’s individual needs are met
  • Implementing the daily routine at Dell Cottage and assist with the curriculum planning for each topic
  • Helping to set up the nursery if in on an early start, ensuring activities are set up and daily information slips are filled out
  • Ensuring that daily activities are planned, take place and evaluated, ensuring each activity encourages development whilst linking in with the Early Years Foundation Stage
  • To be familiar with and implement the policies and procedures and keep confidential any information regarding any children and their families or other staff members
  • Use daily diary to record any unusual or out of the ordinary comments on a daily basis
  • To advise the Manager/Deputy Manager/Supervisor of any concerns in the nursery as soon as possible

Where you'll work

Dell Cottage Nursery, 76 Walkford Road
Christchurch
BH23 5QG

Training

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

Training provider

PARAGON EDUCATION & SKILLS 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 and significant events. 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 provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
  • Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’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 the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious 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 or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes 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 appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes 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, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’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 graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing 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 and mentoring 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 or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
  • Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. 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 provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
  • Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
  • Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’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 the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious 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 or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
  • Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes 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 appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
  • Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes 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, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’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 graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing 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 and mentoring 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 or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
  • Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
  • Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.

Training schedule

Paragon Skills is a leading national Apprenticeship training provider, supporting over 4,000 learners and 1,500 organisations. Paragon Skills has some of the highest success and achievement rates in the industry.

It has an Ofsted Grade 2 Good rating and an overall achievement rate of 71.4%, exceeding the national average of 65.6%. Using a blended approach, learners are always at the forefront of our priorities. All learners are assigned a Personal Tutor who will be their main point of contact.

This involves regular catch-ups, check-in emails and calls. Your employer will agree to give you 20% of your working hours solely towards your study.

This will give you every chance to achieve the highest grade possible! On completion of this 12 month apprenticeship you will have gained; Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

  • Maths (grade Pass)
  • English (grade Pass)

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

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

The closing date guidance, if a successful candidate is found before the advertised dates, the advert will close early.

About this employer

The nursery is divided into 2 age groups. The Yellow room, over 2-3's  occupy the ground floor. On the ground floor there is a Purple  area dedicated to play, a Blue area (imaginative) and orange area, (messy play) and the Yellow are in the main  room. ​The Purple Room is for the under 2's. This is upstairs and comprises of a Blue room (activity) and a large sleep area/quite room, office and staff room We have a  very large safe, secure garden giving the children an ideal space to play and develop their motor skills while learning to compete and interact by joining organised games. We also have a special area where children can grow their own flowers, vegetables and herbs. Our manager Rachael's dogs Skye and Simba come to the nursery everyday. They are part of the Dell family and are never left alone unsupervised with the children.

After this apprenticeship

  • There may be an opportunity to become employed full-time upon the successful completion of the Apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

PARAGON EDUCATION & SKILLS LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336154.

Apply now

Closes on Tuesday 23 September 2025

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