Childcare Apprentice
Croft Corner Forest School Nursery
Sheffield (S7 2LQ)
Closes in 14 days (Monday 25 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 11 August 2025
Contents
Summary
Opportunity for an apprentice to make their way into the childcare industry whilst gaining experience and receiving a L2 qualification. Ensure a high standard of care for children by being aware of and providing for their individual needs. You will join in with play and help to create a stimulating atmosphere in which children will learn.
- Wage
-
£14,133.60 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
Working hours between 7.30am - 6.00pm.
Shifts and days to be confirmed.
36 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 8 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
- Ensure a high standard of care for children by being aware of and providing for their individual needs
- Assist senior staff to implement the Early Years Foundation Stage and become familiar with its contents
- Contribute to observations and planning learning for children using our online learning journal, this will be carried out under the supervision of senior staff
- Contribute to a program of activities suitable for the age and developmental stage of the children in your room
- Act as a good role model to the children in your care
- Have respect for the diversity and differing needs of all children and contribute to a high-quality environment which meets their individual needs
- Create a clean, warm and safe environment for the children in our care
- Be polite and supportive to children’s parents and other family members
- Offer help and assistance whenever possible. Be part of having good relationships with parents
- Be aware of the key principles of safeguarding and child protection and be diligent in ensuring the safety of all children
- Always inform senior staff if you are in any way concerned about the welfare of a child
- Keep all information regarding children strictly confidential. This relates to any information that you see, hear or read, which must be discussed only with senior members of staff
- Ensure that all toys and equipment provided for children is clean and safe for them to use
- Use appropriate language around children and learn to skilfully interact with children
- Join in with play and help to create a stimulating atmosphere in which children will learn
Where you'll work
Holy Trinity Parish Centre
61 Dobcroft Road
Sheffield
S7 2LQ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SHEFFIELD COLLEGE, THE
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
- Early Years Practitioner Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard
- Functional Skills (if required)
- Including End Point Assessment
- Including 1 day per week at college
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade A*-C or 9-4)
- Maths (grade A*-C or 9-4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
About this employer
Forest nursery is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements.
After this apprenticeship
- Possibility of full-time employment subject to successful completion of the apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SHEFFIELD COLLEGE, THE
Alice Mee
alice.mee@sheffcol.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336564.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Monday 25 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.