Early Years Apprentice

PIXIES DAY NURSERY AND PIXIES TOO LTD

SOUTHAMPTON (SO31 6NS)

Closes in 25 days (Sunday 7 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 12 August 2025

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Contents

Summary

Are you looking to train in childcare? A friendly, local preschool in Locks Heath is looking for an Early Years Apprentice to join their team in their 2-3's room. The successful candidate will work and interact directly with children on a day-to-day basis, supporting the planning of and delivery of activities.

Wage

£14,918.80 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 - Friday. Hours to be discussed.

38 hours a week

Start date

Monday 8 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 contribute to a high-quality caring environment for children.

This includes:

  • Creating a warm, friendly and stimulating atmosphere in which the children can develop emotionally, socially and educationally
  • Under supervision, you will provide all aspects of care for children, including washing, changing and feeding
  • Acting as a key worker to a small group of children and recording observations and planning for them
  • Assisting with meeting the personal and emotional needs of individual children
  • Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
  • Being aware of the nursery's policies and procedures and ensuring they are adhered to
  • Completing all work to the desired timescales as set by Showcase Tutor

Where you'll work

39 LOCKS ROAD
LOCKS HEATH
SOUTHAMPTON
SO31 6NS

Training

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

Training provider

SHOWCASE TRAINING LTD

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

Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard:

  • NCFE/CACHE Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner
  • Functional Skills in English and maths to at level 1 minimum (unless exempt)
  • Training completed via work-based visits at the nursery and 4 hour of study time provided for coursework

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4 or C and above)
  • Maths (grade 4 or C and above)

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
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

Please check that you can travel to this employer on a daily basis before applying.

About this employer

PiXieS operate from 3 rooms – babies, 2-3’s, and preschool and have recently branched out to offer a sessional preschool and our very own Pb’s School’s Out Club – offering breakfast, after school club and holiday club for school children up to the age of 8 years old. We are open Monday – Friday, 7:30 – 18:00, 51 weeks of the year except bank holidays and Christmas. We have a large garden which has been significantly landscaped to provide an enchanting outside area for all age groups to enjoy. Following recent developments this now includes a mud kitchen, growing area, and a variety of enticing activities to encourage all areas of the children’s development.

https://www.pixies.co.uk/locks-heath/contact-us/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Upon completing Level 2, you may be offered the opportunity to progress to Level 3 or a full-time position and further training

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SHOWCASE TRAINING LTD

James Sproat

james.sproat@showcasetraining.co.uk

07715658042

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336816.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Sunday 7 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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