Early Years Apprenticeship

Old Macdonald's Day Nursery - Bovingdon

Hemel Hempstead (HP3 0JW)

Closes in 31 days (Monday 15 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 14 August 2025

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Contents

Summary

Old MacDonald's, Bovingdon, have an exciting opportunity for an apprentice with a passion for Early Years to join their team. This role would be a great chance to develop your career. You will help to provide an engaging and caring environment for children to reach their full potential whilst working towards a level 2 or 3 EYE Qualification.

Wage

£17,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary will be discussed in more detail at interview - depending on age/experience

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
All of our sites are open 7.30am - 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Shifts will be discussed at interview.

40 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 1 October 2025

Duration

1 year 2 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

 Purpose of post:

  • To ensure a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for all children in their care
  • To ensure all children are safeguarded and their welfare and safety is promoted
  • To give support to other team members within their immediate room and within the wider nursery
  • To work as part of a team in order to provide an enabling environment in which all individual children can play, learn and develop

Duties and responsibilities:

  • Operate a programme of activities that meet the individual needs and interests of children in your area in conjunction with other team members
  • To keep records of your key children’s development and learning journeys and share this with parents, carers and other key adults in the child’s life
  • To follow the nursery safeguarding procedure to ensure all children are kept safe, well and secure
  • Support all staff and engage in a good staff team
  • Liaise with and support parents and other family members
  • To be involved in out of working hours activities, e.g. training, monthly staff meetings, parent evening, fundraising events etc.
  • To be flexible within working practices of the nursery. Be prepared to help where needed, including to undertake certain domestic jobs within the nursery, e.g. preparation of snack meals, cleansing of equipment, etc.
  • Work alongside the Manager and staff team to ensure that the nursery’s philosophy is fulfilled
  • Read, understand and adhere to all policies and procedures relevant to your role as deemed appropriate by the Manager
  • Liaising with practitioners to record accidents in the accident book correctly. Ensure the Duty Manager has initialled the report before parents receive it
  • Look upon the nursery, as a “whole” where can your help be most utilised? Be constantly aware of the individual needs of all children
  • Ensure someone known and agreed by the nursery and parent collects the child
  • To respect the confidentiality of all information received

Specific childcare tasks:

  • The preparation and completion of activities to suit each individual child's stage of development and interests
  • To develop your role within the team, especially with regard as a key person
  • To ensure that mealtimes are a time of pleasant social sharing 
  • Washing and changing children as required
  • To ensure good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times
  • Ensuring a poorly child is kept calm and warm, and management is notified immediately
  • To develop and maintain strong partnerships and communications with parents/carers to facilitate day-to-day caring and early learning needs
  • To ensure the provision of a high-quality environment to meet the needs of individual children regardless of any disabilities, family backgrounds or medical history
  • To be aware of the high profile of the nursery and to uphold its standards at all times, both within work hours and outside.
  • Ensuring that the policies of the company are observed, and that  good practises are encouraged, particularly in the areas of Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities, and confidentiality

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by the organisation, which are relevant to your post within the company, to meet the overall business objectives.

Where you'll work

Darley Ash Farm
Chipperfield, Bovingdon
Hemel Hempstead
HP3 0JW

Training

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

Training provider

C.M.S. VOCATIONAL TRAINING 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

  • Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard
  • Functional skills in maths and English (if required)
  • All training will be delivered on-line with 1:1 tutor support and independent learning

More training information

Learners with prior experience or a level 2 EYE qualification will work towards L3 EYE

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

maths & English (grade 4)

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

Early Years (grade 2)

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

This position may close early if the right applicant is found. This post is subject to an enhanced Vetting and Barring/CRB Disclosure which will disclose all cautions, reprimands and warnings as well as convictions. Working in a nursery will involve working shift patterns including early morning starts and early evening finishes. The role may include long periods of time standing.

About this employer

We are a family run business that opened in Bovingdon in 1998, since then we have opened 5 nursery settings and a term time only lodge based at The Grove hotel in Watford. We are OFSTED registered and have been awarded an Outstanding rating in some of our latest OFSTED reports. Latimer - Established in October 2012, the nursery has 96 child places at any one time for children from 3 months to 5 years. We are open Monday to Friday 7.30am – 6.30pm all year round except for public bank holidays. Our premises offer ample parking and once inside the rooms are divided into appropriate age groups. We arrange for children with a sibling or friend to visit their group during the day to spend some time together. We also have a separate room called the Adventure Play Room which contains a floor to ceiling soft play area, a ball pool and other exciting activities. Our cook produces nutritious home-made food. Fresh ingredients are locally sourced i.e. meat is supplied by W.H. Higgins of Chorleywood, fruit and vegetables are supplied by Grocer on the Green. We have a variety of extra curriculum activities throughout the year such as sport sessions with Challenge Sport & Education, music/dance classes with Dinky Dancers etc. Old MacDonald’s Latimer is surrounded by open farmland and woodland enabling us to embrace Forest schooling. It is a modern well appointed building with beautiful views over the surrounding countryside and Chess valley.

https://www.oldmacdonaldsdaynursery.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

There are a whole host of employee benefits, including; Employee of the month award-Receive an extra day Holiday, Social Events, Long service bonus every 5 years, Team awards, A present for qualifying (with a full and relevant qualification).

After this apprenticeship

  • Possibility of securing a permanent position within the nursery on completion of the apprenticeship programme and progression to a higher-level qualification

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

C.M.S. VOCATIONAL TRAINING LIMITED

Katrina Clarke

katrina.clarke@cmsvoc.co.uk

01924 470477

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000337312.

Apply now

Closes in 31 days (Monday 15 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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