Early Years Level 3 Apprentice

HOPSCOTCH UNDER FIVES

215a Chevening Road (NW6 6DT)

Closes on Friday 31 October 2025

Posted on 26 September 2025

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Summary

Is a career in childcare for you? Want to earn as you play and learn? At Hopscotch Under Fives Ltd our ethos is to learn through play in a caring, safe homely environment. As an early years apprentice you will be planning age-appropriate activities and providing a safe and secure environment.

• Wage:

  £20,800 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: Early years educator (level 3)
• Hours: 8:30am - 5:30pm.

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 3 November 2025

• Duration:

  1 year 2 months

• Positions available:

  2

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

Hopscotch Under Fives Ltd and drop in was established over 30 years ago as a result of local mothers looking for a space to bring their children for a stay and play session.

We are seeking a dedicated and passionate Early Years Practitioner Apprentice to join our team, providing high-quality care and education for children aged 0–5. The successful candidate will create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment that supports each child’s learning and development in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Responsibilities include:

• Planning and delivering engaging activities
• Supporting children’s individual needs
• Maintaining accurate observations and records
• Building positive relationships with families
• Key worker feedback to parents
• To observe and record what children do to assess the children’s progress

1-hour lunch break. 2x 15 min tea breaks, 25 days off including when the nursery is shut a week at Xmas, 1 week at Easter, and 3 weeks in August.

Where you'll work

Hopscotch Nursery
215a Chevening Road
NW6 6DT

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 educator (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Recognise when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
• Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
• Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
• Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
• Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
• Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
• Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
• Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
• Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
• Advocate for all children’s needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
• Promote and facilitate children’s interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
• Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
• Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
• Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
• Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
• Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child’s voice.
• Apply strategies that support children’s ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
• Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and interests.
• Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.
• Recognise when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
• Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
• Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
• Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
• Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
• Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
• Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
• Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
• Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
• Advocate for all children’s needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
• Promote and facilitate children’s interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
• Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
• Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
• Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
• Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
• Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child’s voice.
• Apply strategies that support children’s ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
• Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and interests.
• Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.

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 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard, which includes:

• Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
• Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
• Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid
• Level 2 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

• Attention to detail
• caring
• Communication Skills
• Creative
• Friendly
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Team working
• understanding

Other requirements

Full enhanced DBS.

About this employer

Established originally as a Drop in for local children run by local mothers the nursery grew from this into the setting that we have today, incorporating 3 classrooms alongside a dedicated Drop in which runs daily.

After this apprenticeship

Progression onto further qualifications and support roles.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344067.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 31 October 2025

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