Early Years Apprentice

CT Skills

Somerlea Park Community Centre, Leabrooks, Sherwood Street, Alfreton, DE55 1LB (DE55 1LB)

Closes in 25 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

Posted on 6 October 2025

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Contents

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to kick-start your childcare career with hands on learning! You will play a key part in each child's time at the preschool, supporting with safeguarding, promoting welfare and encouraging learning.

Wage

£11,778 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 to Friday shifts between 7am and 5pm.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 3 November 2025

Duration

1 year 4 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

  • Assisting with the planning of the curriculum using the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for guidance
  • Helping set up for the daily programme and to help tidy away at the end of the session
  • Acting as a key person to a small group of children, liaising closely and building an effective relationship with parents/carers and ensuring each child's needs are recognised and met
  • Working in partnership with parents/carers and other family members
  • Advising the Manager of any concerns, e.g. health and well-being of children, parents or the safety of equipment, preserving confidentiality as necessary
  • Taking action to support the setting to achieve and maintain a minimum good Ofsted rating
  • Teaching children, offering an appropriate level of support and stimulating play experiences
  • Ensuring that children are kept safe, and you understand when to follow child protection procedures
  • Supporting mealtimes within the settingActively participating at team meetings, supervision meetings and appraisal meetings
  • Attending training courses as required and to take responsibility for personal development
  • Keeping completely confidential any information regarding the children, their families or other staff, which is acquired as part of the job
  • Being aware of and adhere to all the setting's policies and procedures
  • Ensuring that adequate records are kept and updated regularly
  • Promoting the setting to current parents and potential customers
  • Complying with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation
  • Minimum of 6 hours per week spent on apprenticeship work and training

Where you'll work

Somerlea Park Community Centre, Leabrooks, Sherwood Street, Alfreton, DE55 1LB
DE55 1LB

Training

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

Training provider

CT 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

You'll attend monthly 1-2-1 meetings (online via teams every month - NO classroom OR college!) with your tutor and learn about modules including child development from birth to 7 years, safeguarding, promoting wellbeing, supporting activities, purposeful play & educational programmes, and more! You will be given a minimum of 3 hours per week to complete any apprenticeship work (assignments, research, and projects) and will receive at least another 3 hours of training from your employer.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

None required (grade None required)

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

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Creative
  • Customer care skills
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Team working

About this employer

Little Sunshines strives to provide a nurturing environment where children feel valued, respected and safe. Their environments are inspired by the children. By getting to know the children as individuals, they are able to tailor the activities, resources and experiences they offer to reflect their interests, their needs and their imaginations. By doing their best to see the world through the eyes of the children, they provide enabling and exciting environments that offer awe and wonder.

After this apprenticeship

As with any apprenticeship opportunity - if you prove yourself to be a valuable member of the team there is a strong chance of a permanent post within the business.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CT SKILLS LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000345275.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

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