Early Years Apprentice - Little Forest Folk Winkworth

LITTLE FOREST FOLK LTD

Hascombe Road (GU8 4AD)

Closes in 24 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

Posted on 7 October 2025

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Contents

Summary

Are you a passionate early years practitioner looking to continue to develop your career in an award winning nursery setting? Little Forest Folk Winkworth have a great opportunity to train as an Early Years Educator Apprentice and gain your level 3 whilst supporting children's learning, play and development and building key relationships.

Wage

£25,480 a year

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Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 40 hours - Shifts to be agreed at offer stage

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 3 November 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

  • Little Forest Folk Winkworth is looking for a passionate and enthusiastic Nursery Apprentice who is eager to work with children and pursue a Level 3 Early Years qualification.

    We are passionate about providing an opportunity for our Little Forest Folk-ers to run, jump, explore and play in nature, as they learn about the world around them & become creative, resilient little learners.

    You’ll be expected to comply with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework and contribute to creating a safe, fun, and engaging learning environment
  • You will adhere to any relevant Policies about Keeping Children Safe, ongoing safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection and Confidentiality
  • You will be responsible at all times for high standards of care and education and effectively deliver the EYFS ensuring that the individual needs and interest of children in the setting are met (in conjunction with other team members)
  • You will ensure the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children having an awareness of any disabilities, family cultures and medical histories
  • You will develop and maintain strong partnerships and communication with parents/carers and team members to facilitate day-to-day caring and early learning needs
  • You will keep records of your key children’s development and learning journeys and share with parents, carers and other key adults in the child’s life

Other Requirements

  • Promote the Little Forest Folk and Outdoor Learning ethos
  • Help maintain equipment and resources
  • Support all staff and play a key part in keeping team morale high
  • Be involved in out of working hours activities, e.g. training, monthly staff meetings, and events
  • Be flexible within working practices of the setting, undertaking other responsible duties where needed, such as camp related tasks, preparation of snack meals, cleansing of equipment, etc."

At Little Forest Folk we are a beautiful outdoor nursery where an apprentice can complete their Level 3 whilst learning all about Forest Schools. We provide outdoor kit for all staff and twice a year their is a uniform allowance to help to pay for warm under layers. There is an incentive of £500 when they finish their Level 3 and stay for a year and another £1000 if they then stay for a further year. We have 4 inset days a year for staff training and development and 28 days level a year. We also close between Xmas and new year.

Where you'll work

Winkworth Arboretum
Hascombe Road
GU8 4AD

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 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
  • Creative
  • Patience
  • Team working

Other requirements

DBS and references required, DBS paid for by company. You need to love the outdoors and want to make a difference to young children's lives. We look for people to be keen to learn and enthusiastic and they can’t be afraid to get wet and muddy

About this employer

We’re excited to have opened our eighth nursery in wonderful Surrey! We are based within the stunning grounds of the National Trust Winkworth Arboretum in Godalming, Surrey, which is ideally located with good access for families from the local area, such as Guildford, Goldalming, Witley, Milford & Cranleigh. We’re building on our 10 years of experience running fully outdoor forest nurseries in SW London to bring our forest school provision to this wonderful National Trust setting. We spend from 9:30am to 3:30pm outdoors, year round, no matter the weather. We employ people with a zest for life, a love of the outdoors and a passion for the importance of kids playing and being outside.

After this apprenticeship

  • A full time qualified position for the right candidate on completion of the apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000345307.

Apply now

Closes in 24 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

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