Level 2 apprentice Early years practitioner

Squirrels nursery

Manchester (M24 2HL)

Closes in 8 days (Saturday 15 November 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 6 November 2025

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Summary

Passionate about early childhood education? Join our friendly, close-knit nursery team! We offer a warm, supportive environment where your skills can grow, with training and development opportunities. If you love creating positive experiences for children, you’ll fit right in!

Wage

£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£7.55 per hour to be discussed

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday, Between 7.30am and 6.00pm.

40 hours a week

Start date

Sunday 16 November 2025

Duration

1 year 6 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 Level 2 Apprentice, you’ll:

  • Support children with their daily care – feeding, changing, and helping with personal needs
  • Get involved in fun learning and play activities that help children grow
  • Observe, record, and support children’s development
  • Work closely with a friendly team of nursery staff
  • Help maintain a safe, welcoming, and happy environment for everyone
  • Be part of a positive, supportive workplace with opportunities to learn and develop your skills

Where you'll work

Green Street
Middleton
Manchester
M24 2HL

Training

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

Training provider

ROCHDALE TRAINING ASSOCIATION 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

  • Early Years Practitioner Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard
  • The training will be provided on site at Squirrels nursery by Rochdale Training

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths and English (grade Grade 4/C or above)

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

Skills

  • Team working
  • Reliable
  • compassionate

Other requirements

Please research the location of Rochdale Training as well as the location of the employer to ensure that you can travel to both locations. Apprentices are paid for their normal working hours and training that's part of their apprenticeship (usually one day per week). The Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage guide is updated every April (ANMW): https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates Will be provided with a uniform, get 1 hr lunch every day and have 28 days holidays per year (including bank hols and Christmas break) usually around 17 days once these are deducted.

About this employer

At Squirrels Nursery , we are dedicated to providing a caring and nurturing environment where we can support and encourage each child - building a strong foundation for success. Our settings offer safe and stimulating spaces for children to explore, play, and learn. We believe that every child is unique and has the potential to achieve great things, and we strive to support their individual growth and development. Working with children from 3 months to 5 years

Company benefits

They will be provided with a uniform, get 1 hr lunch every day and have 28 days holidays per year (including bank hols and Christmas break) usually around 17 days once these are deducted.

After this apprenticeship

  • This will lead to a permanent position for the suitable candidate

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ROCHDALE TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Jacob Evans

jevans@rochdaletraining.co.uk

01706631417

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000350008.

Apply now

Closes in 8 days (Saturday 15 November 2025 at 11:59pm)

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