Apprentice Nursery Practitioner
ASHBRIDGE SCHOOL LTD
PRESTON (PR4 4AQ)
Closes in 24 days (Saturday 31 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 5 January 2026
Contents
Summary
To work as part of different teams while developing your role with company support. To complete all academic elements of the apprenticeship. To deliver high-quality learning and care, maintain a safe Early Years environment, build strong partnerships with families, and support Outdoor Education and child-led practice.
- Wage
-
£11,778 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
30 hours a week over 4 days, Monday - Friday between 07.00-18.00.
30 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 16 March 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 3 months
- Positions available
-
15
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
- Complete all diploma coursework required
- To learn how to deliver an outstanding level of learning, development and care for the children for whom you are responsible for
- To learn to develop partnerships with parents and carers by leading and establishing professional relationships with our families.
Where you'll work
LINDLE LANE
HUTTON
PRESTON
PR4 4AQ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
RUNSHAW COLLEGE
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
Tutor-led training will take place at our nursery, in our bespoke training suite. It will be once a week for the first 6 months
More training information
The training is provided by Runshaw College. With a front-loaded scheme, the coursework is completed in the first 6 months, with observations and end-point assessment being completed in the remainder of the scheme
Requirements
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
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
About this employer
Life at Ashbridge is full and varied and our unique settings provide beautiful and inspiring environments to work at, in, and around the Preston area. Ashbridge Independent School and Nursery offer four unique nurseries and an outstanding independent primary school, Ashbridge provides the very best in early years and primary education in a unique environment where babies, toddlers, pre-school and primary aged school children flourish. A nurturing and attachment led approach allows all children to feel comfortable and settled in our outstanding setting which values all of the families, children, and team members. Ashbridge has been established within Lancashire for over 25 years and has gained an unparalleled reputation for its expertise and experience in early years childcare and education. Our facilities are purpose-built for the children in our care and whichever of our settings you visit you will discover top-quality facilities and resources and buildings which suit the needs of our children, with all classrooms in the school and our nurseries having direct access to the outdoors. The people, above all else, are central to making Ashbridge a special place for children because we all work together towards the same goals, we have created a friendly, family atmosphere where every child is uniquely valued, nurtured and cared for. We pride ourselves on being a very friendly place to work, with a strong emphasis on employee support and teamwork. Ashbridge is the leading childcare provider in Preston, and as an established company, we can offer the chance of significant career progression across the company.
After this apprenticeship
- We provide pathways to complete Early Years Educator (level 3), potential progression further than this
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
RUNSHAW COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000000716.
Apply now
Closes in 24 days (Saturday 31 January 2026 at 11:59pm)