Nursery Assistant Apprentice
CW KING FISHERS DAY NURSERIES LIMITED
Thornton Heath (CR7 7JL)
Closes in 9 days (Monday 8 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 28 November 2025
Contents
Summary
<p>As an Early Years Apprentice, you will be supporting the learning and development of every child in your care, while promoting best practice among colleagues to maintain the highest standards across the nursery. Work collaboratively with the team to create a safe, nurturing environment where every child can play, learn, and thrive.</p>
- Wage
-
£19,034 a year
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday, working on a shift pattern across 5 days, with one dedicated day for college training.
30 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 6 January 2026
- 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
Duties and Responsibilities
1. To provide the highest standards of quality care and education.
2. To ensure that health and safety and security measures are constantly maintained.
3. To be aware of and act in accordance with current legislation, policy and procedures.
4. To contribute to a programme of activities suitable to the age range of children in your room in conjunction with other staff.
5. To keep an accurate and up to date Learning Journal for your key children, for parents.
6. Work alongside parents of special needs children to give full integration in the Nursery. Foresee the needs of Special Needs children and give physical, emotional, intellectual guidance as appropriate.
7. Support all staff and engage in a good staff team.
8. To work in close partnership and to develop and maintain good relationships with parents / carers and other family members or outside agencies.
9. To attend ALL out of working hours activities, e.g. training, staff meetings, Graduation Fun Day, parent training evenings, events, etc.
10. To be flexible within the working practices of the nursery. Be prepared to help where needed, including to undertake certain domestic jobs within the nursery, e.g. preparation of snack meals, cleansing of equipment, putting out bins, doing the laundry, etc. Also, flexibility with regard to working in different rooms as and when required to ensure effective operation of the nursery.
11. Work alongside the Manager, Area Manager and staff team to ensure that the vision, philosophy and objectives behind Kingfishers Day Nursery are fulfilled.
12. To respect the confidentiality of information received.
13. To ensure the provision of a high-quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds, and stages of development.
To develop your role within the team especially in your capacity as a Key Person:
- keep children's files up to date including photographs.
- complete observations in a variety of formats.
Specific Child Care Tasks are as follows:
1. The preparation and completion of activities to suit the child's stage of development.
2. To ensure that mealtimes are a time of pleasant social sharing.
3. Washing and changing children as required.
4. Providing comfort and warmth to all children.
5. Providing conscientious and effective supervision of the children.
6. To interact and engage with the children.
16. To be aware of the high profile of the nursery and to uphold its standards at all times. To be an ambassador for Kingfishers both within the nursery and in the wider community.
17. To ensure good standards of hygiene and safety standards appropriate for the needs of young children.
18. To take reasonable care of yourself and others and to comply with the Settings Health and Safety rules
Additional Responsibilities
1. To initiate and conduct effective risk assessment.
2. To run the room smoothly and effectively in the absence of the Head of Room.
3. To support the Room Leader in supervising and monitoring students in training and Nursery Assistants if necessary.
4. To ensure planning and observations are being completed.
Where you'll work
89 Brigstock Road
Thornton Heath
CR7 7JL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CROYDON COLLEGE
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
This apprenticeship combines hands-on experience with regular training through a college or approved training provider. At least 20% of your working hours will be dedicated to study and professional development. It is a higher-level programme designed for those aiming to progress into senior roles within early childhood education.
More training information
- Day Release (one day every week, online remote delivery)
- On-the-job and off-the-job training (minimum of 6 hours per week).
- Functional Skills in English and Maths (if required).
- End-point assessment to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviours
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4-5)
- Maths (grade 4-5)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
About this employer
At Kingfishers Day Nurseries, we have been providing high-quality childcare in Thornton Heath, Croydon, and Coulsdon for over 20 years.
We believe every child is unique and strive to create a happy, caring, and stimulating environment where they feel secure and valued. Our mission is to support each child’s emotional, social, and intellectual growth through a broad, balanced, and creative curriculum that encourages independence and teamwork. By nurturing lifelong learning skills and promoting British Values, we aim to help every child make a positive contribution to their community and society.
After this apprenticeship
This role focuses on delivering high-quality care and education for children, with an emphasis on teamwork and professional development within the nursery setting.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CROYDON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000002843.
Apply now
Closes in 9 days (Monday 8 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.