Early Years Educator Apprenticeship
WILLOWS CHILDCARE LIMITED
HOLBEACH (PE12 8LL)
Closes in 2 days (Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 4 December 2025
Contents
Summary
The Willows nursery in Fleet Hargate are looking for an Early Years Educator Apprentice. You will gain a level 3 qualification whilst supporting children in learning, play and development and building key relationships.
- Wage
-
£13,348.40 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday with University Academy Holbeach - training provider. Tuesday - Friday with The Willows. Hours to be confirmed at time of interview.
34 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
- Supporting the development of the childcare provision
- Providing an excellent range of activities that ensures the child learns whilst having fun
- Following safeguarding rules and regulations
- Supporting children’s self-help needs, being creative and enthusiastic
- Supporting children’s learning and development
- Being a team player
- Assisting in meeting OFSTED requirements
Where you'll work
THE WILLOWS DAY NURSERY
OLD MAIN ROAD
FLEET HARGATE
HOLBEACH
PE12 8LL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY HOLBEACH
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
The apprentice will attend UAH once a week for their off-the-job training, and the rest of the week will be working within the nursery.
More training information
You will complete the Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification as well as the apprenticeship, making it far more full and relevant.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
About this employer
The Willows Day Nursery in Fleet Hargate is a childcare setting located on Old Main Road (PE12 8LL) in the village of Fleet Hargate, Lincolnshire.
The nursery cares for children from 0-5 years old.
Children have access to both indoor and a fully enclosed outdoor play area, giving them space to learn, explore and play safely.
Staff aim to support children’s learning and development across a broad range of activities — from early learning and language development to social skills, independence, and physical development.
The nursery operates broadly during typical childcare hours and welcomes children from the local area and beyond.
After this apprenticeship
Progression to full-time employment may be available to the right candidate after completing the apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
UNIVERSITY ACADEMY HOLBEACH
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000003433.
Apply now
Closes in 2 days (Wednesday 17 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
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