Apprentice Early Years Practitioner

The Old Co-operative Day Nursery

NOTTINGHAM (NG11 0HJ)

Closes in 21 days (Wednesday 31 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 3 December 2025


Summary

We're looking for an enthusiastic individual with a genuine love for children to join our team. The person we're looking for must be approachable, caring, upbeat and keen to learn. You must be reliable, be prepared to undertake professional development, demonstrate a high level of honesty and have the ability to form warm relationships.

Wage

£15,704 to £25,396.80, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm. 1 x hour unpaid lunch.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 January 2026

Duration

1 year

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

Main activities:

  • To provide a safe, caring, stimulating educational environment, both indoors and outdoors, at all times.
  • To deliver an appropriate play based Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum that enables children to make individual progress.
  • To provide a safe, caring, stimulating educational environment, both indoors and outdoors, at all times.
  • To deliver an appropriate play based Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum that enables children to make individual progress.
  • To help ensure The Old Co-operative meets Ofsted requirements at all times.
  • To understand and work to Old Co-operative Day Nursery policies and procedures, including how to deal with child protection issues appropriately and how to respond to incidents, accidents, complaints and emergencies.
  • To plan activities which ensure each child is working towards the early learning outcomes.
  • To be a key person.
  • To ensure records are properly maintained, e.g. daily attendance register, accident and incident book, risk assessments.
  • To liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the nursery and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement.
  • To work in partnership with senior management to update and review the self-evaluation and improvement plan.
  • To undertake any other reasonable duties as directed, in accordance with The Old Co-operative aims and objectives.

Where you'll work

7-9 WALLACE STREET
GOTHAM
NOTTINGHAM
NG11 0HJ

Training

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

Training provider

ACCESS TRAINING (EAST MIDLANDS) LTD

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

Apprentices will be allocated a Trainer Assessor and training will be
planned and delivered in conjunction with the employer to meet
the individual needs of the apprentice.

The apprentice will spend 20% of their working hours in off the job
activities and training. On the job and off the job training will be delivered in the workplace.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 9-3 or equivalent)
  • Maths (grade 9-3 or equivalent)

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
  • Knowledge of children's needs

About this employer

We are a friendly and independent nursery with a real family
atmosphere set in the small village of Gotham, just south of
Nottingham. We have a Good Ofsted rating. The Nursery premises
are spacious, light and bright with designated rooms for Babies,
Toddlers and Pre-School.

https://www.co-opnursery.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Some of our apprentices have gone on to do:

  • Teaching
  • Nursing
  • Social worker
  • Children's travel agent
  • Family solicitors

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ACCESS TRAINING (EAST MIDLANDS) LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000003517.

Apply now

Closes in 21 days (Wednesday 31 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

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