Early Years Apprentice (Term Time only)

PEACHCROFT PRE SCHOOL

Abingdon (OX14 2RT)

Closes on Sunday 18 January 2026

Posted on 15 December 2025

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Summary

Peachcroft Pre-school is offering a fantastic opportunity of an apprenticeship based in Abingdon. The pre-school is fun, happy, & committed to the development of children. The strong professional team are passionate about giving children the best start in life. The candidate would need to be motivated, enthusiastic and have a positive attitude.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£13,467 (pro rata)

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
8.00am - 3.15pm - Monday to Friday - Term time only.

34 hours a week

Start date

Monday 2 February 2026

Duration

1 year 9 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

To assist with the planning of the curriculum using the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for guidance.  

  • To help to set up for the daily programme and to help tidy away at the end of the session. 
  • To act as a key person to a small group of children, liaising closely and building an effective relationship with parents/carers and ensuring each child’s needs are recognised and met. 
  • To work in partnership with parents/carers and other family members.
  • To advise the Manager of any concerns e.g. health and well-being of children, parents or the safety of equipment, preserving confidentiality as necessary. 
  • To take action to support the setting to achieve and maintain a minimum good Ofsted rating at the next inspection. 
  • To teach children, offering an appropriate level of support and stimulating play experiences. 
  • To ensure that children are kept safe and that you understand when to follow child protection procedures. 
  • To support meal times within the setting. 
  • To actively participate at team meetings, supervision meetings and appraisal meetings. 
  • To attend training courses as required and to take responsibility for personal development. 
  • To keep completely confidential any information regarding the children, their families, or other staff, which is acquired as part of the job. 
  • To be aware of and adhere to all the setting’s operational policies and procedures, e.g. health and safety, fire precautions, dropping off and collection of children, food safety, cleanliness of the setting. 
  • To ensure that adequate records are kept and updated regularly. 
  • To promote the setting to current parents and potential customers. 

Where you'll work

Community Centre
Lindsay Drive
Abingdon
OX14 2RT

Training

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

Training provider

ABINGDON AND WITNEY 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

• 18 months practical training period, plus 3 months for End Point 
• Work-based training with your employer
• Attendance for a study workshop at Abingdon campus, OX14 1GG (1 day or 2 half days a month)
• Approximately 12 on-site assessment visits per year
• Regular meetings with your training coordinator to monitor progress and well-being
• Apprentices will need to complete a minimum of 300 hours of off-the-job training during their apprenticeship

End Point Assessment:
• Knowledge test.
• Professional discussion.

More training information

Qualifications included:
• Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner.
• Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

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

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

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Team working
  • Willingness to learn
  • Knowledge of child development
  • Knowledge of safeguarding
  • Enthusiasm
  • Conscientious
  • Motivated
  • Ambitious

Other requirements

Please apply as soon as possible for this role. Should the right candidate be found prior to the closing date, then the vacancy may be closed early. 

Any new person applying for apprenticeship roles where Abingdon and Witney College deliver the training will be required to complete a series of initial assessments, essential paperwork, and a phone interview to find out more about the apprenticeship process and training. If you would like to talk to us about the assessments or if you would need any extra support to attend the Apprenticeship Assessment and Information Session please call us on 01235 216216.    

By applying for this vacancy you are giving Abingdon and Witney College permission to undertake a Learner Record Service check on your previous qualifications. We make every effort to ensure that applicants from non-traditional academic backgrounds or those who may not have the formal GCSE entry requirements can access apprenticeships where possible.  

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) for Apprentices is £7.55 per hour from April 2025, increasing to £8 per hour from April 2026. This applies to 16 - 18 year old apprentices and those aged 19 and over during the first year of their apprenticeship. After this, the National Minimum wage appropriate to their age applies. The Wage for apprentices applies to both time spent on the job plus time spent training.

About this employer

Peachcroft Pre-school was established in 1983 and is a registered charity run by 3 Trustees. We are OFSTED registered and a member of the Early Years Alliance. Our mission is to: Promote the intellectual, cultural and social well-being of its pupils and to. Provide an environment where all individuals have the opportunity to achieve their potential. Combined with the knowledge that all children are individuals and progress at their own speed and in their own unique way, our pre-school staff will provide children with a broad range of educational and fun opportunities that will help each child learn to the best of their abilities. Children learn best through play as practitioners we appreciate the learning which takes places when children are able to follow their own ideas and are supported by an adult who can enable their learning by respecting, understanding and allowing children empowerment over their environment. We celebrate a child’s uniqueness and encourage respect and social interaction. Our vision for future development is to continue to offer a good quality provision to the community which is open and inclusive to all, supporting children’s individual needs and allowing freedom of choice and growth within a safe and happy environment.

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

Company benefits

Term Time only.

After this apprenticeship

For the right candidate, there is the possibility of a permanent position. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005178.

Apply now

Closes on Sunday 18 January 2026

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