Childcare Apprenticeship (level 3) - Northampton

CHILDBASE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

Northampton (NN1 5BD)

Closes on Sunday 1 March 2026

Posted on 16 December 2025

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Summary

Fun is an essential ingredient in all Childbase Partnership nurseries where the care and education opportunities for each and every child are as extraordinary as our colleagues who provide them. This is your opportunity to be part of the fun and to join us as an apprentice at our Nene Valley Day Nursery in Northampton.

• Wage:

  £16,136 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  As an apprentice at Childbase Partnership, you will be paid an hourly pay rate of £6.55. This will increase to £10.00 an hour after 6 months in post.

• Training course: Early years educator (level 3)
• Hours: You will work varied shifts, usually between the hours of 07:15- 18:30 Monday- Friday, so you experience all aspects of the daily routine at nursery.

  38 hours a week

• Start date:

  Thursday 12 March 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 4 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

As a childcare apprentice, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Work as part of a team to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments across the nursery, plan and implement opportunities to enhance children’s development, and complete observations linked to the early years' curriculum
• Interact positively with all nursery users and work in partnership with colleagues and parents to ensure all children’s individual needs are met at all times whilst they are in your care adhere to nursery routines and policies and to seek guidance from your leadership team as required
• Successfully manage your time to ensure you submit your coursework by the deadlines set by your assessor/tutor

Where you'll work

General Hospital Complex
Cliftonville
Northampton
NN1 5BD

Training

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

Training provider

CHILDBASE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

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 will provide you with the opportunity to learn how to provide outstanding early years care and education.  By the end of your apprenticeship with us you will gain:

•  Level 3 Early years educator qualification; there will be an on-line assessment during our shortlisting stage to determine the right level of apprenticeship for you
• Appropriate functional skills qualifications in maths and English, if you do not already have equivalent qualifications in these subjects when you commence your apprenticeship
• A paediatric first aid qualification

Our early years apprenticeship offers you:

• The opportunity to gain valuable, practical childcare experience, working with children aged 0-5 years in a nursery setting
• 'Off the job' learning time within your working week which will support your studies
• A childcare trainer/assessor from our in-house Training Academy of Excellence, who will visit you at the nursery on a regular basis to guide and direct you
• Group training sessions, with other apprentices from across our partnership, held at our academy in Newport Pagnell; there are 11 sessions as part of the Level 3 course
• A permanent contract subject to you successfully gaining your qualification, where after completion you will be appointed as a qualified nursery nurse within our partnership

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
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

For your application to be considered, at the time you apply, you must be able to evidence your NI number and right to work in the UK, have photographic ID (valid passport or driving licence), ideally have access to a computer, been resident in the UK for at least 3 years and be comfortable travelling to the training sessions in Newport Pagnell.

About this employer

At Childbase Partnership we have been delivering childcare excellence since 1989. Our mission is to give children the best possible start in life and instil a lifelong passion for learning. Across all 44-day nurseries, Head Office, and our EduBase Academy, our dedicated colleagues work together to create a lasting, positive impact in our local communities.

We are determined to be excellent and constantly strive for the best outcomes, not only for the children in our care but for every colleague too. What makes us special?

• We are 100% employee-owned – which means we are all partners, we all have a meaningful voice, and we own our future (this includes sharing profits too, tax-free).

https://childbasepartnership.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

A permanent contract subject to you successfully gaining your qualification, where after completion you will be appointed as a qualified nursery nurse within our partnership. Longer term, as a Level 3 qualified practitioner, you will be able to progress into roles such as team leader, deputy manager and nursery manager.

During your apprenticeship with us, you will benefit from:

• a ‘congratulations’ payment of £300 once you have successfully completed the Level 3 apprenticeship
• the potential for an annual tax-free dividend payment
• ‘recommend a friend’ bonuses of £1000 every time you successfully refer someone to join our partnership
• childcare discount from day one; 75% for your children and/or 40% for your grandchildren
• fully-paid enhanced DBS check
• complimentary breakfast, lunch and refreshments when you are at work
• 23 days of annual leave plus bank holidays and there is the option to buy and sell days
• annual conference and awards event, at which individual and team achievements are recognised
• Please note, terms and conditions apply to some of our benefits and financial rewards

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CHILDBASE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005432.

Apply now

Closes on Sunday 1 March 2026

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