Childcare Apprentice - Early Years

Red Kite Learning Trust

Leeds (LS9 0JY)

Closes in 29 days (Thursday 15 January 2026)

Posted on 17 December 2025

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Summary

Like the sound of a paid, practical based training course with an opportunity to learn from our experts? This is a unique opportunity to develop your skills whilst building the foundation required to launch your career as a Childcare Apprentice! If this appeals to you and you are a self-motivated learner we would love to hear from you. 

• Wage:

  £13,741 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  This salary will be pro-rated as it is a Term-Time role (including training days). The apprentice will therefore be working 39 weeks with 13 weeks holiday.

• Training course: Early years educator (level 3)
• Hours: Monday to Friday 35 hours per week Shift pattern 8am – 3.30pm or 10.00am- 5.30pm

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Sunday 1 March 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

To provide high quality care and education for all children
• To demonstrate a positive attitude and always provide a welcoming environment
• Establish rapport and respectful, trusting relationships with children, young people and those caring for them
• Communicate effectively and establish constructive relationships with all staff, children, parents, families, carers, external agencies and other professionals
• To establish the Key persons role, to make assessments and keep records of your key children’s development and learning journals, and future developments of all key children, to share with parents,
carers and other key adults in the child’s life at regular intervals
• To ensure good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times
• To be aware of and support differences and ensure all children have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop
• Engage in good team working with all Early Education and wider school community
• To support the team to provide a broad and balanced Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that will meet the requirements of relevant national and local standards
• To promote the inclusion and acceptance of all children within the nursery environment, assisting in the implementation of appropriate behaviour management strategies
• Report any concerns about child welfare to the appropriate member of staff in a confidential manner
• To maintain confidentiality
• To take responsibility for a group of children during any building evacuation
• To actively promote an inclusive environment
• To read, understand and adhere to all policies and procedures relevant to your role as deemed
appropriate. Record accidents as per the Early Education procedures
• To develop your role within the team, contributing actively to team meetings and planning sessions.
• To be aware of the high profile of the setting and to uphold its standards at all times, both within work hours and outside

Where you'll work

Halton Moor Avenue
Leeds
LS9 0JY

Training

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

Training provider

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK 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

Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4 and above)
• Maths (grade 4 and above)

Other in:

Childcare (grade Level 2)

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
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Team working
• Initiative
• Patience
• L2 childcare qualification
• Safeguarding experience

Other requirements

Red Kite Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointments will be subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure. We are an equal opportunities employer which welcomes applications from all sectors of the community. We are committed to promoting diversity and want a workforce which reflects the local population of each of our schools. Our recruitment guidelines and privacy notice for applicants can be found on www.rklt.co.uk

Eligibility to work in the UK

Knowledge of the SEN code of practice and Early support programme

About this employer

We are Red Kite Learning Trust, a family of 16 schools across Harrogate and Leeds. As a collaborative group, our aim is to raise standards across education, supporting all our children and young people to achieve their absolute and full potential.

http://www.rklt.co.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

13 weeks holiday

Generous Pension Scheme

Range of benefits and discounts

Free parking

Professional Development

After this apprenticeship

We would seek to secure job opportunities at the end of the apprenticeship, within the workplace or our wider group of schools in the Trust

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005548.

Apply now

Closes in 29 days (Thursday 15 January 2026)

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