Early Years Apprentice

THE NURSERY SCHOOL

GLOUCESTERSHIRE (GL53 8AP)

Closes in 14 days (Friday 13 February 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 29 January 2026

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Summary

Do you have a passion for giving young children the best start in life?

The Nursery School is looking for a caring, fun and engaging person to join our small team. We are a well-established private nursery who educate children aged two to five years old.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£9.00 for the first year of apprenticeship. Then increasing to national minimum wage for the rest of the apprenticeship.

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
You will be contracted to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks per year during the apprenticeship. There is also the opportunity to work additional hours during our holiday club which runs for an additional 11 weeks during school holidays.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 9 March 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

The Nursery School is a small setting located in Charlton Kings. We are looking for a passionate Early Years Apprentice to join our small and dedicated team. You’ll be working within the team to create a safe, inspiring and inclusive environment where children can learn and grow. You will play a key part in the early years of a child’s life, shaping their early learning experiences whilst building strong relationships with children, families and colleagues.

What you’ll do:

  • Provide inclusive play and learning opportunities for all children attending The Nursery School.
  • To adhere to the EYFS Framework and deliver The Nursery School Educational Programme with high levels of enthusiasm, loyalty and motivation.
  • To respond to each child’s needs for individual care and attention.
  • To act as a Key Person to a group of children.
  • Ensure your key children’s needs are reflected in the planning of activities.
  • Work in partnership with parents.
  • Work as part of a team, maintaining good communication and working relationships with colleagues.
  • To work within the setting’s policies and procedures.
  • To promote positive values, attitudes and good child behaviour, dealing promptly with conflict in line with our positive behaviour policy.
  • To be aware of children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
  • Any other duties that may be expected within the nursery environment.

Where you'll work

23 CHURCH STREET
CHARLTON KINGS
CHELTENHAM
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
GL53 8AP

Training

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

Training provider

CIRENCESTER COLLEGE

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

Cirencester College 

Whilst the majority of training will take place at the employers' premises, there will be occasional attendance required at Cirencester College.

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
  • IT skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

Working hours will be shifts between 8am and 5pm on Monday to Friday.

It is a physically demanding job in a fast-paced environment where you will need to be able move quickly and get up and down from the floor to be with the children.

Cirencester College reserves the right to close this vacancy before the stated deadline once sufficient applications have been received.

About this employer

We are a small, private family-run nursery with a small team of employees. Staff wellbeing is an important factor for us an employers and we take care over our staff’s mental wellbeing.

https://www.thenurseryschool.org.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, the candidate will have the opportunity to apply for a permanent Level 3 role at the setting.

Once more experience is gained, there will be opportunity to progress within the company to higher roles for example a room leader or deputy manager.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CIRENCESTER COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000011412.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Friday 13 February 2026 at 11:59pm)