Early Years Educator Apprentice
1ST STEPS PRE-SCHOOL LIMITED
HUDDERSFIELD (HD4 5DR)
Closes on Monday 11 May 2026
Posted on 11 March 2026
Contents
Summary
We require an Early Years Educator to join our ever-expanding preschool. Working as part of a team and being responsible for a group of key children.
Ideally, someone with experience of working with or being around young children.
- Wage
-
£12,759.50 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
9am – 4pm Monday to Friday
30-minute lunch break.
32 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Monday 14 September 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
- Help set up the playroom at the beginning and end of session
- Key person
- Responsible for personal care of children, subject to adequate vetting
- Offering an appropriate level of support and stimulating play ideas
- Working in partnership with parents and potential customers
Where you'll work
ST. BARNABAS PARISH HALL
DE TRAFFORD STREET
HUDDERSFIELD
HD4 5DR
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
KIRKLEES 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
Working towards Level 2/3 in Early years.
Paediatric first aid training - this will be delivered upon successful employment.
DBS checked and willing to go on the update service.
All staff will be expected to attend training, most of which is provided via an online portal.
Apprentices will train for their apprenticeship at Kirklees College.
More training information
Delivery is once a month, face-to-face sessions.
TBC for September.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Willingness to learn
- Flexible & Friendly approach
Other requirements
Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
About this employer
We are part of a network of privately owned nurseries within the Kirklees area. The preschool offers places to children from 18 months old to 5 years old and operates term-time only.
After this apprenticeship
Full-time position subject to the settings needs.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
KIRKLEES COLLEGE
Eve Cunningham
ecunningham@kirkleescollege.ac.uk
07356121468
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000020255.
Apply now
Closes on Monday 11 May 2026