Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship
THE SECRET GARDEN DAY NURSERY DAWLISH LTD
DAWLISH (EX7 9QJ)
Closes on Saturday 30 May 2026
Posted on 30 March 2026
Contents
Summary
Secret Garden Day Nursery are looking for a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprentice to join their team. You must be qualifed to Level 3 Early Years Educator level to progress to Level 5.
- Wage
-
£16,640 to £26,436.80, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Early years lead practitioner (level 5)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday between 8:00am- 6:00pm, 40hrs per week
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 1 June 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- 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
1. To lead and support a team of professional staff and to ensure good practice at all times and to engage in a good staff team
2. To take responsibility for designated aspects
3. Take all responsible steps to provide a safe and secure environment at all times, ensuring high standards of hygiene and cleanliness are maintained and the nursery team’s compliance and awareness to the nursery Health and Safety policies
4. To assist in the review of policies and procedures
5. Understand our requirements with regard to the EYFS suitable to the age and adhere to that at all times
6. Acting as manager having responsibility when the manager is not on the premises
7. Have a key holder responsibility
8. To be flexible with the working practices of the nursery setting
9. To actively promote and support the safeguarding of children and young people in the workplace, ensuring that all staff and volunteers observe setting policies and procedures to keep children safe from harm
10. To be a positive/ effective role model for staff and children
11. To assist with the planning and organisation of staffing schedules and holiday rotas to ensure adequate staffing levels are maintained in accordance with OFSTED and local authority guidelines and nursery procedures
12. To assist with the implementation of administrate procedures involved with: registration, place allocation and other related matters
13. Liaise with local authorities and other professionals associated with the setting
14. Undertake certain domestic jobs within the setting, e.g. preparation of snacks, cleaning of equipment and other duties and responsibilities of an equivalent nature as may be determined by the manager
15. To be involved in staff training and mentoring of new staff members
16. To meet with staff termly to discuss their development and progress with the manager
17. Support the designated safeguarding officer with MASH enquires, policies and procedures and any other relevant paper-work- see separate job description for main duties
18. File all relevant paperwork at the end of each week in the office
Where you'll work
3 BARTON VILLAS
DAWLISH
EX7 9QJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SKILLS TO GROUP LIMITED
Training course
Early years lead practitioner (level 5)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
- Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
- Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
- Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
- Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
- Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
- Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
- Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
- Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
- Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
- Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
- Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
- Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
- Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
- Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
- Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
- Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
- Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
- Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
- Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
- Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
- Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
- Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
- Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
- Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
- Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
- Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
- Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
- Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
- Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
- Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
- Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
- Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
- Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
- Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
- Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
- Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
- Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
- Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
- Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
- Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
- Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
- Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
- Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
- Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
- Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
- Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
- Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
- Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
- Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
Training schedule
- Training will be conducted at the setting alongside online sessions from Skills Group
- There will be off the job tasks weekly and in person observations from your assigned assessor and trainer
Requirements
Essential qualifications
Other 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
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
- Patience
Other requirements
1. To work under the direction of the manager and deputise her as and when required
2. To support the aims and objectives of the nursery and assist the manager in the organisation of a high-quality establishment for children from birth to eight years
3. To provide the highest standards of childcare and early education working to ensure we provide a safe caring environment that enables the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of our children through individual attention and group activities
4. To direct and support staff as agreed by the settings manager
5. To implement OFSTED Standards and nursery policies at all times
6. To work as a team and give support to personnel in the setting
7. To take responsibility to oversee key areas are implemented effectively
About this employer
Secret Garden Day Nursery is situated in Dawlish and you must be able to access the Nursery progress with the apprenticeship.
After this apprenticeship
- To become Duty Manager of the Nursery
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SKILLS TO GROUP LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000024082.
Apply now
Closes on Saturday 30 May 2026