Nursery Apprentice - Early Years Educator Barrow

COLOURBOX MONTESSORI SCHOOL LTD

The Street (IP29 5AN)

Closes on Friday 29 May 2026

Posted on 21 April 2026

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Summary

Colourbox Montessori are looking for a passionate and caring Apprentice Early Years Educator to join our nursery team and begin a rewarding career in early years education in their Barrow Nest site. You will contribute to a warm, safe, and engaging environment while working towards a nationally recognised childcare qualification.

Wage

£16,744 a year

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Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Shifts between 7.30am - 6.00pm

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 June 2026

Duration

1 year 2 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

Colourbox Montessori is a high-quality early years provider offering a nurturing, stimulating, and child‑centred learning environment. Inspired by the Montessori approach, we support each child’s independence, curiosity, and development through carefully prepared environments and skilled practitioners.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

With training and ongoing support, you will:

  • Help ensure a high standard of physical, emotional, social, and intellectual care for all children
  • Actively promote children’s welfare, safeguarding, and safety at all times
  • Support outstanding childcare practice and develop your understanding of children’s learning and development
  • Work collaboratively within the nursery team, sharing learning and supporting colleagues
  • Follow and work within the governance of all Colourbox Montessori policies and procedures, ensuring best practice is consistently maintained

What we can offer:

  • Offsite Parking
  • Uniform
  • Additional service related holiday entitlement
  • Training provided
  • First Aid training
  • DBS certificate
  • Social events

Where you'll work

Town Estates Room
The Street
IP29 5AN

Training

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

Training provider

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT 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

Your full role and responsibilities will be set out by your employer. They will provide you with all of the on-the-job training you need to up-skill in your role, and your 20% off-the-job learning will be incorporated as part of your working day.

You will be working towards the Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship Standard, which includes:

  • Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
  • Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English (if required)

This will be delivered by your dedicated training provider, Realise.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

  • English Language (grade 4)
  • Mathematics (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
  • Creative
  • Friendly
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Organisation skills
  • Patience
  • Team working

Other requirements

  • Must be prepared to work between the hours of 7.30am and 6.00pm
  • Enhanced DBS certificate required

About this employer

Our nursery is across two sites in the lovely traditional village of Barrow, near Bury St. Edmunds. The children enjoy visiting the busy duckpond, waving to the passing horse-riders and seeing the latest knitted toppers on the nearby post box! Parking is usually available at the Village Hall nearby.

After this apprenticeship

  • Training and promotional prospects available

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000027564.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 29 May 2026

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.