Early Years Educator Apprentice
CHILTON MEADOWS DAY NURSERY LIMITED
Houghton le Spring (DH4 6LX)
Closes in 20 days (Friday 5 June 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 May 2026
Contents
Summary
As an Early Years apprentice at Chilton Meadows Day Nursery, you will work alongside an experienced team and contribute to the wellbeing and development of children in our care.
- Wage
-
£21,157 a year
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Shifts between the hours of 7am– 6pm Monday- Friday.
36 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 6 July 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
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
- Behave in a professional and courteous manner towards all members of the staff team, directors, children, families and any other visitor to the setting
- Populate learning journals for children
- Adhere to confidentiality and information sharing
- Read and understand all policies, procedures and risk assessments
- Read information that is given to you to support your development
- Attend bi-monthly staff meetings
- Assist with creating topical areas within nursery including updating displays
- Recording and uploading daily diary information to the nursery system
- Undertake any tasks asked of you by senior colleagues to ensure the smooth running of the nursery
- Cleaning and tidying areas of nursery
- Carry out supervised personal care routines including nappy changing
- Giving out food and snacks to children
- All members of staff are expected to undergo training to develop their personal / professional skills
- It is your responsibility to inform a manager when you think there is a call for concern regarding children, staff and families
- You will be expected to use protective clothing, this will be provided by nursery i.e., gloves, aprons, hair nets etc. where applicable (Long hair should be tied back)
- Health and Safety is everyone’s responsibility, if you see a hazard, it is your responsibility to make the hazard safe unless this puts you at risk. You will be expected to inform the manager immediately and without delay of these risks
- Accidents to yourself must be reported to the management team immediately and recorded in the accident book the same day
- Everyone who attends the nursery must be respected at all times, staff, children and visitors
Where you'll work
Black Boy Road
Houghton le Spring
DH4 6LX
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CITY OF SUNDERLAND 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
Full Level 3 Early Years Educator standard
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
- English (grade 4-9)
- Maths (grade 4-9)
BTEC or equivalent in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Communication skills
- Creative
- Customer care skills
- Initiative
- Logical
- Non-judgmental
- Patience
- Team working
Other requirements
- DBS will be required for the role
About this employer
For over 23 years, Chilton Meadows Day Nursery has proudly been a family-owned and family-run setting, rooted in our community in Houghton-le-Spring. We’ve built not just a nursery, but a safe and nurturing place of belonging, where children, families, and staff feel valued, supported, and truly at home. We’re expanding our nursery and we’re looking for apprentices to grow with us. Rated good in all areas by Ofsted, Ofsted inspectors reported that “Children are happy and thrive at Chilton Meadows Day Nursery where staff treat children as part of the family.”
After this apprenticeship
- We are looking for an apprentice who would like to continue working with us as a full or part time employee upon the successful completion of their qualification
- The job role would be Level 3 Early Years Educator
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000031929.
Apply now
Closes in 20 days (Friday 5 June 2026 at 11:59pm)