Early Years Practitioner apprentice
The Drive Primary School
Gateshead (NE10 9UE)
Closes in 18 days (Monday 22 June 2026)
Posted on 4 June 2026
Contents
Summary
A fantastic opportunity to join The Drive’s Nursery’s well-established team as an Early Years Apprentice in Gateshead. If you are interested in starting a career in education/early years, then look no further!
- Wage
-
£12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday-Friday.
30 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 3 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
- Motivate and stimulate a children's learning abilities, encouraging learning through experience.
- Following EYFS principles, providing fulfilling and enriching learning opportunities for children.
- Ensure a high level of care is provided at all times.
- Follow nursery policy and procedures to safeguard all children.
- Contribute as a team when planning activities together, both indoors and outdoors.
- Provide pastoral care and support to children and give them a secure learning environment.
- Assist with the development of a child's personal, social, language and physical abilities.
- Encourage development through stories, songs, games, drawing and imaginative play.
- Help children develop curiosity and knowledge.
- Share knowledge gained with other practitioners and build and maintain relationships with parents.
- Observe, assess and record each child's progress.
- Ensure the health and safety of children and staff is maintained during all activities, both inside and outside the nursery or school.
- Keep up to date with changes in the curriculum and developments in best practice.
- Personal care elements e.g. taking pupil to toilet / nappy changes.
Where you'll work
55 The Drive
Gateshead
NE10 9UE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
GATESHEAD COUNCIL
Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
- Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
- Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
- Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
- Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
- Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
- Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
- Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
- Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
- Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
- Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
- Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
- Use learning activities to support early language development.
- Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
- Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
- Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
- Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
- Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
- Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
- Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
- Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
- Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
- Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
- Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
- Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
- Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
- Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
- Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
- Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
- Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
- Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
- Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
- Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
- Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
- Use learning activities to support early language development.
- Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
- Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
- Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
- Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
- Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
- Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
- Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
- Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
- Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
Training schedule
Requirements
Essential 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
- Number skills
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
The Drive Community Primary School is situated in the friendly location of Felling, Gateshead. We are a growing nursery, recently offering full time three-year-old places. We are very proud of our recently ‘Good’ Ofsted outcome (November 2022) and are going from strength to strength.
Our ethos is clear, with a focus on inclusivity, high expectations, collaborative working with families and other professionals, and a well-balanced, child-led curriculum.
We communicate well with whom we work to ensure everyone involved is part of the child’s journey, promoting good progress and outcomes for all. It is part of our vision to ensure all our children reach their full potential and are prepared for Reception, and their Primary adventure.
All our staff are fully trained, and DBS checked, with ongoing CPD provided as part of our offer.
If you feel The Drive is somewhere you would like to start your own journey and want to meet our fabulous team in our superb setting, please apply through the Gateshead Learning and Skills Team.
http://www.thedriveprimary.co.uk (opens in new tab)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Progression for the right candidate.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
GATESHEAD COUNCIL
Oliver Leach
oliverleach@gateshead.gov.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000035014.
Apply now
Closes in 18 days (Monday 22 June 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.