Apprentice Early Years Practitioner

Popcorn Nursery

LONDON (N14 6QY)

Closes on Thursday 1 October 2026

Posted on 23 June 2026

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Summary

We are looking for a caring, enthusiastic, and reliable individual to join our nursery. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience supporting children's learning and development while working towards a recognised childcare qualification. 

Wage

£14,560 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 12 October 2026

Duration

1 year 5 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

  • To provide a safe, caring, stimulating educational environment, both indoors and outdoors, at all times.
  • To deliver an appropriate play based Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum that enables children to make individual progress.
  • To help ensure the preschool nursery meets Ofsted requirements at all times.
  • To understand and work to preschool nursery policies and procedures, including how to deal with child protection issues appropriately and how to respond to incidents, accidents, complaints and emergencies.
  • To plan activities which ensure each child is working towards the early learning outcomes and provide support where necessary to get them on track towards meeting these targets.
  • To be a key person. Ensuring key children’s records are properly maintained, observations are carried out regularly and spontaneously where appropriate and progress is being tracked along with the guidelines set out in the ‘EYFS’ and ‘Early learning goals’.
  • Maintain general records at the setting, e.g. daily attendance register, accident and incident logs, risk assessments.
  • To liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the nursery and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement.
  • To work in partnership with senior management to update and review the self-evaluation and improvement plan.
  • To undertake any other reasonable duties as directed, in accordance with the preschool aims and objectives.

Where you'll work

WOODLANDS CLUBHOUSE
PRIORY HOSPITAL GROUNDS
THE BOURNE
LONDON
N14 6QY

Training

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

Training provider

FIRST RUNG 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

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Desirable 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
  • Organisation skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Creative
  • Patience

Other requirements

Note: If you do not have the desirable qualifications or work experience, First Rung can assist you with training and work experience opportunities. Please do not contact the employer directly – all enquiries must go through First Rung.

About this employer

Popcorn is a family run Nursery, which opened in 1991 and that has been operating from our current location in Southgate since 1996. We offer a safe environment for children to learn and grow and we promote the development of our children through play based activities and learning. We are located in a woodlands area that provides a fun, safe and exciting environment for the children to play.

http://www.popcornnursery.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

The successful candidate can go onto further training, or into employment.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

FIRST RUNG LIMITED

Sabreena

svalydon@firstrung.org.uk

07495464797

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000035763.

Apply now

Closes on Thursday 1 October 2026