Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5 Apprenticeship
ABACUS ARK LTD
Recruiting nationally
Closes on Saturday 1 August 2026
Posted on 23 June 2026
Contents
Summary
Ready to take the next step in your early years career? This Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship is designed for experienced practitioners looking to develop their leadership skills while continuing to support children's learning and development.
- Wage
-
£16,640 to £26,436.80, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday - Working between the hours 7.30am - 6.30pm - 4 days a week
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Wednesday 2 September 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
- Support children's learning, development, and wellbeing
Lead high-quality practice within the setting - Support and mentor colleagues to deliver excellent outcomes for children
- Plan and implement engaging learning experiences
- Build positive relationships with children, families, and professionals
- Contribute to creating a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment
Where you'll work
- Become part or our talent pool and we will match you with employers to start your apprenticeship.
- Personalised support from the Apprenticeship Recruitment Team
- There's no guarantee of a placement, but the team will try their best to match you
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BEST PRACTICE NETWORK 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
What You’ll Gain:
- A Level 5 Early Years Lead Educator qualification
- Valuable hands-on experience in a nursery environment
- Support and mentoring from experienced early years professionals
- Online learning delivered by Best Practice Network
- The opportunity to build a long-term career in early years education, with potential for a permanent role
Requirements
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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
- DBS
About this employer
Abacus Ark was founded in 2012 by Anthony Ioannou, inspired by a long family tradition in early childhood education. His grandmother, Angela Carrington, opened Toddlers Inn Nursery School in St John’s Wood, where his mother Laura later helped expand the family’s vision for nurturing, play-based learning. It was also where Anthony began his own early years journey – an experience that shaped his understanding of the power of care, curiosity, and community.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
- Potential to progression to manager role
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000038756.
Apply now
Closes on Saturday 1 August 2026