Early Years Apprentice
KENT COLLEGE, CANTERBURY
Harbledown (CT2 9AQ)
Closes in 30 days (Friday 28 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 29 July 2026
Contents
Summary
Kent College Junior School offers an exciting opportunity for an Early Years Apprentice to support quality care and education across nursery and school settings. You will help create a nurturing, engaging environment, support children’s learning and development, and gain valuable hands-on experience working with a range of age groups.
- Wage
-
£13,728 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
33 hours per week, term-time only (35 weeks per year).
33 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 14 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 9 months
- Positions available
-
3
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
- Contribute to the day to day organisation of the nursery in line with EYFS requirements 2025, Safeguarding and Welfare requirements, the Childcare Act 2006 and Health and Safety legislation.
- Ensure close supervision of children within the setting at all times
- Maintain and record observations of children’s play, behaviour and developmental progress
- Support and assist children with learning, development and play activities.
- Help prepare and maintain a high-quality play and learning environment.
- Keep confidential all information concerning children, families and staff.
- Work flexibly across different rooms and age groups as required.
- Be willing to undertake any other duties appropriate to the role.
Where you'll work
Kent College Junior School
Church Hill
Harbledown
CT2 9AQ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
EKC GROUP
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
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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
About this employer
Our Junior School provides a happy, safe and stimulating environment where pupils are guided and educated to be kind, open, responsible and respectful young people. Whether they’re learning to read or even down at the farm, they learn through being adventurous, inquisitive and reflective; secure in a warm, happy and stimulating environment.
https://kentcollege.com/junior-school (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Contributory Pension Scheme TPT
- Generous training and mentoring package
- Benenden health care
- Free lunch in term-time
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
This could lead to a successful and rewarding career in Early Years.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
EKC GROUP
Eleanor Jarlett
eleanor.jarlett@ekcgroup.ac.uk
01227811315
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000039149.
Apply now
Closes in 30 days (Friday 28 August 2026 at 11:59pm)