Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship

Charlotte Nursery and Infant School

Ilkeston (DE7 8LQ)

Closes in 24 days (Sunday 23 August 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 29 July 2026

Print

Contents

Summary

We are looking for a kind, friendly and hardworking person who enjoys working with and supporting young children in a busy and fun environment. We offer experienced and supportive staff to guide you through your apprenticeship. Full training as well as focused college time will be given.

Wage

£15,392 to £24,454.04, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday 8am- 4pm Term time only- 39 weeks a year.

37 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 3 September 2026

Duration

1 year 6 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

  • You will be working along side and supporting our small nursery team
  • Our nursery offers children 30 and 15 hr places and you will be supporting them inside and outside with play
  • You will be supporting children over lunchtime in the dinner hall, helping them to become independent
  • You will work with children delivering small group activities linked to topics and learning focus’
  • You will communicate with parents and staff
  • You will need to read and follow all school policies, especially relating to safeguarding
  • Participate in all annual staff training

Where you'll work

Charlotte Nursery and Infant School
Trinity Close
Ilkeston
DE7 8LQ

Training

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

Training provider

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

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

The Apprenticeship Scheme is run in conjunction with a training provider to ensure that you are supported by a first-class training programme. You will attend a class or workshop once a week- either face to face or online- from one of our Adult Education Centres, located across the county, which will enable you to achieve the following qualifications: 

  • Teaching Assistant apprenticeship Level 3
  • Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours to enable you to enter gateway for the End Point Assessment
  • Functional Skills at Level 2, English, maths, if required

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade A*-C or 9-4)
  • Maths (grade A*-C or 9-4)

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
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

  • Nursery is a busy and fast paced environment and candidates need to be comfortable in setting

About this employer

We are a large infant School in Ilkeston with nearly 300 children aging from Nursery to Year 2.  

http://www.charlotte-school.co.uk (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

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

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

  • Working in an educational or private Nursery setting

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000045218.

Apply now

Closes in 24 days (Sunday 23 August 2026 at 11:59pm)