Early Years Apprentice
MERRY POPPETS NURSERY LTD
Bedfordshire (SG16 6HE)
Closes on Sunday 27 September 2026
Posted on 26 August 2026
Contents
Summary
Our Henlow site are looking for two individuals who are passionate about helping children learn, develop, and thrive in a safe environment. The ideal candidate will: Be caring, reliable, and enthusiastic. Have genuine passion for supporting children's learning and development. Be committed to safeguarding, promoting the welfare of children.
- Wage
-
£15,808 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Pay: Increases when qualified and successful in apprenticeship and offered a permanent position
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday 8.00am - 5.00pm or 9.00am - 6.00pm.
38 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 5 October 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
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 practitioners in providing high-quality care and education
- Observe children and help extend their learning through planned activities that meet their individual needs and interests
- Maintain accurate records and documentation as required
- Work in partnership with parents, carers, family members, and colleagues to continually improve the quality of care and education provided
- Help ensure that children are kept safe and that safeguarding and child protection procedures are followed at all times
- Contribute to creating a positive, stimulating, and inclusive learning environment
Where you'll work
Derwent Road
Henlow
Bedfordshire
SG16 6HE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE 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
- Support to achieve Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours as laid out in the apprenticeship standard
- Support from an experienced assessor to assessor work and practice
- Individual learning programme, tailored to own needs
- E-learning, training and monthly tutorials specific to your apprenticeship
- Mentor and support in the workplace
- A minimum of 6 hours per week during paid time to be used for learning and development opportunities
- English and maths Functional Skills (if required)
- Support to achieve Apprenticeship Assessment
- At the end of the apprenticeship you will obtain the Early years educator level 3 apprenticeship
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
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
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Before you apply, take a moment to think about the following:
- How are you going to cope with completing routine tasks alongside more challenging ones?
- How do you feel about regular use of a computer
- What will you wear?
- How are you going to travel to work and get to any off-site learning?
- How easy will you find it to abide by policies and procedures, including use of mobile devices and social media at work?
- How are you going to balance work, study and home - they’re equally important
About this employer
Merry Poppets aim is to deliver outstanding service through forward looking. The nursery was founded in 2006 and comprises of 4 settings delivering childcare and education to children from birth to 5 years of age. The company recognizes that co operative and effective team work is essential to the success of the nursery. The nursery welcomes each new colleague and it is through goodwill that effective relationships grow.
http://www.merrypoppets.co.uk (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Private Healthcare Plan available following the successful completion of a three-month probationary period
- 20% discount on nursery fees for staff parents
- Ongoing training, professional development opportunities
- Bespoke in-house bonus and incentive scheme, including staff recognition rewards, opportunities to earn additional annual leave
- A family-owned company that actively supports staff wellbeing and mental health
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
An opportunity to interview for a permanent full time role.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE COUNCIL
Amy Green
admin1@merrypoppets.co.uk
01462 850242
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000050184.
Apply now
Closes on Sunday 27 September 2026