Childcare Apprenticeship – Level 3 Early Years Educator

ACORNS2OAKS LIMITED

CROYDON (CR0 4YD)

Closes on Tuesday 8 July 2025

Posted on 8 May 2025

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Contents

Summary

This apprenticeship is ideal for someone with some prior knowledge and experience within a nursery or school setting and especially someone passionate in childcare and early years, looking to further their career.

Wage

£11,778 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Apprentices are required to be as flexible as possible to meet the needs of the business. The average working week will be between 30-40 hours, Monday to Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.

30 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 22 July 2025

Duration

1 year 2 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

  • Providing an excellent range of activities that ensures that the child learns whilst having fun.
  • Supporting children’s learning and development, including supporting planning and observations.
  • Preparing and maintaining the environment and resources for the children.
  • Preparation of food for breakfast, snack and afternoon tea.
  • Supporting children’s self-help needs.
  • Being creative and enthusiastic.
  • Following safeguarding rules.
  • Undertaking First Aid training as required.
  • Undertaking training as appropriate to meet any changes in standards or appropriate legal requirements as required.
  • Ensuring that all Health and Hygiene requirements are always adhered to. 

Where you'll work

NULL FRANKLIN WAY
CROYDON
CR0 4YD

Training

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

College or training organisation

SWIFT ACI

Your 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.

Your training plan

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

More training information

You will gain a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification at the end of the course.

  • All training is completed remotely via teams, your tutor will be there to support you throughout and visit your setting.
  • Online remote training sessions will take place once every week for the first 8 weeks, and they’ll be scheduled as and when.
  • You will complete your Level 3 Paediatric First Aid.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4/C or Functional Skills 2)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths (grade 4/C or Functional Skills 2)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this company

Acorn 2 Oaks nurseries is a welcoming environment with two sites across Croydon (Peppermint and Canterbury). Their vision is to create a place that values caring, respectful relationships. They believe that all children have the right to be understood as individuals and to be given time and opportunity to grow from 18 months old to 4 years old. Children are able to enjoy the nurseries indoor and outdoor spaces in a free-flow approach.

https://www.acorns2oaksnurseries.net/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Developing into a Level 3 practitioner, with the potential of a permanent position upon successful completion. Other prospects could include applying for:

  • Room Leader Positions
  • Possible Management training
  • Springboard into Primary Education
  • Paediatric nursing
  • Continuous development in current nursery setting

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SWIFT ACI

Hannah Shorney

hls@swiftcc.co.uk

02034751326

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000319412.

Apply now

Closes on Tuesday 8 July 2025

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