Apprentice Early Years Practitioner

Summary

A great opportunity has arisen for an apprentice to work at our Forest School Nursery based at the wonderful site of Broomfield Hall. You will support children within the nursery to reach their own individual potential and ensure all the children in your care are in a happy, safe, and stimulating environment.

Wage

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

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Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday, shifts to be confirmed.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

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

To undertake a programme of activities suitable for the age and stage of development of the children in your care.
To provide high level care for the children in your care.
To support colleagues and engage in good team practice including children’s learning journeys and planning for individual needs.
To keep up to date with safeguarding issues relating to the nursery children, families and staff.
To use the outdoor environment as an extension of the indoor environment.
To work flexibly within the working practice of the nursery.
To provide a professional customer service to children and parents.
To take responsibility for ones own professional development and continually update as necessary.
To comply with Equal Opportunities policies and to assist in the development of Equal Opportunities.
To comply with all Health & Safety, Child Protection & Safeguarding, Risk Management policy and legislation in the performance of the duties of the post.
To take reasonable care of your own health, safety and welfare and that of any other person who may be affected by your actions or omissions whilst at work. You are also required to co-operate with the College to enable it to fulfil its legal obligations.
Appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision will be provided to enable you to perform your duties in a manner that is deemed safe and without risk to health.
To comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act.
To adhere to the College’s Computer Network Acceptable Use Policy.
To undertake risk assessments for any new activity and to ensure risk assessment checks are carried out for any on-going activity.
To carry out any other reasonable duties within the overall function, commensurate with the grading and level of responsibility of the job.

Where you'll work

Broomfield Hall Campus
Morley
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 6DN

Training

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

College or training organisation

DCG

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

You will work 4 days per week working with the employer, gaining work
experience and learning skills on the job. You will complete college training at Derby College 1 day per week.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade C/4 or above)
Maths (grade C/4 or above)

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

Basic Food Hygiene (grade Pass)
First Aid (grade Pass)

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
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Team working
Creative
Non judgemental
Patience
Physical fitness
Caring
Willing to work with children
Enthusiasm
Knowledge of nursery practices

About this company

Little Explorers Forest School is a unique 54-place nursery, set in the 450 acre picturesque grounds of the historic Broomfield Hall, on Derby College's land based campus in Morley. We provide high-quality care for children aged from three months to five years. Ofsted rate us as ‘Outstanding’ in all aspects of our work. Strengths included visionary leadership and a vibrant learning environment. Little Explorers believe that all children have the right to quality care and education in a safe, well-organised and attractive environment. This is reflected through the diverse range of indoor and outdoor experiences offered to our Little Explorers, supported by a team of qualified, experienced and highly motivated staff. Little Explorers ethos focuses on the daily exploration and investigation of the fantastic outdoor surroundings and promotes learning in a variety of styles that maximise each child's personal, social, emotional, and behavioural development. The daily Forest School sessions support children's physical development and wellbeing, they learn to take manageable risks, know their own capabilities and as they pass through the nursery understand about respecting themselves, tolerance of others and respecting their natural and local environment. Little Explorers has well established environmentally friendly practices for the children, including an organic vegetable garden and a poly tunnel green house. The children plant, tend to, harvest their own crop where possible and enjoy collecting the eggs from the on-site farm. The indoor environment reflects the overall offer at Little Explorers and has been carefully created to facilitate children's curiosity, learning and development. The use of natural materials, colour, quality resources and rich open-ended play encourages children's problem solving, creativity and cognitive development.

https://littleforestexplorers.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

20 days holiday, LGPS pension scheme, DCG employee benefits.

After this apprenticeship

Become a qualified Early Years Practitioner. There is the potential to continue working within DCG dependant on company needs and available vacancies.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

DCG

Chloe Westhead

chloe.westhead@derby-college.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000331123.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Friday 25 July 2025 at 11:59pm)

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