Early Years Apprentice

BRIGHT STARS CHILDCARE LIMITED

8 Horse Fair (OX16 0AA)

Closes on Friday 29 August 2025

Posted on 25 July 2025


Summary

Are you a passionate early year practitioner looking to continue to develop your career in an award-winning nursery setting? Child First Nursery Banbury has a great opportunity to train as an Early Years Educator Apprentice and gain your level 3 whilst supporting children's learning, play and development and building key relationships.

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday - shifts to be agreed at offer stage.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 8 September 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

Child First Nursery Banbury is seeking a passionate and dedicated Nursery Apprentice who is eager to work with children and pursue a Level 3 Early Years qualification. As an outstanding nursery that trains up to 10 apprentices each year, we offer a strong support network and a high standard of training. As an Apprentice Nursery Educator, you will be part of a friendly and welcoming team, responsible for a group of key children, planning engaging activities, and completing observations to support their development. You will ensure the safeguarding and welfare of all children, comply with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, and help create a safe, fun, and stimulating learning environment. Building positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues is central to this role. Located in two of Banbury’s most historic buildings and overlooking the iconic Banbury Cross, our nursery offers a unique and inspiring setting for children to learn and grow. In return, we offer a range of benefits including a uniform, access to CPD through Noodle Now, 20 days of holiday (plus an additional day for each year of continuous service), childcare discounts, and a refer-a-friend scheme.

Where you'll work

8 Horse Fair
OX16 0AA

Training

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

Training provider

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

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

Your full role and responsibilities will be set out by your employer. They will provide you with all the on-the-job training you need to up-skill in your role, and your 20% off-the-job learning will be incorporated as part of your working day.

You will be working towards the Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard, which includes:

  • Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
  • Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
  • Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English (if required)

This will be delivered by your dedicated training provider, Realise.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths and English (grade Grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Patience
  • Team working

Other requirements

DBS and references required, DBS paid for by company.

About this employer

Being at the heart of our community is really important to the nursery. Once a month we facilitate a Forest School near the children’s play area for our two – five year olds at People’s Park. We are open full-time from 7:30am – 6:00pm caring for children from 3 months to 5 years. Our philosophy is that every child we care for deserves a calm, caring, safe and stimulating environment in which to learn. Taking care of our staff’s wellbeing is of prime importance to us and we are proud to have been voted the 14th best place to work in the whole of the UK.

After this apprenticeship

A full-time qualified position for the right candidate on completion of the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000333876.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 29 August 2025

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