Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5 Apprenticeship - Cliffe House Day Nurseries

CLIFFE HOUSE DAY NURSERIES LTD

Baildon, Horsforth, Ilkley, Leeds, Pudsey, Shipley

Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 2 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 19 August 2025


Summary

Would you love the opportunity to work for an award-winning nursery group, to be immersed in the magic of children's play? The position is full-time. You will EARN AS YOU LEARN, completing your level 5 early years lead practitioner apprenticeship at nursery with our in-house, face-to-face early years tutors, with no need for college.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years lead practitioner (level 5)
Hours
40 hours across 5 days - Monday to Friday (34 hours in role in the nursery rooms and 6 hours study time/off the job hours - exact shifts to be confirmed).

40 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 1 October 2025

Duration

1 year 8 months

Positions available

7

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

  • Create awe and inspiration for the children you care for through creating exciting activities and teaching them new skills
  • Gain new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout your apprenticeship to become a qualified practitioner
  • Support all their daily needs from helping them at mealtimes, supporting their sleep needs and their well-being too
  • Teach them through a range of play types both indoors and outdoors, as well as taking them on outings to enhance their cultural experiences

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • Cliffe House Day Nursery, Baildon, BD17 6BY
  • Cliffe House Day Nurseries Featherbank, Back Featherbank Terrace, Horsforth, LS18 4SZ
  • Main Street, Burley In Wharfedale, Ilkley, LS29 7DG
  • Cliffe House Day Nurseries, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 9AL
  • Cliffe House Day Nurseries Adel, East Moor Lane, Leeds, LS16 8ND
  • Technico House, 171 Richardshaw Lane, Stanningley, Pudsey, LS28 6AA
  • Unit 2, Peel House, 2 Taunton Street, Shipley, BD18 3NA

Training

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

Training provider

CLIFFE HOUSE DAY NURSERIES LIMITED

Training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
  • Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
  • Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
  • Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
  • Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
  • Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
  • Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
  • Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
  • Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
  • Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
  • Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
  • Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
  • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
  • Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
  • Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
  • Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
  • Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
  • Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
  • Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
  • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
  • Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
  • Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
  • Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
  • Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
  • Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
  • Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
  • Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
  • Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
  • Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
  • Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
  • Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
  • Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
  • Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
  • Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
  • Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
  • Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
  • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
  • Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
  • Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
  • Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
  • Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
  • Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
  • Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
  • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
  • Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
  • Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
  • Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
  • Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .

Training schedule

  • Working towards a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship standard, including any necessary Functional Skills.
  • All training will take place at Cliffe House Day Nurseries
  • This will be delivered to you face-to-face, with your own dedicated tutor, whether one-to-one or in small groups with other students. Group sizes are max of 6 students
  • Your coaching sessions happen once a month or more often if needed, the training is unique and tailored to your learning needs, we come to you!
  • Training schedule is unique to each student to meet your individual needs
  • Support is always here; this is something we pride ourselves on and the consistency of the same tutor throughout your course

More training information

  • Cliffe House Training are a unique training provider who has developed their academy to ensure that support is always there for its learners
  • They value their delivery of face-to-face learning sessions, unique to you as the student
  • You will receive your own online learning platform to submit and receive your work and everything is developed in a manageable way, all learning is completed in your contacted hours

Requirements

Essential qualifications

Other in:

Early Years Educator (grade Pass)

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

About this employer

Cliffe House is a family run business with our staff well-being at the heart of our success. We pride ourselves in helping staff excel in their childcare journey with us and this year we celebrate 27 years since we first started this amazing journey providing a home from home for lifelong learning.

http://www.cliffehousedaynurseries.co.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

- A great holiday allowance. - Annual salary reviews. - Annual Christmas party. - Dress down days. - Nursery uniform provided for you. - Christmas Closure. - Refer a friend scheme. - Discounted childcare.

After this apprenticeship

  • This can lead to a career as a head of room/senior practitioner, deputy or nursery manager as well as many other senior early years roles

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CLIFFE HOUSE DAY NURSERIES LIMITED

Tori Doherty

tori@cliffehousetrainingacademy.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000337823.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Tuesday 2 September 2025 at 11:59pm)

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