Early Years Educator Apprenticeship - Level 3

COTTON TAILS NURSERIES LTD

Birmingham (B32 2AD)

Closes in 13 days (Friday 10 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 26 September 2025

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Summary

An Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship trains individuals to support children's learning and development from birth to five. It covers planning activities, safeguarding, communication with families, and promoting health and well-being, preparing learners for professional childcare roles.

• Wage:

  £15,704 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: Monday to Friday - 7:30 am - 6pm Maximum of 40 hours per week

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 20 October 2025

• Duration:

  1 year 6 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

• Assist in providing a safe, stimulating, and caring environment for children aged 0–5 years.
• Support children’s physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development through planned activities and play.
• Work with colleagues to plan, deliver, and evaluate engaging activities in line with the EYFS framework.
• Build positive and professional relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.
• Help to ensure that the nursery’s policies and procedures, including safeguarding and health & safety, are consistently followed.
• Contribute to maintaining accurate children’s records, observations, and assessments.
• Engage in training, reflective practice, and continuous professional development to achieve your Level 3 qualification.

Where you'll work

407 Hagley Rd West,
Birmingham
B32 2AD

Training

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

Training provider

HALESOWEN COLLEGE

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

On-the-job learning in a nursery or early years setting (4–5 days per week)
College-based sessions: 2 days per month at Halesowen College

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths and English (grade 4)

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

Other requirements

"Applicants must successfully complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to be considered for this position."

About this employer

Cotton Tails at Quinton is a day nursery located in Quinton, Birmingham, offering childcare for children from birth to five years old in a safe and stimulating environment. As part of the Cotton Tails Nurseries group, the Quinton nursery features age-appropriate rooms and provides freshly prepared meals and nappies, with a focus on learning through play and building a child-centered environment.

After this apprenticeship

After a Level 3 Early Years Apprenticeship, progression typically includes roles like Room Leader or Senior Early Years Practitioner. With experience and further qualifications (e.g., Level 4/5), you can advance to Nursery Manager, Early Years Teacher, or specialist roles in childcare leadership and education.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HALESOWEN COLLEGE

Tess Harris

tessharris@halesowen.ac.uk

01216027777

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000343987.

Apply now

Closes in 13 days (Friday 10 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

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