Early Years Apprentice

Bouncing Bunnies

NORTHAMPTON (NN4 9YA)

Closes today

Posted on 15 October 2025

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Summary

The Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship (Level 2) is designed for individuals working with young children (typically from birth to 5 years old) in settings such as nurseries, preschools, or childminding services. Apprentices learn how to support children’s development, play, learning, and care needs under supervision.

• Wage:

  £14,722.50 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 practitioner (level 2)
• Hours: Monday-Friday. Shifts TBC.

  37 hours 30 minutes a week

• Start date:

  Saturday 1 November 2025

• Duration:

  1 year

• 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

• Support children's learning and play through age-appropriate activities like storytelling, arts and crafts, outdoor play, and sensory exploration.
• Help with routines such as mealtimes, nappy changing, toileting, and nap times.
• Ensure a safe and clean environment, following health and safety guidelines.
• Observe and record children’s development, helping to identify milestones and areas where support may be needed.
• Build positive relationships with children, parents, and carers, promoting trust and communication.
• Assist with planning activities that support the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.

Where you'll work

26 SAREK PARK
NORTHAMPTON
NN4 9YA

Training

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

Training provider

NORTHAMPTON COLLEGE

Training course

Early years practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
• Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
• Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
• Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
• Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
• Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
• Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
• Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
• Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
• Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
• Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
• Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
• Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
• Use learning activities to support early language development.
• Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
• Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
• Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
• Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
• Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
• Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
• Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
• Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
• Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
• Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
• Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
• Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
• Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
• Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
• Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
• Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
• Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
• Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
• Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
• Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
• Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
• Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
• Use learning activities to support early language development.
• Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
• Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
• Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
• Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
• Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
• Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
• Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
• Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
• Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.

Training schedule

1 day per week to take place at Northampton College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 3)
• Maths (grade 3)

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

Skills

• Communication skills
• Organisation skills
• Presentation skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

Must be based in or able to travel easily to the West Hunsbury area.

About this employer

I'm Susan, an OFSTED registered childminder located in West Hunsbury, Northampton.I have been a Primary School Teacher for the past 13 years, working in Primary Schools in London, Luton, Italy and Turkey. Teaching was definitely a vocation for me until the birth of my two children Francis and Elena-Rose. I really enjoyed my maternity leave, undertaking activities such as cooking, reading stories, visiting baby groups, going for walks, playing in the garden, singing songs etc and as such have decided on a change of career. And what would be better than setting up my very own childminding business! Having had experience of working within the EYFS, I feel confident that I can provide the children in my care with a fun, safe and nurturing environment in which to grow and develop at their own pace. I also aim to work alongside parents, as the primary carers to provide the best possible care. I strive to offer a home from home experience to ensure that all children feel as happy and secure as they would in their own homes.

After this apprenticeship

Opportunity to progress to Level 3 qualification.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

NORTHAMPTON COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000346326.

Apply now

Closes today

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