Early Years Educator Apprentice - Level 3
LADYBIRD NURSERIES LONDON LIMITED
Penge (SE20 7BE)
Closes in 29 days (Friday 28 November 2025)
Posted on 23 October 2025
Contents
Summary
Ladybirds Nursery are looking for an apprentice eligible to complete their level 3 apprenticeship in Early Years. As an Apprentice you will be trained to undertake the same responsibilities as an Early Years Practitioner, supported by an award winning training provider. Sound like something that might interest you? Read more about the role below
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
40 hours a week Monday to Friday (shifts agreed at offer stage)
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Sunday 30 November 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
Ladybirds Nursery Penge are delighted to have an opportunity for an Apprentice to join their team. As an Early Years Apprentice you will be trained on the job to give you a true representation of what it is like to work in a day nursery. You will be allocated a buddy who you will work alongside, and you will work towards undertaking the role of a key person. Within the role of Apprentice, you will attend training days with our training providers.
Duties
• You will work as part of a team planning, monitoring and evaluating activities for children from birth to approximately five years of age
• You will be responsible for the care and education of the children in the room within a key person structure
• Support in ensuring the environment is stimulating and appropriate including layout, display of resources, displays and equal opportunities
• Assist with the daily, weekly and monthly checks around the nursery
• Ensuring the safeguarding and welfare of the children in the room at all times is essential
• You will work to the Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS Statutory Framework
• To support qualified staff with daily routines in the nursery
• To learn the skills of a nursery nurse, on the job, working practically as part of the team
• To learn how to provide high quality childcare to our children
• Understand the importance of keeping everyone safe and the part you play
• To never be left unsupervised with the children
• To gain a good understanding of child development and how this is important when caring for children
• To contribute/complete children’s observations and records where required
About you
• You should have a strong interest in working with children to help them develop and grow
• You should show the dedication to be able to complete the apprenticeship
• You need to have at least a C Grade in GCSE maths or English or be willing to complete your functional skills alongside your apprenticeship
• You should demonstrate a good work ethic and be able to communicate effectively with the people around you, making sure that you treat both other staff and children with respect and care at all times
Where you'll work
Station House
Penge East Railway Station,
Penge
SE20 7BE
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 of 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
Desirable qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical Skills
- Attention to detail
- caring
- Communication Skills
- Creative
- Customer care skills
- Friendly
- Initiative
- IT skills
- Logical
- Maths and English
- Non judgemental
- Number skills
- Organisation skills
- Patience
- Patient
- Physical fitness
- Presentation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- understanding
Other requirements
Ladybirds Nurseries is committed to Safer Recruitment, therefore this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and at least 2 satisfactory references
About this employer
We are a group of nurseries which has been run by the same family since 1995. Since then, we have always maintained a strong family ethos and invite our parents to be involved every step of the way. This is something that we believe to be at the heart of Ladybird and vital to our nurseries. With a wealth of experience and knowledge in providing the best education and care for children, we believe in creating a warm, nurturing and home-from-home environment, allowing each child to fulfil their potential in the early years
After this apprenticeship
On completion of your level 3 apprenticeship 12-15 months, there may be opportunities to be promoted to a full time Early Years Practitioner and we will work with you to create a continuous development plan and learning pathway to reach your future career goals within the Early Years sector
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000348000.
Apply now
Closes in 29 days (Friday 28 November 2025)
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