Apprentice Early Years Educator

Jimbo’s Community Nursery (Leeds Mencap)

LEEDS (LS9 9LU)

Closes in 11 days (Saturday 29 November 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 13 November 2025

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Summary

At Jimbos Community nursery, you will work in an organisation that is welcoming and open. You will work with a skilled and experienced team, led by a manager with over 25 years in the sector. You will have a generous annual leave allowance, company sick pay from your first day, and access to training to support you to develop in your role.

Wage

£14,918.80 to £24,126.96, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Friday. Various hours between 8.00am and 6.00pm.

38 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 10 December 2025

Duration

1 year 9 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

  • To work under the guidance of the Room Leader. 
  • To establish positive working relationships with your colleagues and any other professionals that work with children and their families.     
  • Effectively implement the setting's policies and procedures. 
  • Positively promote the children’s health, safety and general wellbeing. 
  • Protect children from danger. 
  • Liaise with parents/carers to help ensure that the particular needs of children are met and that parental choice is considered in terms of care given.
  • Select, prepare and use a range of resources suitable for children’s ages, interests and abilities, taking account of diversity and promoting equality and inclusion. 
  • Actively support the development of children’s language and communication skills.
  • Promote positive behaviour, self-control and independence through using effective behaviour management strategies and developing children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills.
  • Promote the use of informed observation and other strategies to monitor children’s activity.
  • Support the process of effective assessment, by accurately recording the children’s developmental progress.  
  • Plan and provide safe, appropriate, child-led and adult-initiated experiences, activities and play opportunities in indoor, outdoor and in out-of-setting contexts, which enable children to develop and learn.
  • Work in partnership with parents, colleagues and other professionals to ensure co-ordinated support for children with additional needs. 

Staff and Team Development: 

  • Complete a staff induction programme.
  • Attend and positively contribute to staff meetings.
  • Attend relevant training courses.

General Operational: 

  • Ensure that all Ofsted requirements are met. 
  • Ensure the efficient and hygienic upkeep of the rooms and facilities.
  • Ensure the confidentiality of information about families accessing the setting, complying with the Data Protection Act. 
  • Assess the safety of equipment and resources within the setting.
  • Keep up to date with the nutritional needs of the children, so that specialist diets are adhered to and to ensure individual feeding programmes are implemented.
  • To provide cover to deliver within the setting as needed.
  • Any other duties and tasks as requested, to support organisational activities, such as fundraising events and staff meetings. 

Where you'll work

20 VINERY TERRACE
EAST END PARK
LEEDS
LS9 9LU

Training

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

Training provider

LUMINATE EDUCATION GROUP

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

You will attend Leeds City College (Printworks campus) once a month as well as your workplace visits from your Assessor. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 9-4)
  • Maths (grade 9-4)

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this employer

Leeds Mencap run Jimbo’s Community Nursery, a purpose-built nursery in east Leeds, offering high quality care and early education for children aged 0 – 11, including after school and holiday childcare.

https://www.leedsmencap.org.uk/jimbos-nursery/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Once qualified, you will be able to apply for any internal or external vacancies.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

LUMINATE EDUCATION GROUP

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000000549.

Apply now

Closes in 11 days (Saturday 29 November 2025 at 11:59pm)

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