Early Years Apprentice

SANDYTOTS LIMITED

STAFFORD (ST16 3NQ)

Closes in 8 days (Thursday 4 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 25 November 2025

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Contents

Summary

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and committed Early Years Apprentice to join our team of highly committed staff providing high quality care and a wide range of stimulating and fun experiences that will help children develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them make sense of the world in which we live.

Wage

£13,728 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday. Times to be confirmed.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 12 January 2026

Duration

1 year 3 months

Positions available

2

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 help children acquire self-help skills, including dressing, feeding, toilet training and an awareness of personal hygiene as an important element of planning to support learning and development
  • To act as key person for a group of children, by observing, monitoring and accurately recording each child’s individual development
  • Ensure that all your key children have an accurate up to date record of their learning and achievements
  • Implement positive management of children’s behaviour
  • Be proactive in the use of reflective practice to help develop and improve own practice and working environment
  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of effective relationships with parents and other agencies
  • To support the transitions throughout the nursery and to mainstream school
  • To assist in the daily domestic management of the nursery, including ensuring that the nursery is kept safe, secure and clean at all times. Be prepared to help where needed in preparation of snack, meals, cleaning of equipment and doing laundry etc.
  • To work in partnership with fellow colleagues to create an effective nursery team and be fully involved in all activities associated with the nursery
  • Preparation, care, cleanliness and maintenance of the playrooms and equipment
  • To clean up after activities ensuring equipment is stored properly
  • To work under supervision to maintain records and documentation that complies with statutory requirements
  • To be aware and comply with nursery’s child protection policy, confidentiality procedures and other nursery policies and procedures
  • In consultation with Room Manager, Assistant Room Manager assist in identifying suitable care plans when accommodating children with special educational needs
  • To ensure that quality handovers are given to parents on collection in accordance with collection procedures
  • To share in the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in the nursery
  • To ensure that all cleaning records are written and filed for evidence
  • To report and record all accidents, incidents and to be aware of all risk assessments within the nursery
  • To implement the necessary health and safety, fire, accident and emergency procedures in accordance with Sandytots policies.
  • To report any signs of illness, neglect or apparently non accidental injury directly to the Room supervisor/ Assistant or a senior member of the management team
  • Providing comfort and warmth to a poorly child, ensuring that the senior team is made aware of the child’s progress
  • To assist in the organisation of the room and help to ensure that the staff/child ratios are maintained at all times
  • To attend staff meeting the first Wednesday of each month Participate in regular parent’s evening, open weekends and children’s outings
  • Keep up to date with developments in childcare through regular training as appropriate
  • Ensure that practices fully embrace the company’s equality of opportunity policy at all times
  • To ensure that everyone is treated as individuals with respect and full consideration
  • Ensure that the requirements of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are fully supported via appropriate programmes
  • To assist in the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds
  • To assist in the provision of a high quality environment

Where you'll work

STAFFORD CHILDRENS CENTRE
FARADAY ROAD
STAFFORD
ST16 3NQ

Training

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

Training provider

NEWCASTLE AND STAFFORD COLLEGES GROUP

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

  • Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard
  • You will spend 4 days a week in the work place and one day a week at Stafford College

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 3/D or above)
  • Maths (grade 3/D or above)

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience
  • Good Telephone Manner
  • Good Listening Skills
  • Computer Literacy
  • Good Timekeeping

Other requirements

You may be required to perform duties, appropriate to the post, other than those given in the job specification. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to the post may also be varied without changing the general character of the duties to the level of responsibility entailed. As a result of the variations it will be necessary to update the job specification from time to time.

About this employer

At Sandytots, we have high expectations of ourselves. We aim to provide high quality care and a wide range of stimulating and fun experiences that will help children develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them make sense of the world in which we live.

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

After this apprenticeship

Upon successful completion of your apprenticeship, you will have the opportunity to apply for any appropriate vacancy available at that time. It is our firm commitment to offer a permanent position wherever possible upon completion of your level 2 with the potential to progress to your level 3 qualification.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

NEWCASTLE AND STAFFORD COLLEGES GROUP

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000001482.

Apply now

Closes in 8 days (Thursday 4 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

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