Level 3 Early Years Apprentice
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Essex (SS8 9DP)
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 7 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 20 November 2025
Contents
Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to earn-while-you-learn in a government funded apprenticeship. You will be assisting in the high-quality childcare for children placed in the nursery in a way that will meet their physical, social, emotional, intellectual and developmental needs as directed by you line manager.
- Wage
-
£12,955.80 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)
£7.55 Per Hour for the First Year of the Apprenticeship. Remainder of Apprenticeship Wage rising to National Minimum Wage for Age.
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday = Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm (including a 30-minute
unpaid lunch break each day)
4 days per week in school and one day per week for studying
Term time only plus INSET days
33 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 15 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
The following are the core responsibilities of the Early Years
Practitioner. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out
other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and
staffing levels:
- To help children with feeding, serving meals, changing clothes,
toileting and nappies - Assist with laundry
- Help maintain the hygiene standards at all times
- Provide comfort and support to an unwell child
- To ensure mealtimes are a time of pleasant social sharing and
communication - To report any signs of illness, neglect or apparently non-accidental injury
- Ensure each child is collected in accordance with the collection
procedure - Record accidents as instructed
- To contribute to the implementation of appropriate programmes
- To have a full understanding of the nursery systems of record
keeping and keep full records of activities as appropriate - To assist in the provision of attractive and stimulating range of
equipment, activities and displays, indoors and out, relevant to the ages and needs of the children, which encourages independence, self-confidence, self-motivation and eagerness to learn in line with the EYFS - To become familiar with the national standards, EYFS, ECM and
Ofsted guidelines and recommendations of good practice and to
assist in their implementation - To become aware of all children’s needs including educational
needs, EAL and Gifted and Talented - To have a comprehensive knowledge of all the school policies and systems and support the adherence to them
- To share in the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the
welfare of all children within the school
Where you'll work
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Vaagen Road
Canvey Island
Essex
SS8 9DP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
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
Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C/4)
- Maths (grade C/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
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Number skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Literacy skills
- Flexible & Adaptable
- Understanding of Wellbeing
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
- Remain Calm under pressure
- Knowledge of First Aid
- Good Time Management
- Motivated
- Resilient
- Approachable
Other requirements
4 days on the job training and 1 day per week Studying. During your apprenticeship you will be assigned a Trainer and will work towards the Early Years Educator standard (level 3) which has highly transferable knowledge, skills and behaviours which can be applied across all sectors. Your Tutor will meet with you virtually every two weeks with onsite observations and formal reviews taking place every 12 weeks. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to pre employment checks and Enhanced DBS clearance. References will be sought and an online search carried out on applicants as part of our due diligence. Before a formal offer of employment is made, the school’s application form must be completed.
About this employer
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is one of 8 primary schools in the Assisi Catholic Trust. St Joseph’s currently have 198 pupils on roll aged 4-11 with one class in each year group. The school aims to create and sustain an environment in which all people involved - children, staff and parents - may grow in their faith and in their love of God developing respect for themselves and an awareness of the needs and gifts of others. We wish all children in our care to be happy and independent in a positive and encouraging atmosphere developing their own potential and through the experience provided gaining knowledge and skills necessary for their development. We are a Catholic School but applications for employment are equally welcome from non-Catholics who support our Catholic ethos.
After this apprenticeship
- The Trust has a very successful record with its apprenticeship-training package and although not guaranteed, many apprentices have gained permanent employment at the end of their training
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000001717.
Apply now
Closes in 15 days (Sunday 7 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
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