Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprentice
Leeds City Council
Leeds (5 available locations)
Closes in 17 days (Friday 12 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 24 November 2025
Contents
Summary
An exciting opportunity to support the provision of a stimulating and effective Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, which will enhance children’s emotional, social, physical and intellectual development. To support the provision of high-quality childcare that meets the professional inspection standards.
- Wage
-
£24,480 a year
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday. Term time only and all year-round posts are available dependent on centre. (8am to 6pm working shift pattern). Exact shifts TBC.
37 hours a week.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 16 March 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 4 months
- Positions available
-
11
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 support the team to provide high quality care and education for all children and support for families
- To support the team to provide a broad and balanced Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that will meet the requirements of relevant national and local standards
- To learn how to follow Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and the Early Support Programme for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and implement that learning in the workplace
- To learn to observe and monitor children’s development and contribute to written reports of their progress and to implement that learning in the workplace
- To report any injury or accident, ensuring that the health and safety of the individual is maintained
- To support the team to provide educational visits for children and families, observing health and safety policies
- To understand and support Leeds City Council and Departmental Policies, including those on Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety
- To undertake other duties commensurate with the post or grade as required by the Department
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Little Owls Nursery Armley Moor, 95 Town Street, Armley, Leeds, LS12 3HD
- Little Owls Nursery Hunslet Rylestone, Whitfield Avenue, Hunslet, Leeds, LS10 2QE
- Fairfield Street, Leeds, LS13 3DT
- Church Street, Hunslet, Leeds, LS10 2QY
- 4 Quarry Street, Leeds, LS6 2JU
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 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
Early Years Practitioner Level 2.
An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
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
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
Candidates will need to be available to attend an information session on Wednesday 15th January 2026 (both morning and afternoon sessions available). Successful candidates will need to be available for panel interviews the week commencing 26/01/2026 and week commencing 02/02/2026.
About this employer
Leeds City Council Children’s Services directorate has 30 Little Owls Nurseries across Leeds with full day care and term time only settings employing more than 600 staff and is the largest childcare employer in Leeds. The Local Authority has been operating childcare for more than 20 years and is highly committed to the apprenticeship program. The entry level position of apprentice childcare assistant is designed to give applicants an opportunity to gain experience working in childcare while studying for a level 2 qualification.
After this apprenticeship
At the end of the apprenticeship, the successful candidate may be offered the opportunity to progress within the setting.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
LUMINATE EDUCATION GROUP
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000002130.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Friday 12 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
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