Childcare Apprenticeship - Gloucester
Ridgemount Cottage Nursery Ltd
73 Ermin StreetGloucester (GL3 4EH)
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 26 February 2026)
Posted on 22 January 2026
Contents
Summary
Ridgemount Cottage Nursery are looking for a new Apprentice. You will be studying toward your Early Years Educator apprenticeship L3. You must have already obtained your Level 2 Early Years Practitioner to apply for this role.
- Wage
-
£26,624 a year
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, (08:00 - 17:30)
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Thursday 5 March 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 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
Ridgemount Cottage Nursery School is a long established, family run nursery in the heart of Brockworth. It offers a warm, nurturing environment for children from babies up to preschool age, with a strong focus on outdoor learning and exploration. The setting includes woodland areas, gardens, and adventure spaces that encourage curiosity, creativity and confidence. Indoors, children benefit from cosy, natural play spaces designed to support a wide range of interests and developmental stages. The nursery embraces community involvement, with regular local visits and family events to help children feel connected to the world around them.
An Early Years Apprentice plays a hands-on role in supporting the care, learning, and development of young children while working toward their Level 3 Early Years qualification. They help create a warm, nurturing, and engaging environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to learn through play. Apprentices assist with daily routines such as mealtimes, personal care, activity setup, and tidying, while gradually taking on more responsibility as their confidence and skills grow.
As they progress, they begin to observe children’s development, contribute ideas for activities, and support planned learning experiences in line with the EYFS framework. Throughout the apprenticeship, they learn from experienced practitioners, developing strong communication skills, safeguarding awareness, and the ability to build positive relationships with children and families.
If you are someone who is enthusiastic, caring, and eager to grow - supporting children’s early development while simultaneously building a rewarding professional pathway of their own.
Your role will include:
- Support daily routines such as meal preparation, personal care, tidying, and creating a safe, welcoming environment for children
- Assist in delivering play-based activities, helping children learn through exploration, creativity, and social interaction
- Observe and record children’s development, sharing insights with senior practitioners to support planning and next steps
- Build positive relationships with children, families, and the team, demonstrating warm, caring, professional behaviour
- Follow safeguarding, health & safety, and EYFS guidance, ensuring children’s wellbeing is always the top priority
Where you'll work
73 Ermin StreetGloucester
GL3 4EH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
PARAGON EDUCATION & SKILLS 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
At Shaping Lives, we are dedicated to one mission: helping nurseries like yours nurture future generations through high-quality early childhood education. As a trusted training provider, we specialise in developing skilled, passionate educators who make a meaningful difference in the lives of children aged 0-5. Whether you're looking to enhance your current team's skills or recruit new talent, we’re with you every step of the way. Upon completion of this 18-month apprenticeship, you will have obtained your Early Years Educator Apprenticeship Level 3.
Training will include paediatric first aid qualification.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
Other in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Creative
- Initative
- Patience,
Other requirements
The closing date guidance, if a successful candidate is found before the advertised dates, the advert will close early.
About this employer
Ridgemount Cottage Nursery began its story in 1994, when the doors of a lovingly converted dairy opened to welcome just one child. From those humble beginnings, we’ve blossomed into a vibrant, joyful community—full of laughter, discovery, and a touch of delightful messiness! While much has changed over the years, our core values remain the same: to create a warm, nurturing, and playful environment where every child feels safe, encouraged, and free to be their brilliant, unique self.
After this apprenticeship
There is a possibility of being offered a full-time role after successful completion of the apprenticeship.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
PARAGON EDUCATION & SKILLS LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000010268.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Thursday 26 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.