Early Years Practitioner Apprentice - Level 3 Base Zero Nursery
HAPPY DAYS UK LTD
Bellingham (SE6 3HB)
Closes on Friday 20 March 2026
Posted on 2 February 2026
Contents
Summary
Base Zero Nursery is a highly regarded childcare facility located in Bellingham, London, known for its warm and family-oriented environment. As an Early Years Apprentice, you will be trained on the job to give you a true representation of what it is like to work in a day nursery.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
40 hours a week. Monday to Friday (shifts agreed at offer stage).
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 27 March 2026
- Duration
-
1 year
- 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
Base Zero Day Nursery are delighted to have an opportunity for an Apprentice to join their team. You will be allocated a buddy who you will work alongside, and you will work towards undertaking the role of a key person. Within the role of Apprentice, you will attend training days with our training providers.
Duties:
- You will work as part of a team planning, monitoring and evaluating activities for children from birth to approximately five years of age
- You will be responsible for the care and education of the children in the room within a key person structure
- Support in ensuring the environment is stimulating and appropriate, including layout, display of resources, displays and equal opportunities
- Assist with the daily, weekly and monthly checks around the nursery
- Ensuring the safeguarding and welfare of the children in the room at all times is essential
- You will work to the Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS Statutory Framework
- To support qualified staff with daily routines in the nursery
- To learn the skills of a nursery nurse, on the job, working practically as part of the team
- To learn how to provide high quality childcare to our children
- Understand the importance of keeping everyone safe and the part you play
- To never be left unsupervised with the children
- To gain a good understanding of child development and how this is important when caring for children
- To contribute/complete children’s observations and records where required
About you
- You should have a strong interest in working with children to help them develop and grow
- You should show the dedication to be able to complete the apprenticeship
- You need to have at least a C Grade in GCSE maths or English or be willing to complete your functional skills alongside your apprenticeship
- You should demonstrate a good work ethic and be able to communicate effectively with the people around you, making sure that you treat both other staff and children with respect and care at all times
Where you'll work
109A Randlesdown Rd
Gramsci Way,
Bellingham
SE6 3HB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED
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
Your full role and responsibilities will be set out by your employer. They will provide you with all the on-the-job training you need to up-skill in your role, and your 20% off-the-job learning will be incorporated as part of your working day.
You will be working towards the Level 2 Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship standard, which includes:
- Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
- Functional skills in Maths and English if required
This will be delivered by your dedicated training provider, Realise.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical Skills
- Attention to detail
- caring
- Communication Skills
- Creative
- Customer care skills
- Friendly
- Initiative
- IT skills
- Logical
- Maths and English
- Non judgemental
- Number skills
- Organisation skills
- Patience
- Patient
- Physical fitness
- Presentation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- understanding
Other requirements
Base Zero Nursery is committed to Safer Recruitment. Therefore, this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and at least 2 satisfactory references.
About this employer
Child care from 3 months to 4 plus. A beautiful purpose built nursery in the heart of Bellingham SE6 3HB. Parents appreciate the attentive staff who genuinely care about childrens development, providing a variety of educational activities. The nursery fosters good communication with parents
After this apprenticeship
On completion of your level 3 apprenticeship 12-15 months, there may be opportunities to be promoted to a full-time Early Years Practitioner, and we will work with you to create a continuous development plan and learning pathway to reach your future career goals within the Early Years sector.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000012079.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 20 March 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.