Early Years Apprentice

SUNNINGWELL PRESCHOOL

ABINGDON (OX13 6RE)

Closes on Friday 27 March 2026

Posted on 6 February 2026

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Contents

Summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic, passionate individual to join our friendly team.

This is an amazing opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with children, supporting their development through play and educational activities all while working towards a recognised Early Years qualification. 

Wage

£13,741 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£8p/h 

This salary will be pro rata due to the position being term time only

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday - Friday (8.30am - 3.30pm). This position will be term time only.

35 hours a week

Start date

Monday 6 April 2026

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

  • To contribute to a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for children placed in the pre-school.
  • To give support to other personnel within the pre-school.
  • Implement the daily routine in the pre-school room.
  • Begin to observe and support the planning of suitable activities to enhance the learning and development needs for individuals.
  • Help prepare and set up the pre-school rooms for the daily programme before the children arrive and to clear away and tidy up after they depart.
  • Partake in the cleaning of pre-school rooms at the end of sessions and as and when necessary.
  • Attend staff meetings, support at fundraising events, outings, and visits, where appropriate.

Where you'll work

DARK LANE
SUNNINGWELL
ABINGDON
OX13 6RE

Training

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

Training provider

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

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

We offer a supportive environment, comprehensive training, and a chance to make a real difference every day.

As part of your apprenticeship, you will receive support from an Assessor and Training Coordinator throughout your programme and will be required to attend workshop sessions at college.

The workshop sessions will be either 1 full day per month, or 2 half days per month as agreed with the employer. 

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C or above)
  • Maths (grade 4/C 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
  • Attention to detail
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Self-motivated
  • Enthusiastic
  • Accurately maintain records

Other requirements

This role will involve working indoors and outdoors on a daily basis and some lifting may be required.

The preschool is situated in a rural location with no public transport links directly to the site.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early. 

About this employer

Sunningwell preschool is a charity run, committee managed preschool. We are a small friendly team who aim to nurture happy, confident independent learners who are excited about the world around them.

If you are eager to learn, have a positive attitude and love being around young children, we want to hear from you.

http://www.sunningwellpreschool.org (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Possible further training with other settings or independently. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

ABINGDON AND WITNEY COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000013117.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 27 March 2026