Early Years Educator Apprentice

Aspire Foundation

CHELTENHAM (GL51 9JW)

Closes in 17 days (Monday 9 March 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 19 February 2026

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Summary

Apprentices play a valuable role within our nurseries and work as part of the EY team, to support children’s learning and development through a range of play- based activities and experiences within an enabling learning environment.

Wage

£14,526.20 to £23,492.04, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

18- 20-year-olds Yr 1 £15,336

Yr 2 £16,550

21 yrs + £20,208

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Thursday, 08:30 - 16:30 16:00 on Friday. Term time Only.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 7 September 2026

Duration

1 year 9 months

Positions available

4

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

Your duties will inculde:

  • Work directly with children alongside EY staff to deliver high-quality early years education and care
  • Support with completion of records, observations and assessments
  • Support planning of activities and experiences for children
  • Build effective relationships with children, parents and staff
  • Ensure children's individual needs are met
  • Understand and follow the setting’s policies and procedures
  • Prepare and maintain learning environment and resources
  • Complete all apprenticeship modules, with expectation of completion by agreed timeframe
  • Be proactive and demonstrate commitment to CPD
  • Liaise regularly with mentor

Where you'll work

GARDNERS LANE CHILDREN CENTRE
GARDNERS LANE
CHELTENHAM
GL51 9JW

Training

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

Training provider

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE

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

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

More training information

Early Years Educator Standard Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 4)

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

Early Years (grade Pass)

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
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Patience

Other requirements

You must have had experiance in working in a Childcare setting. 

About this employer

Aspire Foundation is a registered charity founded to support children and families to ‘Aspire and Achieve’. We have delivered successful, high-quality early intervention services and educational programmes to families with young children for over 20 years. These include family support services, children’s centres, primary schools and early years settings. We provide early education across Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, with children’s wellbeing at the heart of our provision.

https://www.aspirefoundation.org.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Potential postition upon completion of apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000016470.

Apply now

Closes in 17 days (Monday 9 March 2026 at 11:59pm)