Room Leader at Horspath Nursery - Level 5 Early Years Apprenticeship

HORSPATH NURSERY

Horspath (OX33 1RY)

Closes in 20 days (Tuesday 31 March 2026)

Posted on 10 March 2026

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Summary

Further your early years career with this fantastic opportunity working for Horspath Pre-School Nursery. The nursery is in the grounds of Horspath Primary School and has its own well-equipped outside play area and nature reserve, offering children between the ages of 2 to 5 years an enjoyable and well-rounded environment for play and learning.

Wage

£22,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years lead practitioner (level 5)
Hours
Mon - Fri (7.30am - 5.30pm).

30 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 1 April 2026

Duration

2 years

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

Horspath Pre-School Nursery is nestled in the grounds of Horspath Primary School and has its own separate, well-equipped outside play area and nature reserve, offering children between the ages of 2 and 5 years an enjoyable and well-rounded environment for play and learning.   At Horspath Nursery, they feel that children's early years are the most important of their lives and they strive to provide high-quality childcare and education for all children's individual needs.  

Main duties:

  • To create a welcoming and family-friendly environment where children are at ease and able to develop a sense of ownership of their surroundings
  • To ensure that the nursery is a safe environment for children, staff and others, that equipment is safe, standards of hygiene are high, and safety procedures are implemented at all times
  • To maintain an environment which fosters positive interactions between children of varied ages attending the nursery
  • To contribute to the planning in accordance with the EYFS and the provision of a stimulating range of age-appropriate activities, and ensuring the nursery is well-resourced and creatively set up
  • To lead observations and the assessment of children’s learning and development, ensuring records are kept up-to-date, are of a high standard and are shared effectively – includes Individual Education Plans for children with Special Educational Needs. To keep the Early Years Tracking Tool up to date and to analyse the data alongside the Manager
  • To work in partnership with all parents/carers, building and maintaining relationships that encourage trust, open communication and involvement in nursery life
  • To work flexibly as part of the larger team, assisting and supporting colleagues wherever required, in order to ensure the smooth running of the nursery
  • To ensure that staff are appropriately supported to carry out their role confidently and effectively
  • To clearly define and uphold the vision and values of the nursery, ensuring that these are fully understood and embodied by all staff members
  • To be aware of the nursery policies and procedures and ensure these are adhered to at all times, including safeguarding and whistle-blowing
  • To maintain awareness of your own personal development and training needs and to keep up-to-date with current legislation and practice
  • As a qualified First Aider, to administer first aid and medication as required and ensure that appropriate records are completed.
  • To attend reasonable out-of-working-hours activities, including training, staff meetings, committee meetings and special events

You will also be required to be involved in the breakfast/afterschool club and the playscheme during the holidays. There is also the opportunity to do forest school lead training.

Where you'll work

c/o Horspath Primary School. Bleinham Road
Horspath
OX33 1RY

Training

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

Training provider

SKERN LODGE LIMITED

Training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
  • Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
  • Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
  • Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
  • Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
  • Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
  • Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
  • Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
  • Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
  • Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
  • Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
  • Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
  • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
  • Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
  • Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
  • Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
  • Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
  • Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
  • Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
  • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
  • Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
  • Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
  • Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
  • Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
  • Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
  • Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
  • Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
  • Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
  • Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
  • Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
  • Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
  • Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
  • Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
  • Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
  • Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
  • Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
  • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
  • Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
  • Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
  • Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
  • Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
  • Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
  • Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
  • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
  • Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
  • Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
  • Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
  • Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .

Training schedule

  • Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship
  • Functional Skills maths & English if required.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

4 (grade 9)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

This is a physical and active role and you will need to be alert and have the ability to get involved.

About this employer

Pre-School Nursery based in Oxfordshire.  Children aged 2 - years.

After this apprenticeship

Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner qualification

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SKERN LODGE LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000020277.

Apply now

Closes in 20 days (Tuesday 31 March 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.