Childcare Apprenticeship - St Albans
Little Steps Ltd
1 Lancaster RoadSt. Albans (AL1 4EP)
Closes on Thursday 4 June 2026
Posted on 30 April 2026
Contents
Summary
Little Steps Day Nursery are looking for a new Childcare Apprentice. You will be studying toward your Early Years Educator Apprenticeship Level 3.
- Wage
-
£22,568 a year
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday - Thursday, 9-hour shift. Friday 4-hour shift, shifts range between (7:45am - 6pm)
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Thursday 11 June 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
Start your career in early years education with a hands-on apprenticeship where you will learn, grow, and make a real difference in children’s development within a supportive nursery environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Gain hands-on experience across all areas of an early years setting, developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed to become a competent childcare practitioner
- Work as part of a supportive and experienced nursery team, receiving guidance from colleagues and a dedicated mentor throughout your apprenticeship
- Support the delivery of high-quality care and engaging learning experiences within a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment
- Assist in planning and delivering a range of age-appropriate activities in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), supporting children’s learning through play
- Develop an understanding of child development, learning intentions, and inclusive practices that meet the needs of all children
- Build positive relationships and communicate effectively with team members, parents, and carers to support children’s wellbeing and development
- Help maintain a clean, safe, and well-organised environment, ensuring all areas meet health & safety standards
- Follow and develop knowledge of key policies and procedures, including safeguarding, SEND, equality and diversity, and British Values, reporting any concerns appropriately
- Demonstrate a positive attitude, reliability, and a strong commitment to learning, teamwork, and ongoing professional development
Where you'll work
1 Lancaster RoadSt. Albans
AL1 4EP
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 Level 3 Apprenticeship.
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
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Teamworking
- Communication Skills
Other requirements
The closing date guidance, if a successful candidate is found before the advertised dates, the advert will close early.
About this employer
Little Steps is a small family orientated independent day nursery located in a residential area of St Albans a short distance from local shops and 15 minutes’ walk from the train station and excellent transport links. Our dedicated team who process a wide range of experience in child care all have a strong commitment to providing a high quality of care and education for up to 50 children aged from 9 months to rising 5 years old. Our ethos reflects on the importance we place in creating a home for home for the children in our care. Our environment is one where children have a voice, and learn to be confident and resilient learners, with an awareness of the word around them and the important role they play within it. Since opening in 1999 we are fortunate to have become a well established setting, working in close partnership with the parents/carers and the local community, and we have been to able recruit practitioners via word of mouth rather than advertising. Our aim has always been to provide a secure and fun environment for all the children in our care where parents/carers/students feel welcome and can contribute to the well-being and education of the children. We have a firm belief in the benefits of apprenticeships and the importance of providing a positive learning environment in which they can reach their goals. We have already successfully supported many apprentices who have gone on to gain qualifications and careers within the early years sector.
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 VAC2000029297.
Apply now
Closes on Thursday 4 June 2026
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.