Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship

HORSELL CHILDCARE LIMITED

WOKING (GU21 4NQ)

Closes on Wednesday 2 September 2026

Posted on 9 July 2026


Summary

This programme is perfect for those with little or no formal childcare qualifications but a genuine interest in working with children.

  • Gain a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification
  • Learn while working in a real nursery environment

Wage

£12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Early years educator (level 3)
Hours
The Nursery is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. Working hours will be in between these hours. To be discussed at interview stage. The employer can be somewhat flexible with working hours.

30 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 3 September 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

  • You will be working within the nursery setting at Jiminy Cricket
  • Supporting children’s learning and development while completing your professional training

Where you'll work

HORSELL MOOR
WOKING
GU21 4NQ

Training

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

Training provider

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK 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

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.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4)

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

Right to Work & Residency Requirements
Applicants who are not UK nationals must meet apprenticeship funding eligibility rules, including having lived in the UK or EU for at least 3 consecutive years prior to the start date. You must hold a valid visa that does not expire within 18 months of your apprenticeship start date. We will require a share code to verify your right to work and study in the UK. After submitting your application, you will receive a screening form where you can securely provide your share code for eligibility checks.

About this employer

'It takes a village to raise a child’

A wonderful saying that beautifully captures how an entire community of people must interact with children for them to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment.

After becoming a mum in 2013, our director, Helen, joined a generation of mothers juggling career and mum life. A careful balancing act which lead her to discover that, without the support of others, life was going to be a real struggle.

Since then her family has grown and she found the need to lean on the local community more and more, bringing her to where she is today – recreating new, a much loved community child care setting.

In October 2023 Jiminy Cricket, a 40 year old setting closed and the wonderful team who have helped care for so many local children were no longer there to support us. An increasingly common and sad situation for smaller independent settings these days.

So here we are, reinventing a much loved local setting for families. Creating an environment that aims to nurture and care for the children of the village in the way we were always meant to….and what a privilege that is.

https://www.horsellchildcare.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

Why Apply?

  • No course tuition fees
  • Excellent pathway into Early Years teaching
  • Hands-on experience across nursery and school environments
  • Opportunity to build a rewarding career shaping young children’s futures

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000041558.

Apply now

Closes on Wednesday 2 September 2026