Early Years Level 3 Apprenticeship
Acresfield Academy
Chester (CH1 1QP)
Closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026
Posted on 17 July 2026
Contents
Summary
Acresfield Academy is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Apprentice to join a welcoming nursery team. This is an excellent opportunity to begin or further your career in Early Years, working alongside an experienced, hardworking and highly successful team who will provide support, guidance throughout your apprenticeship.
- Wage
-
£13,520 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
32.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:30am- 3:30pm
32 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
-
Thursday 1 October 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
Main Duties and Responsibilities
As an Apprentice Early Years Practitioner, you will:
- Support children's learning and development through high-quality play-based experiences
- Assist in planning and delivering engaging activities appropriate to children's individual ages, stages and interests
- Promote children's emotional wellbeing, independence and positive behaviour
- Provide high-quality care, including supporting personal hygiene routines, toileting and changing where required
- Prepare and serve meals, snacks and drinks in line with food hygiene and allergy procedures
- Support children during mealtimes and encourage healthy eating habits
- Help create and maintain a safe, clean, stimulating and welcoming learning environment
- Observe children's progress and contribute to assessments, learning journals and planning
- Build positive relationships with children, parents, carers and colleagues
- Follow safeguarding, health and safety and all nursery and school policies and procedures
- Work effectively as part of the nursery and wider school team.
- Demonstrate professionalism, confidentiality and a commitment to continuous improvement
Where you'll work
The Coach House
Union Street
Chester
CH1 1QP
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
Alongside your day-to-day role, you will complete a Level 3 Early Years apprenticeship, which will include:
- Attending online or face-to-face training sessions, workshops and INSET days
- Completing assignments, reflective journals and project work
- Developing new skills, including working with different groups of children and supporting those with additional needs
- Taking part in mentoring and shadowing opportunities with experienced practitioners
- Participating in training relating to safeguarding, curriculum developments, policies and procedures
- Completing off-the-job training as required by the apprenticeship programme
More training information
Your training provider will be Best Practice Network
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4 / C)
- Maths (grade 4 / C)
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
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
- Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
About this employer
Our nursery, attached to the school, provides high-quality early years education for 26 children aged 3 and 4 years. We have established a strong educational nursery where children are encouraged to develop curiosity, confidence and independence through high-quality early learning experiences.
We are looking for someone who understands the importance of the early years as the foundation for lifelong learning and who can help children thrive in a calm, nurturing and stimulating environment. Our nursery is well resourced and designed to provide a modern, enabling and welcoming space where children can flourish.
This is an excellent opportunity to begin or further your career in Early Years, working alongside an experienced, hardworking and highly successful team who will provide support, guidance and challenge throughout your apprenticeship.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
- A Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification
- Valuable hands-on experience in a nursery environment
- Support and mentoring from experienced early years professionals
- Online learning delivered by Best Practice Network
- The opportunity to build a long-term career in early years education, with potential for a permanent role
- Training will include paediatric first aid qualification
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BEST PRACTICE NETWORK LIMITED
Alice Pollington
recruitment@bestpracticenet.co.uk
01174545579
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000043387.
Apply now
Closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026