Early Years Apprentice Level 3
Melbourne Primary School
York (YO42 4QE)
Closes in 13 days (Friday 31 July 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 17 July 2026
Contents
Summary
An exciting opportunity to gain valuable experience while supporting the learning, development and wellbeing of children aged 3–5 years. Working alongside experienced practitioners, you will help plan and deliver engaging activities, support progress, and contribute to creating a safe, nurturing and inspiring learning environment.
- Wage
-
£14,227 a year
- Training course
- Early years educator (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday 8:30am-3:00pm (one day for college release).
32 hours a week
- Start date
-
Wednesday 9 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 3 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
The successful candidate with be joining a well-established team and become a key cog in the units' workings.
In our early years setting you will be expected to complete daily tasks such as...
- setting up activities to enhance pupils' skills and knowledge;
- lead and support in play situations,
- developing oracy skills
- complete developmental observations.
- be involved in the pupil's self-care, including supporting with toileting and handwashing, and eating.
On an average daily you will be ensuring the room is safe and ready for the pupils. You will support the children with the daily jobs including sorting shoes, coats and handing in books, water bottles etc when needed.
You will lead or support planned activities, such as painting, junk modelling, modelling correct play in the role play, ensuring the children are playing appropriately and extending oracy and developing turn taking skills.
You will be asked to supervise indoor and outdoor activities as well as sharing stories, poems etc to develop a love of reading with our pupils.
During focused sessions you will be support the teacher or nursery nurse, following their lead and supporting specific children.
At snack and lunchtimes, you will assist the children with toileting and handwashing. You will help setting up for snack and lunch as well as supervising children eating.
Where you'll work
Melbourne
York
YO42 4QE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
YORK 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
Apprentices will typically attend York College on a day release for the duration of the apprenticeship and work with their employer for the remainder of their contracted hours. During their time in college, apprentices will work towards developing their knowledge, skills and behaviours, and at work will consolidate their on-programme learning with the support of their employer. An assessor will visit the workplace every 8-10 weeks to discuss and monitor progress on the apprenticeship in conjunction with the employer.
More training information
Continual assessment will take place throughout the duration of the apprenticeship.
You will also produce a portfolio of evidence demonstrating examples of your work throughout the apprenticeship which will form the basis for the interview during the End-Point Assessment (EPA).
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Desirable qualifications
Level 2 Diploma in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
About this employer
Melbourne Primary School provides a safe and stimulating learning environment to nurture the personal development of our children and where children are happy, enjoy learning and develop positive relationships with others.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Potential permanent position.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
YORK COLLEGE
Apprenticeship Team
apprenticeships@yorkcollege.ac.uk
01904 770368
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000043483.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Friday 31 July 2026 at 11:59pm)