Early Years Educator apprentice

Footsteps

PAR (PL24 2QH)

Closes in 22 days (Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 11 August 2026

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Summary

Footsteps are offering an exciting opportunity to join their team as an Early Years Educator apprentice! Gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours to kickstart your career in this rewarding industry. 

Wage

£16,640 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
Monday - Friday, based on a 40 hour week. No evenings or weekends. Closed between Christmas and New Year, and all bank holidays. Shifts may vary. Earliest start is 8am and latest finish is 6pm.

40 hours 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

Duties will include:

  • Working alongside staff to develop a varied and exciting range of activities & experiences
  • Reading stories to the children
  • Modelling positive play and communication skills
  • Assisting with daily cleaning to ensure our setting is always as clean as possible
  • Attending regular staff meetings

This role is based in our pre-school room with children aged 2-4 years. We also offer breakfast and afterschool sessions, so there will be contact with older children too.

Where you'll work

THE OLD SUNDAY SCHOOL
WELL STREET
TYWARDREATH
PAR
PL24 2QH

Training

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

Training provider

CORNWALL 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

You will be working towards a Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard in Early Years Educator.

This apprenticeship consists of a mixture of off-the-job training and on-the-job mentoring and development within the workplace.

You will be expected to attend Cornwall College St Austell on a weekly basis, with additional attendance if functional skills are required.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (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
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

Other requirements

This is a rural village, however there are bus routes and Par Station is a 20 minute walk away.

About this employer

We are a village based setting offering full time care Monday to Friday for children aged 3 months -11 years. We pride ourselves on our reputation, our staff are wonderful and go above and beyond for our families. Independent nursery, small team, access to employee assistance programme. Based between Fowey & St Austell.

http://www.footstepschildcarecentre.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).

Expected roles on completion of the apprenticeship are: 

  • Childminder assistant
  • Early years educator
  • Early years worker
  • Nursery educator
  • Nursery nurse
  • Nursery worker

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CORNWALL COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000046669.

Apply now

Closes in 22 days (Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 11:59pm)