Apprentice Early Years Practitioner- Stepping Stones, Worsley , M28 1LW
Stepping Stones- Worsley
Manchester (M28 1LW)
Closes in 11 days (Sunday 30 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 18 August 2026
Contents
Summary
Exciting position available to work for a well established nursery group. If you are looking for a career within Childcare then this is the vacancy to look at.
- Wage
-
£13,312 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Early years practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
This position would be 32 hours per week on the national minimum wage for an apprentice. Hours to be agreed but will be between 8am - 6pm on a weekly basis, no weekend work is required.
32 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year
- 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
- To contribute a high standard of all areas of learning and developmental care for all children in the nursery
- To promote support to other team members throughout the nursery
- To work as part of a team in order to provide an enabling environment in which all individual children can access continuous provision, play, learn and develop
Position Overview:
- To contribute a high standard of all areas of learning and developmental care for all children in the nursery
- To promote support to other team members throughout the nursery
- To work as part of a team in order to provide an enabling environment in which all individual children can access continuous provision, play, learn and develop
Where you'll work
192 Leigh Road
Worsley
Manchester
M28 1LW
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
EDEN TRAINING SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
- Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
- Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
- Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
- Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
- Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
- Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
- Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
- Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
- Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
- Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
- Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
- Use learning activities to support early language development.
- Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
- Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
- Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
- Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
- Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
- Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
- Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
- Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
- Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
- Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
- Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
- Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
- Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
- Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
- Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
- Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
- Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
- Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
- Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
- Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
- Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
- Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
- Use learning activities to support early language development.
- Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
- Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
- Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
- Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
- Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
- Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
- Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
- Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
- Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.
Training schedule
We will offer the successful candidate a Early Years Level 2 Practitioner qualification.
The course will be completed at the workplace with no travel involved.
More training information
The course will be delivered on a hybrid model with face to face delivery, online sessions and monthly meetings online.
Whilst completing the qualification the successful candidate will receive lots of complimentary benefits such as Senco and lots more.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE 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
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
Main Duties & Responsibilities:
- To comply with all SSG policies and procedures
- To contribute to a programme of activities that meet the individual needs and interests of children in your area in conjunction with other team members
- To give children the choice and the freedom to play in their own way
- To listen to children about any concerns or worries they may have, acting as an advocate or mediator when appropriate
Where appropriate fulfil the observation, planning and assessment cycle which includes:
- To work towards being a Key Person for children within the setting. To work towards keeping up to date records of your key children’s development and Learning Journeys, and share this with parents, carers, and other key adults in the child’s life (if applicable)
- To work in partnership with the parents, other family members, carers and their children by respecting and understanding their individual needs and maintaining courtesy and confidentiality at all times
- To form strong attachments and nurturing relationships with the children in your care
- To be aware and alert to situations of child neglect and possible abuse and act in accordance with the child protection and safeguarding guidelines
- To offer equality of opportunity for all
- To liaise with other professional bodies such as Ofsted, when needed
- Be aware of and work appropriately in relation to confidential and sensitive information
- To encourage fair and caring behaviour among the children and staff
- To develop and maintain strong partnerships and communications with parents/carers to facilitate day-to-day caring and early learning needs
- To ensure that children are being well supervised at all times
- Ensure and maintain a safe, secure, and friendly environment for the children in accordance with the current statutory Framework for the EYFS, Ofsted, Health & Safety and Food Hygiene regulations and guidelines
- To assist in ensuring that the children are being stimulated and that appropriate play activities are being delivered in respect of their age and ability. Consideration must be given to the individual needs of the child with regards to their race, religion, social, gender, and culture differences
- To be a positive role model for the children
- To ensure that mealtimes are a time of pleasant social sharing, in particular, supervising the children at mealtimes, assisting them if needed and promoting/providing healthy choices for the children to consume and drink. The children’s food needs to be prepared and consumed in hygienic surroundings. Always remembering meal/snack times are social times and engaging with the child throughout this time is essential
- To assist in washing and toileting of children and to teach children to learn personal hygiene
- Ensure that the nursery’s property is kept clean and tidy and that children are encouraged to respect their surroundings
- To provide materials and equipment to create play spaces in a responsible and safe way
- To develop your role within the team and establish and maintain good working relationships
- Ensure regular checks on resources and equipment which include their cleaning, maintenance and occasionally disposal
- To be flexible within working practices of the nursery. Be prepared to help where needed, including to undertake certain domestic jobs within the nursery
- To be enthusiastic, cheerful, and have a sense of humour at all times
- To ensure handbooks are completed where applicable
About this employer
Stepping Stones Group Limited is a family business with over 25 years’ experience in the childcare sector. Our journey began with Crèches and Soft Play Adventure Centres, and then in 1996 we were delighted to open our first children’s Day Nursery enabling us to enhance the quality of our childcare provision even further. Since then, our nursery group has grown organically and we are now proud to deliver excellent childcare in eight nursery settings across the North of England, where our highly skilled teams play a vital role in the learning and development of children in their early years. Within our group we are very fortunate to have our own in-house training specialists, the Childcare Development Team, who are experts in their field and provide specialist training and support to each of our settings regularly to help drive continuous improvement and development at every level. At Stepping Stones, we recognise the importance of everything a child experiences from birth to age five and the impact this has on their future, so we work hard to ensure the learning opportunities we provide for each individual child are of a high quality that enriches their early childhood. We believe in giving children the best possible start in life and we make it our mission to support parents and carers every step of the way. Family is important to us and we understand the challenges parents face when it comes to making decisions about childcare, so we do everything we can to help that process and we pride ourselves on making sure new families, as well as new team members, feel welcome from the moment they walk through the door. You will find more information about each of our fantastic childcare settings in: Our Nurseries Pictured are our company directors, Olivia Couture and her father Neil Ritchie, standing in front of our Stockton Heath nursery.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to progress onto a further Early Years courses.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
EDEN TRAINING SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Mr Matthew Travis
matthew.travis@eden-ts.com
01924 982876
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000048827.
Apply now
Closes in 11 days (Sunday 30 August 2026 at 11:59pm)