Early Years Educator Apprentice
NEXT STEP CHILDCARE LTD
Somerset (BA4 6QL)
Closes in 17 days (Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 October 2026
Contents
Summary
An apprenticeship at Next Steps Childcare is ideal for someone with a natural flair for working with young children. You'll engage in play, support daily care routines and help children thrive. We will train you in safeguarding, paediatric first aid, food hygiene and more. Enthusiasm, confidence and a genuine love of children are essential.
- Wage
-
£14,976 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
-
Monday to Friday 08.30-17.30 shifts.
36 hours a week
- Start date
-
Friday 27 November 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
We are looking for an enthusiastic, caring and motivated individual to join our nursery team as a Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprentice.
As an apprentice, you will support the nursery team in providing a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment where children can learn, develop and thrive. You will work closely with experienced practitioners to build your knowledge and skills in child development, safeguarding, play-based learning and professional childcare practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Support children’s learning and development through play, activities and positive interactions.
- Assist with daily routines, including meals, personal care, sleep times and transitions throughout the day.
- Encourage children’s independence, confidence and social development.
- Help create a safe, stimulating and inclusive environment for all children.
- Build positive relationships with children, parents, carers and colleagues.
- Observe and support children’s individual needs and developmental progress.
- Follow nursery policies and procedures, including safeguarding, health and safety, and confidentiality.
- Work as part of the nursery team whilst completing all apprenticeship training and coursework.
Where you'll work
Bath & West Showground
Evercreech
Shepton Mallet
Somerset
BA4 6QL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
UNIVERSITY CENTRE SOMERSET COLLEGE GROUP
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
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4/C or above or equivalent)
- Maths (grade 4/C or above or equivalent)
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
- Number skills
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
- Passing a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- 2 references
About this employer
Next Steps Childcare is a well-established nursery that has been providing childcare for 23 years. Based at The Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, we are a small, welcoming setting caring for up to 45 children per day, supported by a friendly team of 13 staff. Our nursery has three rooms: Cuddly Koalas for our youngest children, Tumbling Turtles and Clever Kangaroos. Each room provides a nurturing environment where children can learn, play and develop at their own pace. We are fortunate to have beautiful outdoor spaces, including our own Forest School Garden and a large front garden. Our outdoor areas offer exciting opportunities for children to explore nature, develop new skills and learn through hands-on experiences. At Next Steps Childcare, we believe children learn best through play, exploration and meaningful relationships. We aim to create a warm, inclusive environment where children feel safe, valued and confident to explore the world around them.
https://www.nextstepschildcare.com/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Enjoy the added benefit of enhanced annual leave, offering more holiday entitlement than the statutory minimum, helping you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Potential for full-time employment on successful completion.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
UNIVERSITY CENTRE SOMERSET COLLEGE GROUP
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000059249.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 11:59pm)