Nursery Practitioner apprenticeship

Down In The Woods Pre-School

Wimborne (BH21 1ST)

Closes in 31 days (Saturday 21 November 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 21 October 2026

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Summary

An Early Years Apprenticeship combines practical experience with training to learn how to care for and support children’s learning and development. Apprentices work in settings such as nurseries, helping plan activities, keep children safe and support their individual needs while working towards a recognised qualification.

• Wage:

  £14,560 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  depending on experience

• Training course: Early years educator (level 3)
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 15:30.

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 1 December 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

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Key Person Role: Act as the main point of contact for a specific group of children to ensure their emotional well-being and security.
• Learning and Development: Plan, deliver, and assess age-appropriate activities aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
• Observations and Tracking: Maintain accurate progress trackers, learning journeys, and developmental records for each key child.
• Parent Partnerships: Provide regular updates, feedback, and formal reports to parents regarding their child's daily routine and milestones.
• Safeguarding and Welfare: Maintain a safe environment by following strict safeguarding, child protection, and health and safety policies.
• Care Routines: Supervise and assist children with daily routines including meals, nappy changing, toileting, and personal hygiene.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues and management to share best practices and contribute to room planning.
• Professional Development: Participate in staff meetings, training sessions, and regulatory inspections.

Where you'll work

Chichester Walk
Wimborne
BH21 1ST

Training

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

Training provider

SHOOTS TRAINING 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

Training will take place at the setting.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• english (grade C/4 or above)
• Maths (grade C/4 or above)

early years level 2 in:

early years (grade pass)

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
• Customer care skills
• Team working
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

Pass enhanced DBS.

About this employer

Down in The Woods Pre-School Ltd accepts Children aged from 2 years 0 months to 5 years 0 months.

 

Accessible Toilet
Computers
Disabled Car Parking
Outdoor Play Area / Garden
Playroom
Quiet Area
Refreshments / Snacks
Visits and Outings
Wheelchair Accessible
Down in The Woods Pre-School provides care for children aged two to four in Wimborne. It operates from 9am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. The setting also runs an after-school club until 6pm and a holiday club from 9am to 6pm during school holidays. At its inspection in December 2024, Ofsted judged the overall effectiveness of the pre-school to be Outstanding.

 

The inspector found that leaders provide an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum focused on the prime areas of learning. Staff deliver this through both planned activities and spontaneous interactions, with activities based on children's individual interests.

 

Children are encouraged to develop problem-solving skills from an early age by testing their own ideas. Staff were seen to use daily routines like snack time to discuss mathematical concepts of size and weight, and to support early literacy through storytelling. Parents told the inspector their children make 'remarkable' progress.

 

What it's like

Leaders at Down in The Woods Pre-School Ltd provide an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum focused on prime areas of learning, ensuring children develop essential skills for their future. Staff interactions, both planned and spontaneous, effectively deliver the curriculum, with an expert understanding of how learning areas connect. Children develop problem-solving skills from an early age by testing their own ideas.

 

https://www.facebook.com/downinthewoods/about (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).

To progress within the team to room leader.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SHOOTS TRAINING LIMITED

Emma Ramirez

emma.ramirez@shootstraining.co.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000060264.

Apply now

Closes in 31 days (Saturday 21 November 2026 at 11:59pm)