Nursery Practitioner apprentice
Little Petals Day Nursery
READING (RG4 9SJ)
Closes on Wednesday 30 December 2026
Posted on 10 November 2026
Contents
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
- Training course
- Early years lead practitioner (level 5)
- Hours
-
Flexible shifts to be confirmed between the hours of 08:00 - 18:00.
35 hours a week
- Start date
-
Saturday 30 January 2027
- Duration
-
2 years
- 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
- Provide high-quality care and support for children aged 0 - 5 years, ensuring their safety, health and wellbeing at all times
- Create a safe, secure, stimulating and welcoming environment where children feel happy, valued and supported
- Plan and deliver fun, engaging and age-appropriate activities to support children's learning, development and individual needs
- Support children's physical, emotional, social, intellectual and communication development
- Follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and support children in achieving their developmental milestones
- Observe, assess and monitor children's progress, maintaining accurate records and completing observations
- Support children's independence, confidence and self-esteem through positive encouragement and praise
- Build strong, positive relationships with children, parents, carers and colleagues
- Communicate effectively with parents and carers, providing regular updates on children's daily activities, progress and wellbeing
- Carry out daily routines, including feeding, nappy changing, toileting, handwashing and assisting with dressing
- Prepare and supervise meals and snacks, ensuring children's dietary requirements, allergies and nutritional needs are met
- Maintain high standards of hygiene, cleanliness and infection control throughout the nursery
- Safeguard children at all times, following the nursery's safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures
- Identify and report any safeguarding concerns, accidents, incidents or changes in a child's behaviour or wellbeing to the appropriate person
- Supervise children during indoor and outdoor activities, outings and mealtimes
- Work effectively as part of a team, supporting colleagues and contributing to the smooth running of the nursery
- Attend staff meetings, training sessions and professional development opportunities to maintain and improve knowledge and skills
- Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information professionally and appropriately
- Follow all nursery policies, procedures, health and safety regulations and statutory requirements
- Key skills and qualities: Patient, caring and approachable. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Reliable, responsible and organised
- Creative and enthusiastic about children's learning and development
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Good understanding of safeguarding and child protection
Ability to remain calm and professional in challenging situations.
Passionate about providing high-quality childcare and supporting children's development.
Where you'll work
23C WOOD LANE
SONNING COMMON
READING
RG4 9SJ
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 lead practitioner (level 5)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
- Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
- Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
- Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
- Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
- Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
- Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
- Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
- Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
- Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
- Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
- Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
- Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
- Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
- Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
- Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
- Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
- Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
- Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
- Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
- Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
- Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
- Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
- Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
- Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
- Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
- Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, social, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the educational setting.
- Support and promote children’s diverse speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions to support verbal, nonverbal interactions and engagement with written communication.
- Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
- Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
- Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
- Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
- Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
- Plan, carry out and guide appropriate personal care routines for individual children.
- Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
- Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.
- Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
- Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
- Cultivate professional partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
- Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
- Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
- Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
- Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
- Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
- Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities including the safe use of digital technology to communicate effectively in both oral and written English.
- Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of educational settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice, supporting teams and guiding change.
- Identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
- Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
- Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
- Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
- Apply the principles of sustainability and segregate used resources for reuse, recycling, and safe disposal .
Training schedule
Training will take place within the setting
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- english (grade C/4 or above)
- Maths (grade C/4 or above)
early years level 2 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
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Team working
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
- Must be able to pass an enhanced DBS check
About this employer
Our independent small setting is located in the beautiful village of Sonning Common.
We care for children as young as 3 months to preschoolers of 5 years old.
3 Rooms
Outdoor & Play
Outdoor Play Area
Safety & Security
Secure Entry System
First Aid Trained Staff
Safeguarding Lead
Learning & Development
EYFS Curriculum
We are often described as somewhere between a childminder and a nursery due to our small size and personalised service.
We understand that your child is the most important creation to you and therefore we aim to deliver the best possible care and play experiences for your child.
With a view to maintain the important routines you've worked so hard to achieve and working closely with parents, carers and those involved in the child's home life.
https://www.littlepetalsdaynursery.com/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Paid DBS
- Discounted/ free meals
- Discounted childcare 10%
- Free on site parking
- Team social events
- Staff recognition/rewards
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
- To progress and support within the company
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 VAC2000063475.
Apply now
Closes on Wednesday 30 December 2026