Lead Nursery Practitioner Apprenticeship (L5) - London

Summary

Canopy - Bounds Green Nursery are looking for a new Childcare Apprentice. You will be studying toward your Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship Level 5.

Wage

£27,872 a year

Training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

Hours

40 hours per week across 4 or 5 days, between the hours of 7.30am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.

40 hours a week

Start date

Thursday 26 November 2026

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

Join Canopy Nursery as a Lead Nursery Practitioner and develop your leadership skills through a Level 5 apprenticeship while supporting children's learning, development and wellbeing in a high-quality early years setting.

Working closely with the Room Leader, Third in Charge and Deputy Manager, you will help deliver high-quality care, education and learning experiences that support children's development, wellbeing and individual needs.

You will play an active role in implementing the nursery's curriculum, monitoring children's progress and building positive relationships with families and other professionals. You will also develop your leadership skills, contribute to the effective running of the nursery and help maintain a safe, inclusive and stimulating environment for every child.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the delivery of a high-quality early years curriculum that promotes children's learning, development and individual needs.
• Observe, assess and record children's progress, using these observations to inform planning and support children in achieving their developmental milestones.
• Support the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and the nursery's curriculum and quality assurance standards.
• Build positive relationships with children, parents, carers, colleagues and external professionals to support children's learning and wellbeing.
• Contribute to key person responsibilities, including communicating with families and sharing information about children's progress and development.
• Follow safeguarding and child protection procedures, promptly reporting any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
• Support children with additional needs and contribute to appropriate referrals and partnership working with relevant professionals when required.
• Follow health and safety procedures, infection prevention measures and hygiene standards to maintain a safe environment for children, families and colleagues.
• Contribute to daily nursery routines, including room preparation, resource organisation, food hygiene and maintaining a clean and welcoming learning environment.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to support the smooth day-to-day running of the nursery and maintain consistently high standards of care and education.
• Develop leadership and mentoring skills, supporting colleagues and contributing to a positive, professional team culture.
• Maintain accurate records and complete relevant documentation in line with nursery policies, regulatory requirements and confidentiality procedures.
• Participate in ongoing training, supervision and professional development to keep knowledge and practice up to date.
• Help promote the nursery's services and build positive relationships with current and prospective families.

Where you'll work

Bounds Green Road
London
England
England
N22 7EU

Training

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

Training provider

PARAGON EDUCATION & SKILLS LIMITED

Training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

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

At Shaping Lives, we are dedicated to one mission: helping nurseries like yours nurture future generations through high-quality early childhood education. As a trusted training provider, we specialise in developing skilled, passionate educators who make a meaningful difference in the lives of children aged 0-5. Whether you're looking to enhance your current team's skills or recruit new talent, we’re with you every step of the way.

Upon completion of this 24 month apprenticeship, you will have obtained your Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5 Apprenticeship qualification.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Initative
• Organisational Skills
• Patience
• Teamworking
• Communication Skills

Other requirements

The closing date guidance, if a successful candidate is found before the advertised dates, the advert will close early.