Early Years Educator Apprentice - Zipadee Day Nursery

Summary

Are you looking to develop your career within childcare? Come and join our fun and dynamic team! Develop your early years career with this fantastic opportunity in a growing, ambitious company, providing care, education and compliance for children to the highest standard. Competitive salary, uniform and lunch provided, plus other benefits.

Wage

£16,146 a year

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

30 hours per week Monday to Friday - shifts to be agreed at offer stage

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 October 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

2

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

Zipadee Day Nursery are delighted to have an opportunity for an Apprentice to join their team. As an Early Years Apprentice you will be trained on the job to give you a true representation of what it is like to work in a day nursery. You will be allocated a buddy who you will work alongside, and you will work towards undertaking the role of a key person. Within the role of Apprentice, you will attend training days with our training provider and the other days will be based at your allocated nursery.

During your apprenticeship you will be required to;

To assist team members in providing the highest standard of compliance, care and education for children, and effectively manage daily operations of the nursery, including positive partnerships with staff and parents.
To contribute ideas to planning ensuring children receive high quality of learning and development.
To liaise with nursery staff regarding children’s specific needs and requirements.
To maintain a safe, clean, and healthy environment.
To adhere to all Nursery policies and procedures
To always meet health and safety and environmental health requirements
You will work closely with your buddy to support the development of good practice with regards to inclusion. You will also observe, assess and plan interesting, stimulating, and challenging activities which links to the individual learning, development needs and abilities of the children in your care.

Rewards and Benefits*:

Annual leave starts at 24 days on top of a paid birthday day off and public bank holidays.
Annual pay review to ensure competitive salary.
Team fun days and award events to thank and celebrate our wonderful teams.
Lunch provided
Uniform provided
Progression plans for all staff
Employee assistance helpline offering confidential counselling and advisory service from qualified and trained experts 24/7, including face to face counselling sessions where needed.
*All perks are pro-rota for part time staff and subject to successful completion of probationary period. These perks may be subject to further conditions and can be withdrawn or reviewed at the discretion of the company.

Where you'll work

Roche Villa
Buxton Road
Leek
ST13 6EG

Training

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

Training provider

REALISE LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT LIMITED

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

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

Your full role and responsibilities will be set out by your employer. They will provide you with all of the on-the-job training you need to up-skill in your role, and your 20% off-the-job learning will be incorporated as part of your working day.
You will be working towards the Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard, which includes:
• Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
• Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid
• Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English (if required)

This will be delivered by your dedicated training provider, Realise.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Maths and English (grade 4)

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

Skills

• Communication skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Patience

Other requirements

We conduct safeguarding checks following 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidelines. All nursery staff must have a current Enhanced DBS Disclosure. If you lack a valid DBS Update Service subscription, you'll need to complete a new DBS application as part of the registration process.