Early Years Educator Apprentice - John Keats (Ark Start)

Summary

An exciting opportunity to join Ark Start as a Early Years Educator Apprentice.

Wage

£16,620 a year

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Days and shifts to be confirmed.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

1 year 7 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

Purpose of post:

• To learn how to ensure a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for all children in their care
• To learn how to ensure all children are safeguarded and their welfare and safety is promoted
• To learn how to provide an enabling environment in which all children can play, learn and develop
• To have the skill, creativity, commitment, energy and enthusiasm required to help young children grow and learn in a nursery environment

Responsible to: The Nursery Manager

Main duties:

• To participate fully in your apprentice study
• To promote the aims and objectives of the nursery
• To promote the high standards of the nursery at all times to parents, staff and visitors
• To learn how to follow the nursery safeguarding procedure to ensure all children are kept safe, well and secure
• To learn how to ensure the provision of high standards of physical and emotional care
• To develop your knowledge of working with families and parents / carers
• Undertake required domestic jobs within the nursery as required
• Participate fully in team meetings and training
• Engage in training, read, understand and adhere to all policies and procedures within the nursery
• Ensure good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness are maintained
• To learn how to safely and appropriately support children with intimate care when required
• Ensure mealtimes are pleasant social experience and feed back to parents on any issues
• To provide cover when required
• To undertake any other duties as determined by the management

Early applications are encouraged; we reserve the right to close this vacancy if we find the right candidate.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; all successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Where you'll work

Bell Lane
Enfield
EN3 5PA

Training

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

Training provider

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION 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

We are committed to providing the best development for all our staff. As an apprentice at Ark Start you will receive regular supervision, coaching and mentoring, and be supported to balance work, study and wellbeing throughout your apprenticeship.

Staff wellbeing is important to us. We know that working in a nursery can be challenging and work hard to ensure staff have the support, opportunities and infrastructure they need.

More training information

BPP apprenticeship training programmes are delivered virtually by our fully qualified and industry-experienced training team. Using their expert knowledge, we’ve purposefully built our programmes around the real-world use of modern technology, so that the skills we create can be directly applied in the workplace.

Throughout the apprenticeship learners receive coaching, help and guidance from a dedicated team who are there to ensure they get the most from their work experience.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

5 GCSEs including English and maths (grade A*-C/9-4 or equivalent)

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

Skills

• Team working
• Initiative
• Understanding of safeguarding
• A willingness to develop
• Calm under pressure
• Flexible attitude towards work
• A drive to learn
• Improve own knowledge

Other requirements

• Interest in gardening, art, music or cooking
• Experience of looking after young children as a nanny, parent, sibling or volunteer
• Knowledge of how young children play and learn desirable
• Genuine passion for and a belief in the potential of every child
• An understanding of safeguarding in the early years
• Belief that everyone should have access to an excellent education regardless of background