Early Years Apprentice

Summary

Are you looking to start your career in Early Years, or build on your experience, by gaining a Level 3 qualification in Childcare? We are recruiting for passionate and enthusiastic Modern Apprentices to learn from our experienced Childcare Professionals within our growing Nursery Group.

Wage

£16,764.80 a year

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday, working on a shift pattern, between 8.00am and 6.00pm. The apprenticeship programme will last 17 to 18 months.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 2 November 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

As an apprentice, you’ll work at Toad Hall Nursery to gain hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

• Gain job-specific skills
• Being a part of our children’s first 5 years in their learning and development
• Supporting children’s daily routines and needs
• Creating fun experiences and a safe environment

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• 30 Brox Road, Ottershaw, Chertsey, KT16 0HH
• 74 - 76 Bridge Road, Chessington, KT9 2EP
• 117 Ifield Road, Crawley, RH11 7BP
• Chestnut Avenue, Haslemere, GU27 2AT
• Glover Centre, 23-25 Bury Mead Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1RT
• Parlaunt House, Parlaunt Road, Slough, SL3 8BB
• Goldwater Lodge, Wishbone Way, Woking, Surrey, GU21 3RT
• 100 Hempstead Road, Watford, WD17 4LA

Training

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

Training provider

HAWK MANAGEMENT (UK) 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 weekly working hours will be 40 per week, with 20% of your time devoted to off-the-job learning, to enable you to study and complete tasks set by your assessor.

More training information

• 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 an 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

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4 or above)
• Maths (grade 4 or above)

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
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Administrative skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

Before we can confirm a start date, we will need to complete our pre-employment checks. These include 2 satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS Check.