Childcare Apprenticeship - Level 3 Early Years Educator (LE)

Summary

A chance to gain valuable skills while working in a nursery setting, as well as learning about childcare-related topics in a classroom setting. This will include gaining your Level 3 Paediatric First Aid.

Wage

£12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Apprentices are required to be as flexible as possible to meet the needs of the business. The average working week will be between 30 and 40 hours, Monday to Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.

30 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 16 September 2026

Duration

1 year 1 month

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

• Providing an excellent range of activities that ensures that the child learns whilst having fun
• Supporting children’s learning and development, including supporting planning and observations
• Preparing and maintaining the environment and resources for the children
• Preparation of food for breakfast, snack and afternoon tea
• Supporting children’s self-help needs
• Being creative and enthusiastic
• Following safeguarding rules
• Undertaking first aid training as required
• Undertaking training as appropriate to meet any changes in standards or appropriate legal requirements as required
• Ensuring that all health and hygiene requirements are always adhered to

Where you'll work

Ravenhurst Road
Leicester
LE3 2PS

Training

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

Training provider

SWIFT ACI

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

• You will gain a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification at the end of the course
• All training is completed remotely via Teams; your tutor will be there to support you throughout and visit your setting
• Online remote training sessions will take place once a week for the first 8 weeks, and they’ll be scheduled on an as-and-when basis
• You will complete your Level 3 Paediatric First Aid

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Maths (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
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Number skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Patience

Other requirements

You will need to be available for remote sessions on teams for 10 days out of your whole apprenticeship, for your remote learning. You will be working within the nursery for the rest of the time with the support of your dedicated childcare assessor. You will also be given 20% off-job training. This could be around 6 hours or more depending on your contracted hours.