Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship *Qualifications and Experience Required* LE1 6TF

Summary

This apprenticeship is designed for a skilled and confident level 3 practitioner who is ready to take on additional responsibility. You will develop advanced leadership skills, deepen your understanding of child development, and play a key role in shaping practice across the nursery.

Wage

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

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Pay will be increased at least after the first year.

Training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

Hours

A minimum of 30-hours a week in shifts anytime from 7am - 6pm. Days to be confirmed.

30 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 22 September 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

• Lead high‑quality practice within your room or designated area
• Support and mentor junior staff, apprentices, and students
• Work closely with the management team to drive continuous improvement
• Build strong, professional relationships with children, families, and colleagues
• Contribute to planning, assessment, and curriculum development
• Champion safeguarding, wellbeing, and inclusive practice
• Model excellent communication and behaviour management strategies

Where you'll work

6 NEW WALK
LEICESTER
LE1 6TF

Training

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

Training provider

EDEN TRAINING SOLUTIONS 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

Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5.

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

A Level in:

Early Years Educator (Level 3) (grade Pass)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4/C)
• Maths (grade 4/C)

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
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Strong understanding of EYFS

Other requirements

After a successful interview, the apprentice would be required to undertake a some voluntary days (usually about a week) to really get a feel for what they will be doing.