Early years Educator Apprentice - Swanbourne

Summary

Are you wanting to progress your career in childcare? Ashbourne Day Nurseries Swanbourne have a wonderful opportunity to join their established team and complete an Early Years Apprenticeship. You will plan and deliver high-quality childcare, work as part of a team, sharing daily responsibilities and workload.

Wage

£16,640 to £26,436.80, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday to Friday - shifts to be agreed at offer stage.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 31 August 2026

Duration

1 year 6 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

Your Role:

• As an apprentice, you’ll support the delivery of high-quality childcare in a safe, stimulating, and caring environment
• You’ll learn from experienced practitioners and contribute to the day-to-day running of the nursery

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in planning and delivering engaging learning experiences
• Promote a child-centred approach aligned with our ethos: care, nurture, teach
• Support safeguarding, health & safety, and EYFS standards
• Help assess children’s development under supervision
• Maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment
• Build positive relationships with children, parents, and the nursery team
• Participate in training, meetings, and professional development (20% off-the-job learning)
• Positively represent the nursery in the community and at events

What We’re Looking For:

• Empathy and enthusiasm for working with children
• Good communication and teamwork skills
• Willingness to travel across Ashbourne settings if needed
• GCSEs in maths and English (or equivalent) are desirable

Pay rates are in line with National Minimum Wage: £12.71 per hour for ages 21 and over, £10.85 per hour for ages 18–20, and £8.00 per hour for those under 18 and apprentices

Benefits:

• Uniform provided
• Closed over Christmas

Where you'll work

Winslow Road
Swanbourne
Milton Keynes
MK17 0SW

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 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
• 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

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English Language (grade 4)
• Mathematics (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
• Problem solving skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Patience

Other requirements

• Eligible to obtain Enhanced DBS Reference and able to provide original copies of required qualifications
• Two satisfactory references, one must be from most recent employer