Apprentice Nursery Practitioner

Summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an apprentice to join Next Steps Nursery, gaining skills and knowledge to become a high-quality nursery practitioner. Our nursery provides a warm, friendly and stimulating atmosphere where you will be coached to support the children’s emotional, social and educational development.

Wage

£20,800 a year

Salary is age dependent - Lowest wage paid £10 per hour, or if over 18 minimum wage for your age.

We also pay a 10% attendance allowance, which will be reduced for
repeated sickness.

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Friday: Hours to be confirmed based on weekly rotas.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 14 September 2026

Duration

1 year 9 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

• Gaining knowledge, understanding and practical experience of day care in the early years setting
• Work under supervision to provide all aspects of early years care, interacting, role modelling, teaching and following all policies and procedures
• Gain an awareness of purposeful planning
• Gain an awareness of a high quality curriculum and how to deliver this in every day practice
• Work alongside qualified staff, be a team player using initiative, building up to working on your own initiative, after learning what to do and when
• Learn all about safeguarding policies and follow the details of the policy at all times
• Learn and understand the Whistleblowing policy when needed
• Attend all mandatory training
• Ensure the provision of a high quality environment meets the needs of all individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds, and stages of development
• Be aware of all fire and evacuation procedures
• Learn and uphold all Health and Safety whilst at work
• Complete college assignments on time, allocated hours will be given to support this

Where you'll work

Desford Road
Enderby
Leicester
LE19 4AT

Training

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

Training provider

LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

What you'll learn

• 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

• A mixture of blended learning in the workplace and taught delivery every other Friday at the Loughborough College
• Diarised visits from dedicated Trainer / Assessor
• Attendance to Loughborough College for an Induction Day (Induction to take place on the last Wednesday of the month that you are enrolled, 9.30am - 3.00pm. Confirmation of date provided upon enrolment)
• Attendance to Loughborough College for Functional Skills (if required)
• On-the-job training
• Off-the-job training

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English and Maths (grade A / C or above)

BTEC in:

Childcare or 6 months experience (grade Pass)

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

Other requirements

Applicants must enjoy spending time with children and have an abundance of patience with an attitude of ‘give it a go’, especially reading stories to young children and singing songs for them.