University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
Apprentice Nursery Practitioner
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Overview
Taplins Nursery is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Job Title: Level 3 Apprentice Nursery Practitioner
Contract Type: Permanent
Under current Home Office rules, this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Successful applicants must meet eligibility criteria for UK apprenticeship funding.
Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.
Previous applicants need not apply.
Main Duties of the Job
Are you kind, caring, and lots of fun? We are looking for special candidates who love children and want to make working with them their career.
This is a great opportunity to work with a friendly and knowledgeable team learning to provide high standards of care and education to children aged 3 months- 5 years old, and completing an Early Years Apprenticeship.
Taplins operates two purpose-built day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, and being part of the UHS family means you'll have access to lots of great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, and a discount scheme.
We're open Monday-Friday from 7am to 6.30pm so you'll work a variety of shifts within this time. We look after up to 52 children a day in our purpose-built nursery with generous outdoor space, and have a great reputation for developing supportive relationships with the children and families who attend.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Working for Our Organisation
Taplins Nurseries, part of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, are recruiting for an individual looking to complete a Level 3 Early Years qualification and join us as an Apprentice Nursery Practitioner.
Taplins provide high-quality childcare for NHS families and offers an environment where practitioners feel supported, valued, and respected. The security and benefits of NHS employment, together with a strong team culture, allow staff to focus on rewarding early years practice without the pressures often experienced in the private sector.
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 07:00–18:30 (closed on bank holidays)
Work patterns: Full-time and part-time roles available with flexible working open for discussion
Location: Western Community Hospital, William Macleod Way, Southampton SO16 4XE
Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities
You’ll work with experienced members of our nursery team learning to care for small groups of children.
You’ll learn to promote each child’s development and have lots of fun doing this! Reading stories, giving cuddles, pretending to have tea parties, finding bugs in the garden, painting, and lots more!
You’ll complete an Early Years Apprenticeship course giving you a great qualification to start your career.
What We’re Looking For
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
You’ll need to be calm, kind, and caring, and have an enthusiastic approach to working with children and their families.
You’ll need to be committed and reliable.
We are a busy service and team working is essential to meet each child’s needs, so you’ll need to be ready to work closely with others.
You’ll need to be prepared to work hard to learn both in nursery and in your college course- always improving ourselves and our nursery is very important to us.
If this is you, we’d love to meet you!
Person Specification
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Experience
Essential Criteria
- Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
- Willingness and ability to undertake Level 3 Qualification in Early Years and Childcare
- Willingness and ability to undertake Food Safety training
- Demonstrates enthusiastic approach to working with children and learning practically within nursery
- Able to provide relevant activity ideas and ability to care for children
Desirable Criteria
- Current paediatric and/or first aid at work certificate
- Current food hygiene certificate
- Recent previous experiences of working with 3 months – 5-year-olds within a childcare setting.
Trust Values and Behaviours
Essential Criteria
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London