Early Years Apprentice

This role requires you to be focused on children, flexible, reliable, mentally resilient, and a good listener. You will also have the opportunity to develop your skills through formal apprenticeship training, gaining knowledge of child development, safeguarding, and effective communication.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Welcoming children and families

• Greet children warmly at arrival
• Support smooth transitions from parents to nursery

Supporting children’s care and wellbeing

• Help with nappy changing, toileting, and personal hygiene
• Assist at mealtimes, including preparing snacks and helping children eat safely
• Monitor children’s health, comfort, and emotional wellbeing

Assisting with learning and play activities

• Set up and support structured and free-play activities
• Encourage children to explore, be creative, and develop skills
• Support multi-language and multi-cultural experiences

Observation and record-keeping

• Observe and document children’s development and learning
• Assist with assessments and progress tracking for each child

Supporting behaviour and social skills

• Promote positive behaviour and model respect and kindness
• Encourage sharing, turn-taking, and collaboration

Maintaining a safe and clean environment

• Assist with tidying toys and activity areas
• Follow health and safety procedures, including hygiene routines
• Participate in fire drills and risk assessments

Teamwork and communication

• Work closely with qualified staff and follow instructions
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, children, and parents
• Contribute ideas for activities and nursery improvements

Flexibility and adapting to needs

• Support different age groups and activities as needed
• Adapt to changes in the daily routine or special activities

Professional development

• Attend training sessions as part of the apprenticeship
• Reflect on your practice and seek guidance from mentors

Where you'll work

BLUE BUILDING
115 WOOLWICH ROAD
LONDON
SE10 0RF

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

Training provider
LONDON SOUTH EAST COLLEGES

Training course
Early years practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events. e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling.
• Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
• Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off site visits relating to both children and staff and visitors and follow reporting procedures.
• Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.
• Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements.
• Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).
• Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.
• Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning or complementary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty or toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.
• Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs, in ways that will be understood. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
• Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals.
• Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.
• Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.
• Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, share results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory and the provision’s requirements.
• Use learning activities to support early language development.
• Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.
• Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.
• Support the graduated approach for the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing of each baby’s and young child's individual plan for their care and participation.
• Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.
• Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.
• Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.
• Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in the baby or child’s health, well-being, learning and development.
• Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby's or child’s care, play, learning and development.
• Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about the importance of healthy, balanced and nutritious diets for their child, looking after teeth and being physically active.