Early Years Apprentice

As an Early Years Apprentice, you will be continuously learning and developing to build your career in our Little Pioneers nurseries. By putting into practice the new knowledge and skills achieved through your apprenticeship, you will help us deliver our vision of being the leading Early Years provider.

Wage: £19,890 a year

Training course: Early years practitioner (level 2)

Hours: Your shifts will be in nursery opening times: Monday - Friday between 7.30am - 6.30pm. You may be requested to attend staff meetings / parents evenings in the evening and you may be required to support with open days on a Saturday. 30 hours a week

Start date: Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration: 1 year

Positions available: 3

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

What you'll do at work:

• Contribute to the learning experiences of children through our Pioneering Pathway and pedagogy
• Support your colleagues to provide enabling environments, ensuring all children have high quality opportunities to play, learn and develop
• Develop a good knowledge of safeguarding and act swiftly to address any emerging child protection concerns, ensuring these are referred without delay to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Prioritise safety by contributing to creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment in which every child feels valued, their well-being is promoted, and their individual needs are consistently met
• Work with your colleagues to provide our families with an exceptional experience, building relationships with the children’s families to ensure the children’s individual needs are met
• Work with your colleagues under the direction of your Room Manager to achieve the nursery targets to be safe, compliant and meet regulatory requirements
• Work with your Room Manager by positively contributing to the success of all aspects of your room, the nursery and the nursery plan

Where you'll work:

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Little Pioneers, Fieldfare, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FN
• St. Richards Hospital, Spitalfield Lane, Chichester, PO19 6SE
• Watersmead Business Park, Littlehampton, BN17 6LS

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

Training provider: HAWK MANAGEMENT (UK) LIMITED

Training course: Early years practitioner (level 2)

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.