Early Years Apprentice

You will be working full time at Park Day Nursery gaining your practical experience. This will involve a range of activities from arts and crafts to singing and outdoor play. You will then attend class bi-weekly at Chiltern Training in Reading town centre.

Requirements

• Caring for children's needs
• Working closely with parents
• Supporting staff members
• Preparing meals and snacks
• Assisting with daily routines
• Learning and developing skills
• Maintaining children's records
• Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Responsibilities

• Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events.
• Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them.
• 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.
• Promote health and wellbeing in the provision by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks and be physically active.
• Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child.
• Communicate with all children, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with additional needs.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Childcare is not about playing with babies all day. There will be a variety of activities to plan and deliver each day. You may have key children that you look after and will have to communicate with staff, children, managers and parents at the nursery.