Apprentice Nursery Practitioner

As an apprentice nursery practitioner, you will rotate around the nursery rooms and Forest School, gaining hands-on experience in all areas. This, coupled with your apprentice training in Early Years, will equip you with all the skills, experience and qualification to apply to progress into a qualified educator role.

This apprenticeship will be for a Level 3 Early Years Educator. From there, you can develop your career, opting for a managerial route or pursuing a specialism.

What you'll be doing day to day:

• Support your team in the delivery of basic childcare routines
• Be responsible for the delivery of our ‘learning through play’ educational ethos
• Innovate with activities and constantly challenge children’s learning and development
• Build and maintain excellent relationships with parents
• Promote child welfare and ensure safeguarding procedures are followed
• Work a flexible shift pattern within the opening hours (7am-7pm)

What we can offer you:

• Wage: £20,717 per year
• Funding of your apprenticeship
• Part of N Academy which could put you on track for an EY degree once your apprenticeship is complete
• Performance related bonus of up to £750 per year (once working within ratio)
• Up to 32 days holiday a year (including bank holidays, 1 day off for your birthday and 3 days during Christmas and New Year) to start (rises with length of service)
• Free daily lunch and drinks
• Personal development fund of £100 per year
• Professional development, specialisms, coaching and mentoring through our N Academy
• Annual clothing allowance of £100 (no uniform)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay for all team members after 2 years continuous service
• 5 days full sick pay and, depending on individual circumstances, we may offer up to 5 days discretionary leave
• Paid training including 2 inset days per year
• Childcare discount of 10%, rising to 25% when you become a Nursery Manager
• Emergency childcare: 6 back-up childcare days in any of our nurseries
• Round the world trip and 2 weeks additional holiday for 5 years service
• Refer a friend bonus of £500 (plus other incentives) for existing and ex-employees
• Amazing wellbeing benefits including one wellbeing week per term, Headspace premium membership, free counselling, 10% ClassPass membership discount, hardship fund
• Season pass loan and cycle to work scheme

To become an apprentice, you must:

• Be 16 or over and not already be in full-time education

Training

• You will be included on a Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship.
• Apprenticeship standards are aimed at developing skills within the apprentice’s chosen career route, each standard has set knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be successful within the job role. This will include the completion of functional skills in maths and English.
• Once the apprentice has completed a minimum of 12 months training and the employer and Inspiro regional trainer confirm they have met all the requirements of the standard, they will be put through to end point assessment.
• The end point assessment is independent from the training and includes a variety of assessment methods which test the skills and knowledge of the apprentice to ensure they are fully competent in their role.
• Each apprentice will be supported throughout the apprenticeship by a structured programme of teaching, e-learning, face to face training and workplace mentoring, this will encourage and help them to meet the requirements of the new standards and will prepare them for the end of point assessment.

What happens at the end

This vacancy is for a permanent position within N Family Nursery upon the successful completion of the apprenticeship programme.

Key details

• Wage: £20,717 a year
• Working week: Working 5 days out of 7. Shifts varying which will include weekends.
• Hours: 40 hours per week
• Duration: 1 Year 3 Months
• Start date: 2027-01-18
• Closing date: 2026-12-06
• Apprenticeship standard: Early years practitioner (level 2)
• Training provider: BABCOCK SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING LIMITED