Early Years Apprentice - Aunt Mary’s Day Nursery

Summary

Support the delivery of high-quality, safe care at Aunt Mary’s Day Nursery. You’ll provide engaging, planned play that meets individual needs and supports the EYFS, working as part of a team under your room leader to maintain excellent standards in line with legislation, Ofsted and nursery policies.

Annual wage

£17,680 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Apprenticeship wage would be £8.50 per hour for the first year and then NMW for the candidates age.

Training course: Early years practitioner

Hours: Working days are Monday-Friday, with the exception of bank holidays, and a closure week between Christmas and New year Shifts are 8hrs per day, between the hours of 7.30am and 6pm to a total of 40hrs per week.
40 hours a week

Start date: Monday 16 February 2026

Duration: 24 Months

Positions available: 1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Observe each child’s progress and report on achievements. With your room team, look for alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage, and ensure that realistic and appropriate next steps are planned to fill any gaps
Understand and participate in the key person system.
Provide high quality care and activities for the children and to recognise both individual and group requirements in a secure, safe and stimulating environment
The ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children
An ability to carry out light physical duties to include lifting babies and children, housekeeping tasks and setting up resources.
Emotional resilience in working with all children, including those who have more challenging behaviours
To demonstrate an ability to support children’s developing understanding of behaviour in a positive and respectful way and in line with the behaviour management policy.
Be able to communicate effectively with adults and children
Good organisational skills
Help Maintain the safety and security of all children, employees and visitors to the Nursery.
Promote British Values and support the children to understand these core values
Demonstrate a willingness to learn and to abide by the nursery policies and procedures
Be involved in setting up and tidying of activities and areas of the nursery for the children to engage in play, both indoors and outdoors

Where you’ll work

AUNT MARY'S STONE HOUSE, DELL ROAD, ROCHDALE, LANCASHIRE, OL12 6BG

Check your travel to work

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Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

ROCHDALE TRAINING ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Your training course

Early years practitioner

Equal to Level 2 (GCSE)

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.

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.

Your training plan

Apprentice will be working towards a level 3 qualification in Early Years. This will cover all aspects of Child Development, The EYFS, safeguarding, etc. The work will be a combination of on the job training as well as assignment work. Your trainer will visit you in setting and you will have off the job time weekly to complete training tasks and assignments.

Requirements

Desired qualifications

GCSE Maths and English (Grade Grade 4/C or above) desirable

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Initiative
Maturity

Other requirements

Working in Early Years is not for the faint hearted. It can be tiring and difficult. You have to push through when you are having a bad day, play outside in all weathers and deal with all types of incidents, but it is also totally rewarding!

About this company

As a nursery we offer high quality education to children 0-5 years from Rochdale and Whitworth. As an employer we offer a supportive and dedicated staff team, with a wealth of experience. We are committed to providing the best care of the children and families and of our staff. We are in a unique location in the middle of a nature reserve, and utilise this well, so anyone excited by outdoor play would be particularly suitable. We have good links with the community and also with a charity who supports children in Malawi, with staff from the wider nursery team having the opportunity to visit.

https://rightstartdaynurseries.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

We are committed to being able to offer a job as a qualified practitioner for our apprentice once their apprenticeship is completed, as long as they meet all other requirements of employ.