Apprenticeship
Are you a school leaver? Or tried a course at college that doesn’t feel right? Or did you leave school 20+ years ago? Apprenticeships are for anyone, at any age.
It takes a special kind of person to work in childcare and we believe we’ve got the winning formula to supporting all ages of apprentices to reach their full potential - and more.
Learning how to inspire children in-the-moment, utilising afternoons full of long nature walks, cooking pies in the mud kitchens, bringing the Gruffalo to life in one of our many woodland areas; completing an apprenticeship in childcare with us is one-of-a-kind.
You will also learn how to ‘hygge’ - the Scandinavian approach to our nursery culture which focuses on well-being, nature & that feeling of belonging.
Working Hours and Salary
You will work a four day week, meaning you will get an extra day off (requests for specific days are available). The hours worked will be as follows:
If aged 16 – 18: 8 hours per day worked between 8:30am – 17:30pm. This equates to 32 hours per week across 4 days, with a 1 hour lunch break.
If aged over 18: Fixed hours from 8am – 17:45pm. 37 hours per week across 4 days, with a 40 minute lunch break.
What Is An Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a work-based training program that offers a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience while earning a wage. It’s ideal for those who want to develop practical skills on the job.
At Abbotswood, we use Race Ahead Training who alongside us, will give you provide you with the tools, knowledge and experience to become an Early Years expert. Off-the-job learning will include completing coursework, shadowing, learning new knowledge, skills and behaviours.
You will be assigned an assessor from Race Ahead and given a mentor here at Abbotswood, who are there to support you along your apprenticeship journey. The
You have the option to study the Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship or the Level 3 Early Years Educator dependant on your GCSE’s. *You may have to complete Functional Skills Maths & English alongside.
Who Can Study An Apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are for everyone! They are open to people of all ages and backgrounds, as long as they meet the government eligibility criteria. In this case, you can study for an Apprenticeship at any age (16+) as long as you:
Are working in a relevant job role at the start and throughout the Apprenticeship
Work 30 hours a week or more
Do not have an equivalent qualification already.
Job Summary
As an apprentice, you will learn how to provide an environment where each child has a sense of belonging, and feels loved and cared for. You learn about the growth centric approach we implement at Abbotswood, which puts each child at the centre of everything we do. You will learn about and understand the values and ethos of the nursery, and how these will influence your practice and development in the rooms. Apprentices report to the Room Leader or the Senior Early Years Practitioner in the room. You will also be assigned a mentor within the room, who will support and guide you through your growth programme.
Key Responsibilities
For an apprenticeship, you will be accountable to Senior Early Years Practitioners and Senior Room Leaders. Your primary responsibilities can be viewed below, broken down into people, delivery, reflection and development.
People
To comply with all relevant procedures covering child protection, special needs and equal opportunities, with special regard to multi-discriminatory procedures.
To work as part of a team.
To communicate positively and effectively both inside and outside the nursery.
Build and maintain effective relationships with parents and carers.
To liaise closely with parents and carers, informing them about the nursery and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement.
To actively contribute to good staff morale.
Promote an excellent image of Abbotswood.
To attend staff meetings.
Delivery
To provide a safe, caring, stimulating educational environment, both indoors and outdoors, at all times.
To deliver an appropriate play based Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum that enables children to make individual progress.
Learn the planning cycle and begin to contribute to curriculum plans.
Carry out planned activities with small groups of children, supported by a member of staff.
Follow nursery routines and activities, offering attention and support to all children.
Have a small amount of key children and be responsible for tracking their development. To plan appropriately for the children’s next steps of learning, with guidance from supervisor.
Prepare displays, ensuring they stimulate vocal and receptive responses.
Ensure a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care of our children, actively promoting each child’s self-esteem.
To ensure records are properly maintained, such as the daily attendance register, accident and incident book, risk assessments, etc.
To understand and work to nursery policies and procedures, including how to deal with child protection issues appropriately, and how to respond to incidents, accidents, complaints, and emergencies.
Reflection
To maintain a safe environment for the children and adults in the nursery, ensuring that:
Equipment and resources are set up and cleared away each session.
Making sure equipment is maintained and any issues are reported to the nursery manager.
Good hygiene standards are maintained, and the ten rules of food hygiene are adhered to.
Safety procedures are adhered to.
Arrival and departure procedures are observed, and children are kept safe during the session itself.
The physical, toileting and hygiene needs of the children within the nursery are attended to.
To ensure good hygiene standards are maintained throughout the nursery.
To commit to continuing personal development.
To be flexible and love to engage with children outside in our muddy and leafy grounds.
Contribute observations to children’s development.
Development
Complete a satisfactory probation, achieving all activities and training on the growth induction program.
Complete apprentice checklist duties and maintain a high level of involvement on the apprenticeship programme.
Willingness to learn basic safeguarding action/knowledge.
Desire to incorporate Abbotswood Day Nursery core values into day-to-day activities and environments.
Must demonstrate initiative and confidence in raising ideas.
To work in partnership with senior management to update and review the self-evaluation and improvement plan.
To undertake any other reasonable duties as directed, in accordance with the preschool aims and objectives.
The Recruitment Process
At Abbotswood Preschool and Day Nursery, the safeguarding of the children we care for is paramount to everything we do. To help us with this, we have a robust recruitment process. Here’s what to expect when applying to work with us:
Telephone chat: This is a short, informal chat, to get to know you and make sure we are right for each other. We will read the job description and think about why you want this role.
Nursery Tour and Stay & Play: You will be invited to nursery during opening hours for a tour of our site, and the chance to spend some with one of the age groups for 30 minutes.
Face To Face Interview With the Nursery Manager: Depending on timing, we may ask you to sty for an interview on your stay and play day, or book another suitable day. During the interview, we will read through your CV, discuss examples of when you have performed well at work or in education, research some details about the company and the role. We’d love for you to make sure that working with us is important to you. Make sure you know why this is the perfect job for you and ask lots of questions!
Job Offer: We will email you with the outcome of your interview. If successful, we will ask you to complete further information to send back to us, including details to complete your enhanced DBS (criminal check) certificate. We will also ask you to provide us with two references.
Progressive Career Opportunities
We operate a successful and well-embedded development program, offering employees plenty of progressive career prospects. All employees are encouraged to access our range of continued professional development opportunities. Roles include:
Apprentice
Qualified Level 3 Practitioner
Qualified Practitioner (Level 4, 5, 6)
Senior Practitioner (We do not limit the amount of senior positions within the nursery. Senior practitioners must complete the induction programme prior to applying for the senior role)
Forest School Lead
Room Leader and Nursery 3rd In Charge
We also offer a number of other roles, such as:
Cook
Lunch Time Cover
Office Manager
Deputy Manager
Nursery Manager
How To Apply
Send us a your up-to-date CV and a covering letter to office@abbotswooddaynursery.co.uk. The covering letter is an opportunity for you to celebrate yourself! Tell us why you want to work with us, what you’ve achieved in the past and what you’re looking to do in the future.
