Employer description

Childbase Partnership, delivering childcare excellence since 1989. Rated ‘World Class’ by Best Companies and a European Business Award winner, the employee-owned Childbase Partnership is on a mission to give children the best possible start in life. That means a commitment to continuously redefine excellence in every area of operation from imaginative, state of the art, age-appropriate play and learning spaces in nurseries to the award-winning training programmes for its early years professionals. A top UK workplace for over a decade, every Childbase Partnership colleague is an employee-owner, invested in ensuring that each and every child in their care is happy, confident and ready to realise their full potential.

Main description

Fun is an essential ingredient in all Childbase Partnership nurseries where the care and education opportunities for each and every child are as extraordinary as our colleagues who provide them. This is your opportunity to be part of the fun and to join us as an apprentice at our Edwinstowe Day Nursery in Cambridge.

As a childcare apprentice, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Work as part of a team to create and maintain safe and supportive learning environments across the nursery, plan and implement opportunities to enhance children’s development, and complete observations linked to the early years curriculum
• Interact positively with all nursery users and work in partnership with colleagues and parents to ensure all children’s individual needs are met at all times whilst they are in your care
• Adhere to nursery routines and policies and to seek guidance from your leadership team as required
• Successfully manage your time to ensure you submit your coursework by the deadlines set by your assessor/tutor

Training to be provided

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
CHILDBASE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

Your training course
Early years educator (level 3) Equal to A level

Your training plan
This apprenticeship will provide you with the opportunity to learn how to provide outstanding early years care and education. By the end of your apprenticeship with us you will gain:

Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification; there will be an on-line assessment during our shortlisting stage to determine the right level of apprenticeship for you
Appropriate functional skills qualifications in maths and English, if you do not already have equivalent qualifications in these subjects when you commence your apprenticeship
A paediatric first aid qualification  

Our early years apprenticeship offers you:

• The opportunity to gain valuable, practical childcare experience, working with children aged 0-5 years in a nursery setting
• 'Off the job' learning time within your working week which will support your studies
• A childcare trainer/assessor from our in-house training academy of excellence, who will visit you at the nursery on a regular basis to guide and direct you
• Group training sessions, with other apprentices from across our partnership, held at our academy in Newport Pagnell; there are
• 1:1 sessions as part of the level 3 course
• A permanent contract subject to you successfully gaining your qualification, where after completion you will be appointed as a qualified Nursery Nurse within our partnership

Entry Requirements

Desirable qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in: English (grade C/4) Maths (grade C/4)

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 required

Communication skills
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience

Other requirements

For your application to be considered, at the time you apply, you must be able to evidence your NI number and right to work in the UK, ideally have photographic ID (valid passport or driving licence), have access to a computer, been resident in the UK for at least 3 years and be comfortable travelling to the training sessions in Newport Pagnell.

Future Prospects

A permanent contract subject to you successfully gaining your qualification, where after completion you will be appointed as a qualified Nursery Nurse within our partnership
Longer term, as a level 3 qualified practitioner, you will be able to progress into roles such as Team Leader, Deputy Manager and Nursery Manager

During your apprenticeship with us, you will benefit from:

23 days of annual leave, with the option to buy and sell days
Perkbox access offering various retail discounts and reduced ticket prices on days out
Fully-paid enhanced DBS check
Complimentary breakfast, lunch and refreshments when you are at work
Thrive mental health app, employee assistance scheme and occupational health service
£1000 ‘recommend a friend’ bonus if you successfully refer someone to come and work for us
Cycle to work scheme
Annual staff conference and awards event, at which individual and team achievements are recognised

Company’s application instructions
Once you've submitted your application, you will be asked to answer some initial eligibility questions by email, after which a screening telephone call will be arranged for you. Upon successful completion of initial screening, there will be an online assessment for you to complete, so we can check what level of apprenticeship is most suitable for you. A visit to the nursery will follow, at which, you will be able to look around, meet some of the team and engage in an interview.