Apprentice Nursery Practitioner

Welcome to our nursery in Sandycombe Road, Richmond, where a deep passion for education and the joy of learning takes centre stage. Our stunning, modern nursery has been thoughtfully designed with Early Years in mind, ensuring each child's unique needs are nurtured as they grow from little explorers to budding inventors!

Responsibilities

• Engage and interact meaningfully with every child, creating warm and nurturing relationships.
• Support daily routines and ensure the smooth operation of the room.
• Communicate effectively with parents, colleagues, and children, maintaining professionalism and respect.
• Use statutory and curriculum documents effectively, including safeguarding.
• Support the key person system, ensuring children's individual needs are met.
• Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of both children and employees, recognising when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
• Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
• Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
• Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
• Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
• Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
• Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
• Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
• Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
• Advocate for all children's needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
• Promote and facilitate children's interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
• Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
• Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
• Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
• Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
• Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child's voice.
• Apply strategies that support children's ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
• Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child's needs and interests.
• Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
• Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.

Apprenticeship Details

• You will be working towards the Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard, which includes: Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours.
• Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator.
• Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid.
• Level 2 Functional Skills in maths and English (if required).
• GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English (grade 4).
• Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience.
• The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Why Fennies?

• Family At Our Core: We are a family-founded and run organisation that’s sole purpose is to support the team to 'Come Together' as a community where you’re more than just a number.
• Investing To Be The Best: We’re committed to investing in both our people and our company, by offering outstanding resources and growth opportunities, all while driving positive change in the sector and helping talent flourish.
• For us at Fennies, childcare isn’t just a job, it’s a journey - one where every child leads us in a unique new direction.
• As part of a larger group, we’ve access to world-leading expertise in learning and development, so you can be confident your child will benefit from an experience as unique as they are.
• Of course, care is as much about empathy as education, and ours is a child-led approach that emphasises building confidence and curiosity - so that every child in our care has the freedom to flourish.

Benefits

• Salaries that match or exceed industry standards, reviewed annually.
• Comprehensive pension scheme.
• £500 referral bonus.
• Annual Christmas Party and Summer BBQ events.
• Daily lunch at no additional cost.
• Professional development programmes and coaching.
• Loyalty rewards based on length of service.
• Yearly increases in annual leave based on service.

Position Details

• Wage £16,096.60 to £26,031.72, depending on age.
• National Minimum Wage.
• Training course Early years educator (level 3).
• Hours: 5-day 41.25 hours, 4-day options.
• Start date: Monday 5 January 2026.
• Duration: 1 year 2 months.

Support Function: Behind the scenes, our support team covering everything from education to HR, marketing to finance keeps things running smoothly, so onsite staff can focus on delivering quality childcare and Early Years education.

Environments: A harmonious work environment where all members of the team are encouraged to 'Be Yourself' to help you grow into the best version of yourself, all whilst delivering industry-leading, Early Years education.