Nursery Apprentice in Hitchin

You will act as a positive and practical role model, build friendly and professional relationships with staff and parents, and ensure you fully understand and follow safeguarding procedures.

Responsibilities

• 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; follow reporting procedures.
• Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene; deal with spillages safely and dispose of waste appropriately using correct personal protective equipment.
• Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and the 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 to 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 feeding, nappy changing, toilet training, skin/teeth/hair care, 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 (verbal and non‑verbal).
• Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non‑verbal communication.
• Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.
• Share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals using a range of communication methods.
• Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes that support children’s holistic development through play, creativity, social, and learning activities.
• Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning, and clean up after activities.
• Observe children, assess, plan and record outcomes, and share results accurately and confidentially in line with statutory and provision 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 review of each child’s individual plan for care and participation.
• 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 cooperatively 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, wellbeing, learning and development.
• Encourage parents or carers to take an active role in the baby 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.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

• Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Qualification
• Functional skills in Maths and English (if required)
• GCSE or equivalent in maths and English (grade 3)
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Creativity
• Customer care skills
• Initiative
• IT skills
• Logical thinking
• Mathematics and English proficiency
• Non‑judgemental attitude
• Number skills
• Patience
• Presentation skills
• Problem‑solving skills
• Teamworking

About the Company

At Grandir, our mission is to inspire children to grow into happy, smart, and healthy individuals who thrive. We believe that exceptional childcare and education are achieved when children and families are genuinely placed at the heart of everything we do. As a well‑known and sought‑after employer in the childcare sector, we recognise that it is our dedicated people who deliver outstanding education and care, always putting children and families first. Grandir UK is the home of multiple nursery brands across the United Kingdom and has been delivering outstanding childcare solutions to families with babies, toddlers and preschool children for over 25 years in Essex, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, London, Midlands, Surrey, Sussex and the South West.

Benefits

In return we offer a wide range of benefits including access to an employee benefits portal with discounts at hundreds of high‑street stores, a staff referral scheme with cash rewards, heavily discounted childcare, a dedicated “Wellbeing Day” just for you, 24/7 remote GP appointments with home‑delivered prescriptions, and a healthcare cashback plan covering treatments such as dental care and physiotherapy. We also celebrate our team through initiatives like “May I Say Thank You” month, which includes an all‑expenses‑paid awards ceremony, reward points that can be converted into cash, and additional paid holiday during the Christmas closure to enjoy with your loved ones.