Nursery Practitioner Apprentice - Penbridge School in Chatham

About The Role

Start your career in Early Years!

We are seeking a caring, enthusiastic and motivated Nursery Practitioner Apprentice to join our Brand New Little Thinkers Nursery team at Penbridge Infant School in Portsmouth.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about working with young children and would like to gain a recognised qualification while earning and gaining valuable hands-on experience.

As an apprentice, you will work alongside experienced practitioners to support learning, development and wellbeing of children in a safe and nurturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Help create a safe, stimulating and inclusive nursery environment
• Assist with daily routines including mealtimes, playtime and outdoor learning
• Build positive relationships with children, parents and colleagues
• Maintain high standards of hygiene, safeguarding and health and safety

What we are looking for

• A genuine passion for working with young children
• A positive, caring and patient approach
• Good communication and teamwork skillsWillingness to learn and complete an Early Years apprenticeship qualification

This role is ideal for someone starting their career in childcare and wanting to make a real difference in the early development of young children.

About Us

Little Thinkers is a registered charity and small family of nurseries providing childcare and early years provision to families in Strood, Portsmouth, Paignton, and Furzeham. We pride ourselves on providing a safe, nurturing environment filled with learning opportunities.

As part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, we are proud to be a ‘thinking nursery’; a place where big ideas and curiosity are encouraged. Our approach delivers wonderful experiences that help children become confident, curious, and resilient individuals. Our core values, Imagination, Energy, Resilience, Questioning, Language, and Cooperation, shape everything we do.

We’re excited to be opening Little Thinkers at Penbridge Infant School, offering early years provision for children aged 0–3 years. This new nursery is perfectly positioned to support the Trust’s unique ‘all-through education’ pathway, giving families access to high-quality education from birth through to 18 years.

Next Steps

Early applications are encouraged, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy if a suitable candidate is found.

Please contact Sonia Nickerson to arrange an informal conversation: Sonia.Nickerson@tsatrust.org.uk

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. As per KCSIE we will also undertake online searches for all shortlisted candidates. If you have any questions regarding this process, please emailrecruitment@tsatrus t.org.uk