Childcare Apprentice

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Childcare Apprentice

The closing date is 18 March 2026

Level 2 Early Years Apprentice - Join Our Team!

Working in early years is fun, rewarding, and full of variety. As a Level 2 Early Years Apprentice, you'll support children's learning and development while gaining hands on experience and a recognised qualification.

What You'll Do

• Plan fun, engaging activities linked to the EYFS
• Build positive relationships with children and families
• Help create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment
• Observe and record children's progress
• Work closely with a friendly, supportive team
• Follow safeguarding procedures to keep children safe

What We're Looking For:

• Passion for working with young children
• A caring, enthusiastic, and creative approach
• Good communication and teamwork skills

Main duties of the job

The role involves supporting high quality care, learning, and development for children in line with EYFS, Ofsted, and nursery policies. You will work closely with colleagues, parents, and other professionals to meet each child's individual needs, helping to create a safe, stimulating, well organised environment that promotes independence, healthy choices, and positive development.

Key responsibilities include contributing to planning and delivering age appropriate activities, maintaining accurate records of children's progress, preparing displays, supporting children's hygiene needs, and ensuring strong safeguarding practices. The role also requires housekeeping tasks, basic administrative duties, food preparation, and maintaining a safe and hygienic setting.

You must communicate effectively with parents, provide daily feedback, and ensure confidentiality at all times. Flexibility is essential, including occasional work outside normal hours and covering shifts at different nursery sites.

You are expected to follow all relevant legislation and nursery policies, uphold the Trust's values, and engage in ongoing training, self reflection, and professional development. Health and safety awareness is essential, including monitoring risks, managing security procedures, and responding appropriately to concerns.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its employees. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for a period of 18 months due to this being an apprenticeship/training programme. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts.

A learner/applicant must be a UK, EEA, or EU resident for at least the past three years to undertake an apprenticeship training programme.

The apprentice allowance as specified in the Minimum Wage Regulations will be paid for the first 12 months. The rate will increase after 12 months in line with these regulations for anyone that is age 19 or over.

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Person Specification Qualifications

• English GCSE Grade D/3 or Functional skills English at Level 1
• Maths at GCSE Grade D/3 or Functional Skills Maths at Level 1
• General IT Skills

Experience

• Some experience of working with or looking after children

Further Training

• The ability to keep updated in Childcare issues
• Willing to do further training for personal development
• Patients First - An interest in working with children and their families within a childcare setting.
• Ability to provide good quality care with compassion, commitment, and competence.
• Respectful - An understanding of the importance of effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Understanding of the needs of children and their families and providing care whilst maintaining dignity.
• Effective communication skills both verbal and written.
• Effective organisational skills
• Unity - Ability to work as part of a team Ability to work in partnership with parents and any outside agencies in a professional manner.
• Deliver - Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of a Nursery Practitioner.
• Understanding the requirements of confidentiality in a Childcare setting

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£14,762.93 a yearpa/pro rata for part time staff