Apprentice Pre-School Assistant

A key part of your role will be building solid relationships with children, ensuring they can trust you and feel secure in your care.

Early Years Educators need to make learning a fun experience for young children.  You need to be able to create age-appropriate activities that facilitate child development, ensuring engagement, whilst focusing and documenting on all areas of progress and development.

Communication skills are key to liaise with children, colleagues, committee members, parents and outside professionals.  You need to work well as part of a team as well as using your initiative to work as an individual. 

A keenness to learn and keep up to date with changes and legislation is essential. You need to follow safeguarding guidelines and all policies and procedures throughout your duties.   

Duties include;

To work as a team to prepare for an Ofsted inspection and implement any recommendations made following regulatory inspections. To provide a high quality of education and learning and offer appropriate stimulations and support to children attending the setting. To ensure that the welfare and safety of the children is promoted within the setting and that any child protection concerns are always appropriately acted upon immediately. To help ensure records are properly maintained e.g. attendance register, accident and incident book etc. and the closing checklist is completed. To be responsible to specific key children, to monitor their key children’s progress and keep their key children’s learning journeys up to date and completed to an acceptable standard and that their key children’s reports and next steps are completed within deadlines set. To liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the Pre-School and its curriculum, teaching methods and practices; exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement. To liaise with the Committee, Ofsted, Children’s Social Care and other professionals as necessary. To contribute to and to help implement all pre-school policies and procedures. As a staff member, allow parents the opportunity to meet with their child’s key person, e.g. parent evenings. Contribute to the SEF. Attend staff meetings. To ensure that the session is set up appropriately and starts promptly. To attend or complete online training and meetings as required.  To keep up to date with current good practice.

Training:
The apprentice will be working towards the Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard or Early Years Practitioner Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard dependant on prior qualifications/experience. Apprentices undertaking the Early Years Practitioner Level 2 Apprenticeship will receive 1-to-1 tutor support from an assessor with tuition arranged on an individual basis. Apprentices undertaking the Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprenticeship may also attend clases at the Colchester Institute - Colchester Campus one day per week during term time.

Training Outcome:
After gaining experience with a Level 2 or Level 3 Childcare qualification, you can pursue more advanced qualifications, such as a Level 3 Team Leader/Supervisor or Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner. These qualifications can help you move into more senior roles. With a Level 3 early years educator qualification, you can work in a variety of childcare settings, such as nurseries, pre-schools, and reception classes. You can move into managing a nursery or group of nurseries. You can do further training to become a primary school teacher or play therapist. You can also teach early years courses at university.

Employer Description:
Tolleshunt D'Arcy Pre-school is an Ofsted 'Good' rated pre-school serving the D'Arcy community and surrounding areas of Tollesbury, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Major, Goldhanger, Tiptree and beyond. We are an Essex Early Years Charter member 2024 and are Healthy Smiles Accredited. Set in the lovely grounds of the village primary school, we provide a fun, safe and stimulating learning environment for 2-5 year olds for up to 30 hours per week, 38 weeks per year.

Working Hours :
Monday to Friday 9am - 3:30pm with a 30 minute lunch break

Skills:
Communication skills,IT skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Customer care skills,Problem solving skills,Number skills,Team working,Creative,Initiative,Non judgemental,Patience,Physical fitness,Empathy,Caring nature,Keen to learn,Enthusiasm