Forest School Nursery apprenticeship

Summary

The nursery is an outdoor nursery, so applicants need to be happy working outside all day, in ALL weathers. The apprentice would be working 4 days a week in the setting with the children and studying on the other days. In the first year of apprenticeship, the hourly rate of pay is £8.00 p/h. We're a Real Living Wage employer.

Wage

£17,160 a year

We pay the Real Living wage. After the first year the salary rises in line with this. 6 weeks holiday a year. 2 weeks at Easter, 2 weeks at Christmas & 2 weeks when the apprentice chooses.

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

Hours

Hours are 7.45am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. Working 4 days a week with the children and having one day a week for training/admin/study. One-hour lunch break a day, so working hours are 8 hours 15 mins a day. The nursery is open for 48 weeks a year.

41 hours 15 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 4 January 2027

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Help to plan, prepare and deliver purposeful and productive activities for children
• Be prepared to innovate and devise imaginatively varied ways of teaching the forest school experience to children
• Encourage children and show enthusiasm for their subject indoors and outside and in the forest
• Record children’s development and progress
• Ensure that they are familiar with The Woodland Nursery’s health and safety guidance and be mindful of their own health and safety and that of the children
• Promote positive Management of Behaviour in the nursery environment, establish routines and boundaries to ensure the safety and good behaviour of the children
• Supervise the children at all times
• To be a positive role model to all staff and conduct yourself in an appropriate and professional manner at all times
• To positively support change across the setting
• Proactively look for opportunities to support the nursery in day-to-day activities
• Where agreed, you will contribute to staff meetings
• Support the Manager in developing and maintaining successful and professional relationships with parents
• Attend networking/cluster events or equivalent where appropriate.
• Support and foster the aims of The Woodland Nursery
• Make themselves familiar with the contents of the Staff Handbook, The Woodland Nursery’s aims and policies and endeavour to follow these closely
• Carry out such duties, including cover for absent colleagues
• Attend staff meetings, parents’ evenings and similar important functions both in and out of the normal nursery hours
• Continue with your professional development and attend any relevant training as required
• Take part in the Woodland Nursery’s performance management scheme and appraisal on an annual basis

Where you'll work

The Woodland Nursery
Farjeon Road
Blackheath
London
SE3 8SA

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CSM CONSULTING LIMITED

Training course

Early years educator (level 3)

What you'll learn

• Recognise 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.
• Recognise 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.

Training schedule

The training schedule has yet to be agreed. Details will be made available at a later date.

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Physical fitness

Other requirements

The nursery is outdoors in all weathers, so the applicant needs to enjoy being outside and not be worried about getting muddy and dirty. We are a small nursery setting, so the team is small, and we all work closely together.