Apprentice Nursery Practitioner at Willow Cottage Nurseries

Willow Cottage Nurseries is a fantastic place to get the training and support you need to achieve your Early Years Level 2 Nursery Practitioner apprenticeship qualification. Our friendly countryside settings offer the support, experience and opportunities you need to excel and are a perfect springboard into a career in the Early Years.

Length: 13 – 16 months                    
Qualification – Early Years Practioner - Level 2
Start Date Flexible
Requires - You will need to complete functional skills level 2 in Maths and English if you don't already have GCSE Math and GCSE English level 4 or above. Also, please see Safeguarding below.
Location – Bletchingdon OX5 3DH, Eynsham OX29 4EH and Farmoor OX2 9HN

Salary £6-7.50/hour + Benefits
Location Interview Expenses - All candidates who are invited for interview receive a £50 high-street e-giftcard

Next Step - Qualified nursery practitioners earn up to £22,000 per year. Level 3 apprentice rate - £10.58 per hour

Training

New apprentices received every opportunity to watch and learn from our excellent practioner team. They will support you through learning the skills you need in order to properly care for babies and young children. You will be given the space, resources and mentoring required to study and learn at your own pace. As your knowledge and understand grows we will provide the experiences you need to gain your qualification and become a professional in the Early Years.

The training is provided by Abingdon and Witney College and their assessors regularly visit the nurseries to provide individual support.

Level 3 Apprenticeships – from £10.58/hour

If you already have achieved your Level 2 apprenticeship, why not join our team as an Early Years Practitioner and we will support you through your level 3 Early Years Educator qualification.

Career Opportunities

Starting an apprenticeship at Willow Cottage leads to many benefits including:

• Career in the Early years, rising to a Room Leader or Setting Manager
• Special Educational Needs Worker
• Opportunities in Schools, Youth and Community work
• Childminding and Nannying
• Most successful candidates are offered a permanent contract.

Skill development

As an apprentice, you will learn many professional and life-skills including:

• Understanding children need to be nurtured to help them grow and learn
• Support a child learning healthy life-style habits and personal safety
• How to recognise when a child is at risk of harm or abuse and how to respond
• Identify risks and hazards in the work place
• How to work professionally and cooperatively with others as part of a team
• Work to high standards and maintain a positive work ethic
• Personal qualities such as honesty, compassion and commitment

More Information

More information can be found on our web site by searching ‘Willow Cottage Nurseries Jobs’.

Please note that our nurseries are in rural locations and therefore please consider carefully how you will travel to work, thank you.

Safeguarding

Willow Cottage Nurseries are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to have a clear DBS check and to sign up for the DBS Update Service. External candidates will need to provide two references from ex employers.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. Please see our willow-cottage.com/jobs web site for further information.

Testimonials

”I really appreciate being an apprentice at Willow Cottage. Everyone is really supportive and willing to help me out, from answering questions to helping with laptop troubles! The managers have been really diligent in planning out my training time” – Julia, Apprentice

“Willow Cottage are very committed to supporting Apprentices through their training and qualifications. They have a clear and comprehensive training schedule for their apprentices and work closely in partnership with Abingdon & Witney College. We have regular face-to-face meetings, and email contact with Managers and Deputy Managers, so that we are all clear about the progress that our Apprentices are making. Senior staff will share concerns or areas for development with us, allowing us to address these in tutorial sessions with the apprentice.”  Melissa Round – Abingdon & Witney College Course Tutor

• We offer very competitive salaries and regularly review them to ensure they are fair
• Flexible working arrangements
• Additional hours paid at overtime rates (1.5x)
• Bonus annual leave for reliable attendance, long service and Christmas shopping
• Scheme to purchase additional annual leave
• Refer a friend scheme
• We our staff are able to join the NEST pension scheme
• Our settings are easily accessible by car with free parking
• We support both in-house and external training
• We promote and develop candidates for internal career opportunities
• We are a family business promoting caring, supportive environment and culture
• Ours settings are situated in beautify countryside with plenty of outside space.