Apprentice Nursery Practitioner - The Oaks Nursery - 108107AP - Apprentice Grade 3

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40 days holiday

Volunteer day

Pension scheme

Sick pay

Job summary

The University of Birmingham, through Campus Services, offers a fixed-term Apprenticeship at Birmingham Day Nurseries, starting at £20,782 per year, rising to £25,977 after a year. You will train as an Early Years Educator Level 3 while supporting nursery children on-site at Selly Oak Campus.

This 18-month programme covers high-quality care, safeguarding, learning activities, and collaboration with parents and staff.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths at Level 2 or equivalent.
• Preferred qualification – Early Years Level 2.
• Some experience of caring for children in a professional setting.
• Willingness to learn and be reliable.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality care for children through social, emotional, educational and practical interaction.
• Follow policies and procedures, health and safety, and safeguarding requirements.
• Ensure children are safe and well, with confidentiality maintained.
• Implement the key worker system to address individual needs.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Teamwork

Willingness to learn

Organisation

Education

GCSE English & Maths (Level 2)

Early Years level 2 (preferred)

Job description

Job Description

Birmingham Day Nurseries, Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Selly Oak Campus, Birmingham UK - B29 6LG

Job Description

Birmingham Day Nurseries, Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Selly Oak Campus, Birmingham UK - B29 6LG

Full-time starting salary £20,782 per annum rising to £25,977 after 12 months service.

Apprentice Grade 3

Full Time / Fixed Term for 18 Months

Apprenticeship Standard: Early Years Educator - Level 3

Training Provider: Connect 2 Care

Closing date: 25 October 2026

Eligibility:

The training delivered in apprenticeships is funded through the apprenticeship levy which is subject to Department for Education funding rules for apprenticeships. When reviewing applications the University and the training provider will be checking candidates meet this eligibility criteria. Further information is available on our webpage.

You have normally been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years. For exemptions please refer to the government funding rules for apprenticeships.

Pre-appointment checks

In line with recommendations and regulations relating to Early Years safeguarding and recruitment, please note that for this role:

• The University will seek references from at least one referee prior to interview. Candidates must therefore provide at least one referee whom we can contact immediately. The remaining referees will usually only be contacted if you are offered appointment. Please indicate clearly on your application form which referee(s) we may contact prior to interview.
• Candidates invited to interview will be asked to disclose all past names, for the sole purpose of verifying identity for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and safeguarding checks. Candidates will be asked to bring documents to verify their identity (e.g. birth/adoption certificate and any evidence of name changes).
• All successful candidates will be required to undergo a DBS check covering all names used.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.

View our staff values and behaviours here

Apprenticeship context

Campus Services plays a unique and significant role in the quality of the student, staff and visitor experience at the University of Birmingham. As one of the largest hospitality organisations in the West Midlands, Campus Services provides round the clock services across diverse areas such as the University's sporting facilities, catering, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, portering, post, retail, student housing, transport, waste disposal and recycling.

Apprenticeship Summary

You will learn to provide high quality care, learning and development for all children attending the Nursery. You will ensure that children are safe, happy and stimulated with their individual needs met, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). You will also carry out light domestic duties. In order to flexibly use resource you may be given the opportunity to work in different areas of the department or wider University.

During this apprenticeship you will learn the following duties:

• You will provide high quality, positive care for children through social, emotional, educational and practical interaction, nurturing and guidance.
• You will follow the policies and procedures and comply with the Children Act (2006), Health and Safety legislation and within the requirements of Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage, including ensuring confidentiality is maintained.
• You will ensure the children are kept safe, are well, and that Child Protection Procedures are followed.
• You will implement the key worker system to address the individual needs of each child, their family and carers.
• You will have an awareness of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice Undertake observation and assessment of children’s learning and development, helping ensure records are kept up-to-date, of a high standard and shared effectively.
• Partner with parents/carers to keep them informed of their child’s day and progress.
• Organise, maintain and ensure a clean, tidy, hygienic, safe, child-friendly environment.
• Plan, prepare and supervise activities such as arts and craft, cooking, reading, music, outdoor and physical activities both indoors and out.
• Clean and maintain toys and equipment in a safe manner.
• Feed babies and young children ensuring their nutritional needs are met, complying with Food Safety Regulations.
• Change nappies and support children with potty training and toileting.
• Help children to learn social, emotional, numeracy, language and practical skills.
• Work with staff within the nursery to provide a high quality nursery service.
• Work with outside professional bodies and agencies as appropriate.
• Implement the daily routine of the nursery.
• Participate in meetings.
• Follow the nursery’s practices, processes and procedures. E.g. positive behaviour management techniques.
• Learn about developments in childcare and undertake training as required.
• Ensure the health and safety of colleagues and children, complying with all Health and Safety requirements.
• Treats everyone with dignity and respect in line with current equality legislation.
• Undertake other duties as required.

You will be expected to engage fully with the University of Birmingham apprenticeship scheme, attending mandatory group days and contributing to the successful promotion of the scheme by representing your department in a positive manner.

This apprenticeship would suit:

This post would suit someone with a keen interest in childcare and is looking to develop a career in this area.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• GCSE English Language and Maths or equivalent Level 2 qualifications.
• Preferred qualification – early years specific qualification Level 2
• Some experience of caring and being responsible for children in a professional capacity.
• An enthusiastic, flexible and keen learner who is reliable and dedicated to an apprenticeship.
• Need strong attention to detail and can-do attitude.
• Willingness to learn about legislation, regulations, Child Protection procedures, Ofsted requirements, inspection criteria and the Early Years Foundation Stage.
• Understanding the importance of health and safety and hygiene in a childcare setting.
• Physically and mentally suitable to care for children, including ability to deal with challenging behaviours.
• Ability to promote good practice in a professional manner.
• Ability to communicate well and work well with children and adults from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to write legibly and present information well.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect early years’ childcare.
• Ability and willingness to take on duties as required.
• Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect own area (e.g. Dietary requirements/dress code).

Career Pathway

On completion of this apprenticeship, you may be able to progress into a Nursery Practitioner role.

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.