Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship

The broad purpose of the occupation is to work and interact directly with children on a day to day basis supporting the planning of and delivery of activities, purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes within the ethos of the setting. An EYP works as part of a professional team ensuring the welfare and care for children under the guidance and supervision of an Early Years Educator, teacher or other suitably qualified professional the Early Years Workforce.

Typical job titles include:

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with parents, children, colleagues and wider multi agency professionals and partners such as health visitors, social workers and speech and language therapists. Individuals will undergo all checks as per the EYFS requirements to ensure suitability to work with children. Due to the nature and level of responsibility it is not anticipated that the role would have any budgetary or leadership responsibilities.

They will be responsible for supporting child initiated and adult led activities based around the needs and interests of each individual child, supporting children’s learning through planned, purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes and working as part of a team to ensure each child feels safe and secure. An EYP will also support the observation and assessment of each child and contribute to their learning experiences and assist with the care needs of the individual child such as teeth, skin, hair, feeding, changing nappies and toileting under direction of a more senior member of the team. They will also work in partnerships with other colleagues, parents and/or carers or other professionals, with support from a more senior member of the team, to meet the individual needs of each child. They will also have a responsibility for ensuring that they recognise when a child is in danger and/or at risk of serious harm or abuse and contributing to the health and safety of the children, staff and others on the premises.

What knowledge and skills are covered?

An Early Years Practitioner knows and understands:

Knowledge

K1: How children learn and the expected pattern of babies and children’s development from birth to 5 years and their further development from ages 5 to 7. Areas of development include: cognitive, speech, language and communication, physical, emotional, social, brain development and literacy and numeracy.

K2: The importance to children’s holistic development of, speech, language and communication, personal, social and emotional development, physical development and literacy and numeracy.

K3: How babies’ and young children’s learning and development can be affected by their stage of development, well-being and individual circumstances.

K4: The significance of attachment, the key person’s role and how transitions and other significant events impact children.

K5: The legal requirements and guidance on safeguarding, security, confidentiality of information and promoting the welfare of children.

K6: Safeguarding policies and procedures, including child protection and online safety.

K7: Own role and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and security, including child protection, reporting and confidentiality of information.

K8: The legal requirements and guidance for, Health and safety and Security

K9: Risks and hazards in the work setting and during off site visits.

K10: Own role and responsibilities, including reporting, in the event of a baby or young child requiring medical/ dental attention, a non-medical incident or emergency and identifying risks and hazards

K11: The work settings procedures for receiving, storing, recording, administration and the safe disposal of medicines.

K12: The signs and symptoms which may indicate that a child is injured, unwell (including common childhood illnesses and allergies) or in need of urgent medical/ dental attention.

K13: The impact of health and wellbeing on children’s development.

K14: The current dietary guidance for early years and why it is important for babies and young children to have a healthy balanced diet and be physically active.

K15: Ways to communicate with all children appropriate for all their stages of development, including those whom English is an additional language (EAL) or who have delayed speech.

K16: The statutory framework, including the learning and development requirements for babies and young children that must be implemented by your setting.

K17: The terms adult led activities, child initiated activities and spontaneous experiences.

K18: The key stages in the observation, assessment and planning cycle and the value of observation for the child, the parents/ carers and the early years setting in planning the next steps.

K19: How to refer concerns about a baby’s or child’s development.

K20: The statutory guidance in relation to the care and education of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

K21: Partnership working (including parents/carers) in relation to working effectively with children with special educational needs and disabilities.

K22: What specialist aids, resources and equipment are available for the children you work with and how to use these safely.

K23: Own role and expected behaviours and the roles of colleagues and the team.

K24: How to access work place policies and procedures and your own responsibilities and accountabilities relating to these.

K25: How behaviour can impact on babies and children and influence them.

K26: Own responsibilities when following procedures in the work setting for reporting, whistleblowing, protecting and promoting the welfare of children, safeguarding, confidentiality, information sharing and use of technology.

K27: The importance of reflective practice and continued professional development to improve own skills and early years practice.

K28: The roles and responsibilities of other agencies and professionals that work with and support your setting, both statutory and non-statutory.

K29: The importance of the voice of the child, parental/carer engagement, the home learning environment and their roles in early learning.

Skills

S1: Support babies and young children through a range of transitions.e.g moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling

S2: Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them. Types of abuse including: domestic, neglect , physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

S3: Identify risks and hazards in the work setting and during off site visits.relating to both children and staff

S4: Demonstrate skills and understanding for the prevention and control of infection, including hand washing, food preparation and hygiene, dealing with spillages safely, safe disposal of waste, using correct personal protective equipment.

S5: Use equipment, furniture and materials safely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and setting’s requirements.

S6: Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and the safety of others and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene).

S7: Promote health and wellbeing in settings by encouraging babies and young children to consume healthy and balanced meals, snacks and drinks appropriate for their age and be physically active through planned and spontaneous activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.

S8: Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the development, stage, dignity and needs of the child, including eating (feeding and weaning/complimentary feeding), nappy changing procedures, potty/toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair and rest and sleep provision.

S9: Communicate with all children in ways that will be understood, including verbal and non-verbal communication.

S10: Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non-verbal communication.

S11: Encourage babies and young children to use a range of communication methods.

S12: Use a range of communication methods to exchange information with children and adults.

S13: Work with colleagues to identify and plan enabling environments, activities (both indoors and outdoors), play opportunities and educational programmes (both adult led and child initiated) to support children’s holistic development through a range of play, creativity, social development and learning.

S14: Implement and review activities to support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities.

S15: Observe children, assess, plan and record the outcomes, sharing results accurately and confidentially in line with expected statutory framework and setting’s requirements.

S16: Use learning activities to support early language development.

S17: Support children’s early interest and development in mark making, writing, reading and being read to.

S18: Support children’s interest and development in mathematical learning including numbers, number patterns, counting, sorting and matching.

S19: Support the assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing (the graduated approach) of each baby’s and young child’s individual plan for their care and participation.

S20: Work in ways that value and respect the developmental needs and stages of babies and children.

S21: Use feedback, mentoring and/or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities.

S22: Work co-operatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and young children and enable them to progress.

S23: Work alongside parents and/or carers and recognise their role in the baby’s/child’s health, well-being, learning and development.

S24: Encourage parents and/or carers to take an active role in the baby’s/child’s care, play, learning and development.

S25: Demonstrate how to share information with parents/carers about the importance of healthy balanced diets, looking after teeth and being physically active.

English & Maths

Apprentices without level 1 English and maths will need to achieve this level and apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to take the tests for this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Other mandatory qualifications

Apprentices will achieve a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Qualification as part of their apprenticeship.

This section sets out the requirements for end-point assessment (EPA) for the Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship standard. It is for end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) who need to know how EPA for this apprenticeship must operate. It will also be of interest to Early Years Practitioner apprentices, their employers and training providers.

Full time apprentices will spend a minimum of 12 months on-programme (before the gateway) working towards the occupational standard, with a minimum of 20% off-the-job training. All apprentices must spend a minimum of 12 months on-programme.

The EPA period should only start, and the EPA be arranged, once the employer is satisfied that the apprentice is deemed to be consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard, all of the pre-requisite gateway requirements for EPA have been met and can be evidenced to an EPAO. The EPAO must confirm that all required gateway evidence has been provided and accepted as meeting the gateway requirements. The EPAO is responsible for confirming gateway eligibility. Once this has been confirmed, the EPA period starts.

As a gateway requirement and prior to taking the EPA, apprentices must achieve all approved qualifications mandated in the Early Years Practitioner standard.

These are:
 Early Years Practitioner Qualification (level 2)
Please refer to the DfE list of approved Early Years Practitioner qualifications.

For level 2 apprenticeships, apprentices without English and mathematics at level 2 must achieve level 1 English and mathematics and take the tests for level 2 prior to taking their EPA. The EPA must be completed within an EPA period lasting typically 3 months, after the EPA gateway.

EPA must be conducted by an organisation approved to offer services against this apprenticeship standard, as selected by the employer, from the Education & Skills Funding Agency’s Register of Endpoint assessment Organisations (RoEPAO).

The EPA consists of 2 discrete assessment methods. The individual assessment methods will have the following grades:

Assessment method 1: Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio
· Fail
· Pass
· Distinction

Assessment method 2: Knowledge Test
· Fail
· Pass
· Distinction

Performance in the EPA will determine the overall apprenticeship standard grade of:
· Fail
· Pass
· Distinction

College attendance of one session every Tuesday 10am-1pm is required, and this will be confirmed post-application and sign-up.

All evidence and written assessments are completed through our online platforms. Learners will receive support from an assessor throughout the duration of the qualification.