An Early Years Apprenticeship at Pixieland offers you the chance to gain a nationally recognised qualification that will help you enjoy a rewarding, worthwhile and fun career in childcare.
Our Early Years Apprenticeships develop your knowledge and skills on and off the job, giving you the chance to earn and learn at the same time.
So what does it mean to be an apprentice? An apprenticeship gives people the opportunity to work and study at the same time. Your job is full time but you spend 20% of that time in ‘off-the-job training’. This means you will take part a series of activities directly relevant to your apprenticeship, which teaches you new knowledge, new skills and behaviours that will help you to become more competent in your role.
We have a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities here at Pixieland, but none are more popular than our Early Years Apprenticeships! As an Early Years Apprentice you will work and study towards a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner or Level 3 Early Educator.
At Pixieland, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn. That’s why we’ve created the Pixieland apprenticeship programme.
The apprenticeship programme provides you with on-the-job training and qualifications, giving you the ability to be a permanent member of our team on a paid working contract whilst obtaining early years qualifications from levels 2 to 5.
If you love working with kids, and you want to make sure they are always engaged, happy and learning the best way possible, then this is the job for you! We’re looking for people who will support the planning of and delivery of activities, purposeful play opportunities and educational programs. You must ensure that we’re providing the best care for children under the guidance and supervision of an Early Years Educator or other suitably qualified professional within our workforce.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the learning, development and care framework for children from birth to 5 years old. It was introduced in 2014 and requires schools to provide a high quality education for all children in the range of early years settings.
This qualification is designed for employees who are working independently or supervising others to deliver EYFS requirements set by Government for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to 5 years old. This qualification is required under the Education Inspection Framework.
If you’re a practitioner working directly with children and young people and looking to take an operational lead for their care, learning and development, then this course is for you. As well as being a role model of play-based learning, you’ll also be responsible for supporting other practitioners in your setting to develop their own practice.
The course is suitable for influential and proactive practitioners who are committed to supporting the quality of learning and development across their setting.
Our team members make a tremendous difference to families and communities, and they deserve our support and rewards. When you join our team, you’ll receive:
If you’re interested in learning more about the Pixieland programme, getting started with Pixieland, or have any questions about the course, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our training team.
The length of each course will depend on the level of qualification you are working towards, but it is usually between fourteen and twenty-four months.
However, if you’re committed to the quality of your work and have the support of your setting to conduct both on and off the job tasks, it’s possible to complete each course in a shorter amount of time. However, the focus must be on learning quality and providing a great experience for you.
If you’re looking to become a childcare professional, you’ll need to have a GCSE grade C or level 4 in Maths and English.
If your Maths and English qualifications don’t meet the required standard, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. You will complete an initial assessment before you start your program as well as looking at your past achievements.
And if you need them, we will deliver a functional skills Maths and English qualification (both or just one) right along side your study program. This means that when you complete your program, you can tick all the boxes needed to truly meet the full requirements of the childcare regulations and have the competitive edge.
We know that the cost of training can be a major factor in deciding what career path you take, which is why we offer 95% funding for eligible students through the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This is subject to specific funding criteria which we will check before you start your programme with us.
Pixieland Day Nurseries will support the remaining 5% employer contribution, so learning at our school is free to access for you as a learner.
Courses are regulated by OFSTED and are subject to quality audits to ensure that learning is of the highest standards possible.
As an apprentice, you’ll have access to lots of great learning resources. You’ll get your own personal e-portfolio to store all the work you’ve done, and an individual tutor who will help you track your progress.
Additionally, as an apprentice, you’ll have access to our learning hub. This is a huge range of seminar and webinar content, online CPD courses and ‘hot topics’—all designed to ensure that your knowledge, skills and behaviours are constantly developed and updated as part of the learning journey with lots of opportunities for stretch and challenge.
The Tutor Assessor is here to help you get the most out of your training, and will be there every step of the way.
Your Tutor Assessor is fully qualified and will have a wealth of experience within the childcare and early years sector. They will complete activities with you in the workplace on a 1-2-1 basis, or in small groups if deemed necessary for teaching and learning sessions.
Your Tutor Assessor will visit your premises every four to eight weeks depending upon your progress and individual needs. If you slip behind for any reason, your Tutor Assessor will visit more regularly to help you catch up.
Review meetings with your tutor assessor will include a comprehensive review of your progress to date on programme and will be used to set work for you to complete by the next visit. The Tutor Assessor will use SMART targets to ensure that you don’t become overwhelmed and stay on target. In between 4 – 8-week full review meetings, you will also be offered additional video conference support sessions from your Tutor Assessor online, via your computer, tablet, or phone.
At the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll have an end-point assessment where you’ll meet with an independent company to assess what you’ve learned throughout your apprenticeship programme.
End-point assessments can vary in format, but they all incorporate a multiple-choice test and a professional discussion with an independent Assessor. You’ll then be awarded your grade.
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