Early Years Apprenticeship Scheme – at any of our Fennies Nurseries
- Salary: Up to £27,262 per year
- Bonus: Potential to earn a further £1,000 in bonus
- 4-day or 5-day working week available
Start your career in early years while gaining a recognised qualification.
At Fennies, we believe great childcare starts with great people. You don’t need previous nursery experience to join us – just a genuine passion for working with children and a willingness to learn.
As an Early Years Apprentice, you’ll earn while you learn, gaining hands-on experience in a nursery while working towards your Level 2 Early Years Practitioner qualification with a leading training provider.
Why join Fennies?
We support our apprentices with great benefits, structured training and clear career progression.
Competitive salary and bonus
- Up to £26,190 annual salary
- Performance-related bonuses up to £1,000
Work-life balance
- Choice of a 4-day or 5-day working week
- 20 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year of service (up to 25) plus bank holidays
Wellbeing benefits
- Free daily meals from the Fennies Café
- Summer BBQs, Christmas events, company celebrations and Apprentice Week events
- Recognition and reward through the Fennies Club long service awards
Career development
- Work towards the Level 2 or 3 Early Years Practitioner qualification
- Structured apprenticeship programme (typically 12 months)
- Dedicated trainer with regular coaching and check ins
- Blended learning, including on-the-job training, workshops and online sessions
- Support to progress to Level 3 Early Years Educator
- Personalised development plans, mentoring and support
About the Role
As an Early Years Apprentice, you’ll work as part of a supportive team while learning the skills needed to become a qualified early years professional.
You will:
- Support children aged 0-5 during play, learning activities and daily routines
- Help create experiences that encourage curiosity and development
- Work alongside experienced educators to keep the nursery safe, organised and welcoming
- Build warm relationships with children and their families
- Support children’s confidence, independence and wellbeing
- Learn how to observe children’s development and contribute to their learning journeys
You’ll gain real experience every day, helping children grow through play, exploration and meaningful interactions.
Your Apprenticeship journey with Fennies
This is a structured training programme designed to set you up for long-term success in early years.
During your apprenticeship, you will:
- Learn essential skills in child development, safeguarding and early years practice
- Complete off-the-job training (around 6 hours per week) alongside your role
- Build a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate your progress
- Receive regular support from your trainer and Nursery mentor
- Complete an End Point Assessment (EPA) to achieve your qualification
Upon completion, you’ll be a qualified Early Years Practitioner with opportunities to progress at Fennies or the wider early years sector.
What we’re looking for
You don’t need previous nursery experience – we’ll provide the training and support you need.
We’re looking for someone who is:
- Friendly, patient and caring
- Interested in working with children
- A positive team player who enjoys working with others
- Reliable and motivated to learn new skills
- Ideally you will have Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) or a willingness to work towards them.
Most importantly, you bring enthusiasm, curiosity and a desire to build a meaningful career.
Who is this role perfect for
An Apprenticeship could be a great fit if you:
- Are you starting your career after school or college
- Want to earn while gaining a qualification
- Are you looking to start a meaningful career
- Have experience in care roles and enjoy working with people
- Have worked as a teaching assistant, nanny or babysitter
- Looking for a career change into childcare/education
- Want a role where every day is active, rewarding and different