Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship ‘ For Your Team’

Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5 Apprenticeship

The Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5 apprenticeship programme will develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours to be proactive and influential, skillfully leading day to day practice at an operational level.

The course will promote the health and well-being of all children, participating in and leading daily routines, whilst ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and strategies at national, local and setting based level.

You will be an active and effective key worker, advocating on behalf of the children as well as disseminating best practice and demonstrating leaderful practice.

Is the apprenticeship for you?

The Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship is ideal for practitioners who aspire to be a leader within their early years setting.

Typical job titles could include room leader, deputy manager, assistant manager, senior practitioner, early years coordinator, play leader, key worker and nursery officer.

In your day-to-day work, you’ll interact with children, families, practitioners and other professionals or appropriate agencies. You will also have responsibility for supporting the quality of learning and development, leading on operational aspects of the provision. Typically, you’ll have responsibility for leading other practitioners, as well as responsibility of an aspect or environment such as Communication and Language, Planning and Assessment, Forest School or Physical Activity and Nutrition.

What you’ll learn

Undertaking this apprenticeship will develop your ability to reflect and build on practice through on-going professional enquiry and action research.

Learning phases include:

• Leadership and management
• Child development and theory
• Pedagogy
• Health and wellbeing
• Health and safety
• Equality, diversity, inclusion and SEN
• Safeguarding
• Partnership working

The apprenticeship standard has been developed to cover the Department for Education criteria for Level 3 Early Years qualification (Early Years Educator).

How you’ll learn

Our sector expert staff will support you to achieve the apprenticeship. We have highly skilled and knowledgeable staff with significant experience of working in the industry who will be able to share their experiences and support you.

We deliver the programme throughout the year providing you with the flexibility to start the apprenticeship when it meets your needs. All learning is on a 1-2-1 basis so you have the best experience possible with sector experts.

Our delivery model includes:

• Face to face sessions
• Remote support
• Independent learning
• Ongoing mentoring, coaching, advice and guidance
• Specialist English/maths support (if needed)
• Impartial Information, Advice & Guidance

You will also record and track your learning progress through your Aptem e-portfolio, helping to support and evidence your journey. Aptem is an online service which can be accessed 24/7 anywhere and through any device.

What are the benefits?

You’ll learn how to:

• Support and promote children’s early education and development
• Be responsible for supporting the quality of learning and development in their setting
• Engage with sector developments both locally and nationally
• Skilfully lead day-to-day practice at an operational level
• Safeguard and promote the health, safety and welfare of children
• Work in partnership with the key person, colleagues, parents and/or carers or other professionals
• Gain a regulated recognised qualification that can be used to progress onto a Level 6 qualification with Anglia Ruskin University.

What progression opportunities are there?

As well as completing a Level 5 Apprenticeship, you will also complete a Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner. 

This allows you to use your credits to the allow them access to Level 6 courses.

Advanced Learner Loan

The Advanced Learner Loan will help you pay the fees charged by colleges and training organisations. Learners aged 19 and over, who are studying at Level 3 or above, will qualify for the loan. Find out more here.

Do you want to complete the Level 5 Early Years course but not the full apprenticeship? See our Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner.