Apprentice Nursery Support Operative - Nurseries - 105993AP - Apprentice Grade 2

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

7/4/2025

Job Description

Nurseries, Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary £19,011 per annum rising to £23,764 after 12 months service.

Apprentice Grade 2

Full Time - working alternate early shifts 7:30am-3:30pm and late shifts 9:45am-5:45pm

Fixed Term for 15 Months

Apprenticeship Standard: Early Years Practitioner – Level 2

Training Provider: Connect 2 Care

Closing date: 20 July 2025 - please upload a CV with your application.

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.

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

Apprenticeship context

University of Birmingham Day Nurseries offer high-quality childcare for University students and staff, providing a nurturing and stimulating environment for children to learn and grow.

With three Ofsted-registered nurseries, featuring experienced, friendly staff and excellent facilities, including outdoor learning through our Forest School and a dedicated sensory room. We prioritise strong partnerships with parents, ensuring open communication and trust, so you can feel confident your child is in safe hands while you focus on your work.

Apprenticeship Summary

You will work as part of a team of Nursery staff at one of the University of Birmingham’s nurseries and you will learn to provide care to children aged 0-5 in line with policies and procedures. In order to flexibly use resource you may be given the opportunity to work in other nursery settings.

During this apprenticeship you will learn the following duties:

• Follow the policies and procedures and comply with the Children Act, Health and Safety legislation and within the guidelines of Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage, including ensuring confidentiality is maintained.
• Work closely with a Nursery Practitioner to plan and prepare activities for the care and supervision of children, to meet children’s individual’s needs; this will require you to liaise with parents.
• Offer all children equal opportunities with regard to their religious persuasion, racial origins, gender, disabilities, cultural or linguistic background.
• Keep development records and observations as required.
• As directed, you will ensure positive management of children’s behaviour.
• Preparation, care, cleanliness and maintenance of the playrooms and equipment.
• Providing a good role model for students and help new staff.
• Keeping accident, incident and risk assessment records.
• Supervision of meals and mealtimes and where appropriate preparation of baby’s bottles.
• Laundry duties.
• Attendance of staff meetings as well as parents’ evenings, publicity, open weekends and children’s outings.
• You will be expected to treat everyone with dignity and respect, supporting equality and valuing diversity.
  
  

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:

• Someone looking for a career in Early Years.
• Someone with an interest in childcare and development.
• We are looking for someone who is keen to learn and enjoys providing excellent customer service.
  
  

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• GCSEs to a minimum of grade C/4 in English and Mathematics grade C/4 minimum (or equivalent level 2 qualification).
• Demonstrable interest in, child development.
• Ability to follow instructions but also work on own initiative as necessary
• Ability to learn to communication effectively with parents, careers and other professionals
• Ability to follow high health and safety standards
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to establish positive relationships with children
• Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect early years’ childcare
• A commitment to giving children the opportunity to reach their full potential
• Willingness to participate in further training and development opportunities offered by the nursery
• Candidates will need to provide a current DBS check
  
  

Career Pathway

On completion of this apprenticeship, you may be able to progress into one of the following roles:

• Nursery Support Operative
• Nursery Practitioner
  
  

For enquiries please email: [email protected]

View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a '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 .