Apprenticeship training course

Early years lead practitioner (level 5)

Working directly with children, skilfully leading day to day practice.

• Qualification level: 5 ; Equivalent to higher national diploma (HND).
• Typical duration: 24 months
• Apprenticeship category: Education and early years
• Maximum funding: £8,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Also known as:
  • Assistant manager
  • Baby room leader
  • Deputy manager
  • Early years coordinator
  • Early years foundation Stage lead or coordinator
  • Early years officer
  • Early years practitioner
  • Early years support worker
  • Education welfare officer
  • Health play specialist
  • Higher level teaching and learning assistant
  • Hospital play worker
  • Key worker
  • Lead baby room practitioner
  • Lead practitioner
  • Nursery officer
  • Pastoral assistant
  • Pastoral care manager
  • Play leader
  • Pre-school leader
  • Room leader
  • Senior key worker
  • Senior practitioner
  • Specialist practitioner in child development (health), Community nursery nurse
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Analyse and articulate how all children’s individual learning can be affected by their current developmental capabilities, characteristics and individual circumstances taking into account all factors contributing to typical and atypical development.
  • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.
  • Observe, assess, plan, facilitate and participate in play opportunities which include current curriculum requirements.
  • Ensure plans fully reflect the individual development needs and circumstances of children and actively participate in the provision of consistent care, responding quickly to the needs of the individual child.
  • Provide a dynamic, evolving and enabling environment that reflects the current interests, motivations, and play of individual and groups of children.
  • Encourage all children’s participation, ensuring a sensitive, respectful and effective balance within the adult and child dynamic to facilitate play opportunities.
  • Engage in effective strategies to develop and extend children's learning and thinking, including sustained shared thinking.
  • Support and promote children’s speech, language and communication development and determining and adapting appropriate responses and interventions.
  • Support children to engage in a range of learning contexts such as individual, small groups and larger groups as appropriate for their play and support confidence within social experiences.
  • Ensure staff are deployed effectively to suit and enhance the learning environment, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all children.
  • Advocate for the child, cultivating professional partnerships with parents/carers and other professionals, presenting their understanding of the child’s journey within multidisciplinary teams to holistically support the child’s individual needs.
  • Demonstrate the importance of the home learning environment, developing an effective and collaborative partnership to enhance opportunities for the child.
  • Make use of formative and summative assessment, tracking children’s progress to plan for future learning possibilities including early interventions based on individual developmental needs.
  • Take responsibility for supporting the key person in articulating children's progress and planning future learning possibilities.
  • Use current and contemporary knowledge, research, theories and approaches to develop, enhance and articulate their own pedagogical approach and practice.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally to enhance their practice.
  • Plan, carry out and guide appropriate physical care routines for individual children.
  • Promote, model and support children and families to develop a healthy approach to making choices relating to personal care including eating, sleeping and physical activity.
  • Develop, model and implement strategies to support the emotional, psychological, physical and cultural needs of all children within the setting.
  • Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, prevention and control of infection, carrying out risk assessments and risk management processes in line with policies and procedures.
  • Ensure the security and confidentiality of data, records and information in line with current legislation.
  • Be a leaderful practitioner to support, mentor, coach, train and guide colleagues in a range of settings, providing inspiration and motivation to engage others to develop their practice.
  • Be confident to identify, action and competently challenge issues and undertake difficult conversations where appropriate.
  • Advocate for children through their child centred approach, listening to the voice of the child; ensuring children’s rights, views and wishes are heard, respected and acted upon at all times. Offer appropriate support and influence decisions in the best interests of the child.
  • Competently action and carry out safeguarding procedures, using their professional curiosity, knowledge, insight and understanding.
  • Explore and understand, challenge and question; knowing when to act to safeguard and protect children.

Full information on Early years lead practitioner (level 5) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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