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This section covers expectations with regards to:

Timekeeping and Punctuality

Working Relationships with Colleagues

Attendance

Impact of non-attendance

Attitude

Appearance

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Click on the links below to access additional Padlets produced by Access Training.

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You will have expectations of your employer.

These expectations might be based on personal choices and experiences and might be different from someone else's expectations.

Your employer will have expectations of you too.

These will be based on the needs of the the Early Years sector or the needs of the business.

It is important to manage your expectations, but it is also important to understand and meet the expectations of your employer.

Meeting your employers expectations or even exceeding them will likely see you become a valued member of staff, and someone who the employer will want to retain.

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To create your own personal branding is to understand how you want the world to see you and also understanding how the world actually sees you.

Personal branding can be effective in helping your at work and in your career progression.

Question

What 3 words would people use to describe you in your workplace?

You have already seen in the previous nuggets what an employer would want to see from you?

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So lets get started.

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This training resource is aimed primarily at 16-18 year old apprentices on Early Years apprenticeships.

At Access Training we want to give you every chance to succeed on your Early Years apprenticeship and understand that starting work can be a very different experience from being at school or college.

It has been identified that 16-18 year old Early Years apprentices are more at risk of not completing or achieving their apprenticeship than older apprentices.

We don't want this to happen, so the aim of this resource is to make you more aware of the Early Years sector and the world of work that you are now entering, so that you can be better prepared to deal with things when they happen.

There are 5 sections to this training resource which we have called "Childcare Nuggets".

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Below are some useful tips to help you be an effective member of your nursery team and to help you to stay on your apprenticeship.

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To show that you have completed all 5 of the Childcare Nuggets, please complete the sign-off and evaluation form by clicking the link below.

This will open the form in surveymonkey.

Thank you.

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One definition of a nugget of information is:

"Something that a person has said or written that is very true or very wise"

As you'll work through this resource you'll find 5 separate Childcare Nuggets designed to make you more aware of the Childcare Sector, your Early Years apprenticeship, your employer, how to behave and how to avoid mistakes which could lead to your apprenticeship ending.

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Click play above to listen to this

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It is likely that you will be working "Full-Time" hours whilst on your Early Years apprenticeship.

"Full-Time" hours would usually be more than 35 hours, but shouldn't exceed 48 hours.

These are your working hours which you'll spend in the workplace doing work, and do not include travelling to and from the workplace.

If your start time at work was 09:00AM then it is expected that you arrive at work before 09:00AM and are ready to start working on time. if you are walking through the door at 09:00AM then would be considered as late.

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10 Essential Skills - earlyyearscareers.com

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10 Essential Skills - earlyyearscareers.com

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Being a successful early years educator is a rewarding journey that requires dedication, compassion, and continuous growth. As a parent, guardian, or educator, understanding the vital skills and qualities that make a great early years educator can significantly impact the development of young children. In this article, we'll explore the ten essential skills and qualities that every early years educator should possess and provide practical tips on how to nurture and develop them. So, let's embark on this transformative journey and unlock the potential within you to become a remarkable early years educator.

Early years education plays a pivotal role in shaping a child's future. The experiences and guidance provided during these crucial years have a lasting impact on a child's cognitive, emotional, and social development. To excel in this role, one must possess a unique set of skills and qualities that go beyond traditional teaching. Let's delve into these essential attributes of a successful early years educator.

Empathy: The Heart of Early Years Education

Empathy is the cornerstone of being a successful early years educator. It's the ability to understand and share the feelings of young children, providing them with a sense of security and trust. To cultivate empathy:

Empathy forms the foundation for effective communication and building strong relationships with the children.

Patience: A Virtue in Early Education

Working with young children can be challenging as they explore the world around them. Patience is key to maintaining a positive and nurturing environment. To develop patience:

Creativity: Unleash Your Imagination

Creativity is essential for keeping lessons engaging and exciting for young learners. Here's how to foster creativity:

Adaptability: Navigating Change

The educational landscape is ever-evolving, and early years educators must adapt to new methodologies and technologies. Enhance your adaptability by:

Communication: Building Connections

Effective communication is paramount in understanding a child's needs, concerns, and progress. To improve your communication skills:

Observational Skills: A Window into Their World

Observation is a vital tool for understanding a child's developmental progress. Hone your observational skills by:

Organizational Skills: Balancing Act

Managing a classroom, curriculum, and individual needs requires strong organizational skills. Develop them by:

Resilience: Weathering Challenges

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and stay motivated. To build resilience:

Teamwork: Collaborative Efforts

Working with other educators and staff is a crucial aspect of early years education. Enhance your teamwork skills by:

Flexibility: Nurturing Individual Growth

Each child is unique, and early years educators must adapt to their individual needs. Strengthen your flexibility by:

How can I improve my empathy as an early years educator?

Empathy can be developed through active listening, understanding non-verbal cues, and offering comfort and support. Practice these skills consistently to enhance your empathy.

What are the benefits of cultivating patience as an early years educator?

Patience helps you stay calm under pressure, adapt to each child's unique learning pace, and practice mindfulness. These attributes create a nurturing environment for young learners.

Why is adaptability important in early years education?

Adaptability ensures that you can stay up-to-date with new educational practices and technologies. It allows you to be flexible and open-minded, fostering growth in both yourself and your students.

How do I foster creativity in my classroom?

Encourage creativity through art and craft activities, storytelling, and allowing children to explore and make discoveries. Creativity makes learning fun and engaging.

What role does observation play in early years education?

Observational skills are essential for understanding a child's developmental progress. They enable you to tailor your lessons to individual needs and collaborate with parents effectively.

How can I become more organized as an early years educator?

Organizational skills involve creating structured lesson plans, effective time management, and resource management. Staying organized helps in managing a classroom and curriculum efficiently.

In the world of early years education, nurturing the ten essential skills is the key to becoming a successful and impactful educator. Empathy, patience, creativity, adaptability, communication, observational skills, organizational skills, resilience, teamwork, and flexibility are the building blocks of a remarkable early years educator. As you continue on your journey, remember that every child is unique, and your dedication to their development will make a lasting impact on their lives.

Unlock your potential as an early years educator and provide young learners with the foundation they need for a bright future. If you aspire to be a great early years educator, keep these skills and qualities close to your heart and watch the magic unfold in your classroom.

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10 Essential Skills For A Successful Early Years Educator - Early Years Careers

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Discover the 10 Essential Skills for a Successful Early Years Educator and learn how to develop them. Unlock the secrets to becoming a top-notch educator in the early years.

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Series of 5 nuggets.

Be the best that you can be!

Love your experience!

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Is it what you expected?

Unexpected tasks?

New set of expectations?

You need to understand your role in the jigsaw of a nursery

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This audio clip covers:

How your job role builds

The importance of your role

Your tasks

Meal times

Activities

Cleaning

Paperwork

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Click above to play this.

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Remember that the actions you take always have an impact on others.

You are responsible for the actions you take and therefore must be responsible for the impact of your actions on other people.

This impact could be either positive or negative.

In the previous sections we covered the impact of poor timekeeping and attendance on yourself, other members of staff, the children and the parents.

Some other scenario's are below:

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Scenario 1 - Booking a Day Off / Holiday

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Scenario 1 - Booking a Day Off / Holiday

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Scenario 1

If you required a day off / holiday from the work, but you hadn't given your employer enough notice, you would be upset with them for not authorising your day off wouldn't you?

How could this be avoided?

You should really be annoyed with yourself for not following the correct procedure and requesting your say off / holiday early enough.

Your employer might have other members of staff already off work on the days you wanted. In most employers, holidays are booked on a "first come, first served" method. If they let you have the day off they might not be able to meet the correct ratio of staff to children.

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Scenario 2

You have not completed your apprenticeship work which was requested by your Trainer Assessor by a certain deadline. You have therefore failed to meet a target set for you by your Trainer Assessor.

Failing to meet too many of your set targets can lead you to be exited from your apprenticeship.

How could this be avoided?

By planning enough time to complete your work well in advance of the deadline. If you looked at your set target in the days after it was set, you would have enough time to understand exactly what was needed to meet the target.

If there are genuine reasons why you are not able to complete your work, then you should speak to your Trainer Assessor well in advance of your deadline. You are always allowed to ask for more help if you need it.

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Your status as an apprentice is based on you being on an apprenticeship programme.

If you change employers mid-way through your apprenticeship this can cause problems, and you wouldn't be classed as an apprentice until everything was in place at your new employer.

You are of course free to change employers if you are unhappy with your current employer, but you need to be aware that this can take time to sort out.

You will be required to go on what is called a "Break in Learning" until your new employer has completed all of the necessary agreements to start you as an apprentice.

You need to be aware of the following:

1. You are committing to an apprenticeship, which is work based learning.

2. The apprenticeship agreement that you signed at the start is with the named employer, and as soon as you leave that employment, that agreement is terminated.

3. The apprenticeship with your new employer does not resume until all administration and paperwork has been completed, which could take several months.

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One of the best ways to understand what an employer expects from you is to hear from a real employer.

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What Employers might look for in applicants

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What Employers might look for in applicants

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The following list of qualities was provided to Access Training by a Deputy Manager in a local Day Nursery. These are the things that they would look for in apprentices;

Qualities we look for:

﻿﻿Happy and smiling with a positive attitude

﻿﻿Have strong verbal, non-verbal communication skills

﻿﻿Warm, caring and approachable

﻿﻿Flexible and practical

﻿﻿Enthusiastic, innovative and energetic

﻿﻿Motivated

﻿﻿Be creative and imaginative

﻿﻿Enjoy being with children

﻿﻿Be open to constructive criticism and developing your skills

﻿﻿High standards of personal hygiene

The Deputy Manager said "I'm aware that once the learner starts, they may not have all of these qualities, but hopefully they are willing to learn". "The main ones we are looking for are; Happy, Enthusiastic, Happy being with children and motivated".

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Reflect and describe how you have met each of these expectations.

Be prepared to discuss this with your Trainer Assessor at your next meeting.

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Choose 3 members of staff

Ask them about their role and their journey to get there.

Be prepared to discuss this with your Assessor at your next meeting.

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No two days are the same in a nursery working with small children. It's a job that's both rewarding and fun. Where you build relationships, gain trust and make a real difference. There are thousands of nurseries in England, so there's bound to be the right job out there for you.

What you'll do

The work you do in a nursery will vary depending on its size and set up, and more importantly on the ages and personalities of the children. Your role will be to:

provide early education in a safe, fun, engaging environment

support children with their learning and development

You may get to:

work with young children across a range of ages

focus on a specific age group such as babies

work with children with additional needs

Different nurseries offer a variety of working patterns so you may be able to find one that's right for you. Many nurseries open longer hours than schools to provide childcare for working parents and carers. This means some roles could involve shift work.

What you'll need

Each vacancy will include information about the experiences, skills and qualifications you'll need for that role.

Some jobs in nurseries won't need a specific early years qualification. You can apply directly for these roles and start working straight away.

However, there are roles that you'll need approved qualifications for. Find out more about training and qualifications.

Anyone working in a nursery will need to pass enhanced DBS checks.

Apply now

There are thousands of nurseries out there and lots of opportunities to explore.

Different roles you could do

There are so many types of roles you could do in a nursery to play your part in a child's early education.

Be a nursery assistant

You might see nurseries advertising for 'nursery assistants' , 'early years practitioners (unqualified)', 'nursery practitioners' or similar. These roles involve working as part of the nursery team to help educate and care for the children who attend. This may involve:

running fun activities that help children learn and develop

helping children feel settled

keeping the nursery clean and safe

supporting the long-term progress of children to set them up for school

being a key person for specific children

You may not need specific early years qualifications, although some jobs might require an approved level 2 qualification (equivalent to GCSEs). You can get these through a range of training providers. To earn while you learn, consider doing an early years practitioner level 2 apprenticeship.

To find out what training is available where you live, speak to your local college, training provider or careers service.

Be a senior team member or team leader

You might see nurseries advertising for:

'early years practitioners (level 3)'

'early years educators'

'early years senior practitioners'

These roles will often involve leading what happens in specific rooms in the nursery. This could be:

supervising other team members

planning and leading activities that help children learn and develop

being a key person for specific children

shaping each child's learning experience based on their individual personalities and needs

supporting the long-term progress of children to set them up for school

Qualifications

You'll likely need an approved level 3 qualification for these types of roles (equivalent to A Levels) and a level 2 qualification in English (equivalent to GCSEs). You can get these through a range of training providers. To earn while you learn, consider doing an early years educator level 3 apprenticeship.

There are also other, more advanced qualifications you could work towards if you want to take your career to the next level. For example:

These may enable you to take on more specialist or leadership roles in a nursery, like leading on the nursery's curriculum. To find out what training is available where you live, speak to your local college, training provider or careers service.

Become an early years teacher

Early years teachers work with children aged 0 to 5 to help them learn and develop. This helps to prepare them for school. It may involve:

creating lesson plans

encouraging a child's learning and development using stories, games and visual aids

monitoring and recording a child's progress and reporting any issues

taking a lead in supporting other team members

Qualifications

To work as an early years teacher, you'll need to:

complete early years initial teacher training to achieve early years teacher status

meet the early years teachers' standards

There are 2 ways to train to become an early years teacher, either as:

a postgraduate if you already have a degree

part of an undergraduate degree

To do postgraduate training, you'll need a bachelor's degree or an equivalent. For example, a vocational, professional, or overseas qualification.

To start early years teacher training, you'll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent. This includes English, maths and science.

Be a nursery manager

With additional experience, senior team members and team leaders can become a nursery manager. This may involve:

leading the creation of a safe and stimulating environment that helps children learn and develop

recruiting staff and developing the nursery team

managing budgets

making sure the nursery meets safety and child protection regulations

keeping parents and carers updated about their child's progress

overseeing the development and learning of children

Qualifications

You'll need at least an approved level 3 qualification (equivalent to A Levels) and 2 years' experience working with young children. You must also hold a suitable level 2 qualification (equivalent to GCSEs) in maths or must achieve one within 2 years of starting in the position.

You can get approved level 3 qualifications through a range of training providers. To earn while you learn, consider doing an early years educator level 3 apprenticeship.

To find out what training is available where you live, speak to your local college, training provider or careers service.

Be a special educational needs coordinator

A special educational needs coordinator plays a key role in coordinating support for children with additional needs. The role can vary depending on the size of the nursery. It may involve:

making sure nursery staff understand their responsibilities to children with special educational needs

checking the nursery's approach to identifying and meeting special educational needs

advising and supporting colleagues

ensuring parents or carers are closely involved and help inform what care and education the child receives

working with external professionals or agencies

Qualifications

You won't need specific qualifications or training to be a special educational needs coordinator. The setting you work for will help you work out if you have the right skills for the role.

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Working with small children is a big deal. See how you can get a job that makes a difference by helping to give children the best start in life.

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Below are some tips which might help to enhance your personal branding and make you a valued employee.

Interact with Others – perhaps invite a work colleague to join you for lunch and find out what they do in the nursery.

Help others – look for opportunities to offer your help to others in the nursery.

Show appreciation. Saying please and thank you will be welcomed by everyone you work with.

Take an interest in other people. Ask them questions.

Get involved in activities in the nursery. Make yourself an active part of what happens in the nursery.

Understand your body language and how other people in the nursery may see you.

Be noticed for the right reasons – don’t be late to any planned meeting and pay attention when you are there.

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Useful resource from the BBC Bitesize website.

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We hear a lot of talk today around the need for young people to develop their own 'personal brand'. But what on Earth does it mean? Before you go slapping on a bright logo, walking around to your own jingle or 'merching' yourself up, find out what your personal brand is, why it's important, and how you can tweak it so it shines as bright as the star you are.

The purpose of a marketing brand is to help identify and sell products, and the same can essentially be said of your personal brand. Consider it a way of advertising your USP (unique selling point), that thing that makes you different to other people and gives you a competitive advantage. It can tell potential employers or collaborators about your core values, background, journey and struggle as well your skills, abilities and experience.

And you already have one. Your personal brand is the impression that others have of you - it's the reputation that precedes you. Every decision you've made, the clothes that you wear, the language you use and the things that you say have already created your brand. If you've managed your brand well, or you've just been lucky, it can make you stand out from the crowd and help you make that dream job or business a reality. But if you haven't really been managing your brand, if you're aware of some slightly dodgy photos of you on social media or if your email address is 'unicorndreams4eva@mail.com', you might want to have a bit of a think about the steps you can take to make sure your personal brand reflects the person you want others to see.

1. Know how others see you

Search the internet for your name - what comes up? Is any information out of date, damaging or not reflective of the person you want to be now? If so, take charge and change it! You can alter many websites yourself or ask for amends to be made, and you can request that search engines take down any inaccurate information about you.

Next, ask your close friends and family to describe you in 3 words. Is this how you also see yourself? If not, do something about it. You have the power to change people's future perceptions of you through your actions.

2. Know who you want to be

You're an evolving person, so recognising who you are right now doesn't mean you can't or won't change. You will adapt and grow based on your experiences. Ask yourself, what are you good at? What kind of work gets you excited and how can you best represent yourself online and IRL?

Spend some time thinking about what you really want to achieve. This could be starting your own business and plotting world domination, or it could be to have a job that allows for your creative expression to be the change in an area of society that you are passionate about.

What is your background experience and how does this relate to the work you want to do now? Once you have some answers, you can start to redefine yourself and consider how you can make sure you portray the best version of you to the world.

3. Own your story

We are all the result of every failure and every success we've ever had. But how have you learnt from your mistakes? Being open and honest about this demonstrates maturity and will attract people to working with you, because you are unlikely to repeat past errors.

What else has shaped you along the way? Lord Alan Sugar started out selling car aerials aged 21, and Steve Jobs was the child of Syrian immigrants who struggled to make a living in the USA. If you read biographies of successful people, you will see that they include the parts of their lives that presented obstacles for them. Showing that you can overcome challenges is a really desirable character trait, so don't shy away from talking about them.

4. Visualise your brand

If you're drawn to visuals, can you design what represents your brand as an image, even if it's just for you? Can you write it down in 3 clear points to keep it succinct? Be creative: make a mood board, draw a mind map, pin up inspiring quotes or photos that represent where you want to get to. This can help remind you of the 'you' you want others to see and are working towards.

5. Build it over time

Owning and developing a personal brand takes time and care. While you might not see immediate results, seeing it flourish is more important than being an overnight sensation. Set your own pace, because there is no race... It's just you and your ideas. Take your time, and build a brand that people will engage with.

It's natural to have crippling 'what am I doing!?' moments, especially when you're focused on creating a personal brand, but you don't have to throw in the towel. Overcome self-doubt by looking at all the amazing things you've done and the experience you've built up. You've got this!

6. Communicate it

Now tell people! When emailing a work enquiry, applying for a job or having a coffee with a potential future client/mentor/customer - tell them who you are and what makes you unique. Wear your brand. Speak it. Be it! Stand proud in the knowledge that there truly is only one of you.

7. Share it

Share your journey. Tell people what you're up to, how it makes you feel, how it makes you unique... You could blog about what you're doing and learning, and link your blogs to your social media presence. People love the human connection, including future employers or collaborators - so and always be you, because fake can never last.

Now you have your personal brand, why not trying checking in with yourself again every so often to see how your perspectives and priorities have changed? Do you need to polish a few edges? Does your personal brand still reflect the person you want people to see?

If you feel fired up with entrepreneurial spirit and are interesting in building your enterprise skills, check in with Bitesize Careers for more guides from young people bossing being their own boss.

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7 steps to owning your 'personal brand' - BBC Bitesize

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Personal what?! Learn how to recognise, develop and project your personal brand, so people see the best you there is!

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Childcare Nuggets Sign-off and Evaluation

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Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

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This resource should be used in conjunction with the Apprenticeship Learner Induction Padlet.

The Apprenticeship Learner Induction contains lots of useful information about what to expect from your apprenticeship and how it all works.

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The rest of this resource will explain some of the difficulties you might face working in the Early Years sector, but its very important to remember the many positives of working with children.

Playing with the Children: You will be able to use your own initiative to build creative environments for the children to play in. Seeing children enjoying an activity that you have developed is one of the greatest rewards you can get.

You probably won't be playing with the children all day, and maybe not when you first start, but this is a key part of working in Early Years roles.

Making a Difference: Seeing how children develop in your care is one of the biggest rewards of working in Early Years. You can make a life-long impact on every child by helping provide them with opportunities to succeed.

No two days will be the same: Children can be unpredictable and exciting to work with. They are certainly not boring!

Are you up to the challenge?

Keeping Children Safe: Your job role is essential in keeping children safe, from your direct care of them, through to working with other professionals and organisations to protect them from harm.

Working with Others: The people that work in Early Years do it because they are committed and passionate about working with children. You can learn a lot from them, either by seeing how they work or by asking them questions.