Job Title – Early Years Level 5 Deputy Room Leader Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Course – Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner
Duration of course – 24 months
Work Shift Patterns – Full time or four long days with a day off, all year round. Four days will be 7.30-6 with half an hour lunch and five days will be 8-5 with an hour lunch.
Salary – 26k – 29.5k DOE
Nursery Overview
Are you passionate about early years education? Do you thrive in a leadership role where you can make a real difference in the lives of children, parents, and staff? Oxford's British Orchard Nursery is looking for a talented, enthusiastic, and experienced childcare professional to join our team as a Joint Deputy Room Lead.
Located in the heart of Oxfordshire, Oxford's British Orchard Nursery provides a nurturing environment where children blossom through learning, play, and exploration. We are a small, friendly team dedicated to delivering high-quality care and education, and we are looking for someone who shares our commitment to excellence.
Vacancy Overview
This exciting joint deputy position involves a combination of room leadership and office-based duties, shared alongside another senior team member. Together, you'll ensure smooth day-to-day operations and create a welcoming, stimulating, and safe environment for children to thrive.
Your Responsibilities
- Act as a lead in a designated room, guiding and supporting the team to deliver outstanding childcare and early learning opportunities
- Collaborate with your fellow deputy to manage staff schedules, communication with parents, and compliance with policies and regulations
- Support the Nursery Manager with administrative tasks, including planning, policies, and nursery development goals
- Foster positive relationships with parents, carers, and the local community
- Lead by example, inspiring and mentoring staff to continually grow and deliver the highest standards of care
What We're Looking For
- A Level 3 childcare qualification (or higher) with at least 2 years of experience in a nursery setting
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a senior team
- Confidence in both hands-on childcare and administrative responsibilities
- A proactive, solution-focused attitude with excellent organizational skills
- A warm, caring, and positive nature with a true passion for early years education
Why Join Us?
- Work as part of a supportive, family-oriented nursery team
- Ongoing training and professional development opportunities
- Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications
- The opportunity to make a genuine difference in a fun, rewarding setting
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Ability to commute/relocate: Oxford, Oxfordshire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Key Responsibilities -
- Lead and manage a room within the setting, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of activities and routines.
- Plan, deliver, and oversee engaging activities aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
- Maintain a safe, secure, and stimulating environment for all children in your care.
- Supervise and mentor a team of assistants and apprentices, providing guidance and support.
- Build strong relationships with parents, providing updates on their child’s progress and development.
- Ensure the highest standards of care, hygiene, and safeguarding are upheld at all times.
- Manage daily routines, including nap times, meals, and transitions between activities.
- Ensure the home is a learning environment. Review significant events to identify all potential learning to develop care and staff skills.
Responsibilities towards children -
- Ensure the home is warm and welcoming and that children feel able to contribute to the development of the facilities and environment.
- Ensure children are safe in your home. Develop, lead and monitor staff and their safeguarding abilities.
- Ensure children’s voices are heard and acted upon.
- Ensure staff promote and uphold children’s rights.
- Ensure staff know how to manage relationships between children and help them learn how to manage their own relationships.
- To prepare for, attend and actively contribute to reviews any other meeting relating to children in your care. During meetings, to appropriately challenge any decisions that you do not consider to be in the best interests of the child. To advocate for the child and/or support the child to express their views and be heard.
- Develop relationships with the child’s parents (where appropriate) and all other professionals involved with the child. To challenge appropriately.
Requirements:
- Proven experience working with children aged 0 to 5 years.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire a team.
- Excellent knowledge of the EYFS framework and safeguarding practices.
- First Aid qualification (or willingness to obtain).
- Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification (Essential)
Desirable Skills:
- Previous experience in a supervisory or Room Leader role.
- Creativity and enthusiasm for planning age-appropriate activities.
- Flexibility to adapt to the needs of the setting.
Training Information
Over the course of 24 months (dependent upon the level of course an apprentice is being enrolled onto), you will study things such as the principles of healthcare and safeguarding, person-centred care & support, physiological measurements, basic life support, dementia, cognitive & mental health support, moving, handling and infection control, supporting daily living, lifespan development and healthcare needs, duty of care and legislation. Higher level courses go into more depth within different pathways such as dementia, learning disabilities and Autism, children & adolescent mental health, combined therapies, complex care, maternity, mental health, rehabilitation, substance misuse and acquired brain injury (these topics may differ).
Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship programme, you will achieve a qualification and a TQUK Diploma in Care.
We and our employer partners are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, so a DBS check will be required for this role. To make you aware, this position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’ must be declared, and you will be asked about these during the recruitment process.
Our delivery of training is through blended learning. Supported by one of our sector specialist tutors, they will deliver teaching sessions using various methods including face to face teaching, Skype, Facetime, telephone and peer virtual classroom whilst using our interactive multi-sensory teaching resources. Teaching sessions are normally bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the learner’s preferred learning style. Additionally, the tutor will provide the support required to ensure the learner enjoys and ultimately successfully achieves their goals and completes their training. We want learners to feel that our team are approachable at any stage of their learning journey.
You will initially take an online assessment that will help us to understand your learning style and needs, then we will tailor your learning experience accordingly. We ensure that you stay on track to complete your programme on time by managing your expectations through our state-of-the-art e-portfolio system. At the end of your programme, your learnt knowledge, skills and behaviours will be assessed by an independent assessor in your end point assessment (EPA).
As part of the apprenticeship, alongside your job role, 20% of your time in work must be dedicated to developing new skills. This can be any time devoted to learning and improving new skills without interruption.
Job Types: Full-time, Apprenticeship
Pay: £26,000.00-£29,500.00 per year
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Oxford OX33 1YW: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a Level 3 Childcare Qualification?
- Do you have at least 2 years of experience working in a nursery setting?
- Do you require sponsorship to work in the UK?
Work Location: In person
