An apprenticeship scheme is a fantastic route of learning for those who do not desire to study full time or to attend a college or training centre in person.
The Monkey Puzzle apprenticeship programme provides you with on-the-job training and qualifications, giving you the ability to be a permanent member of our team on a paid working contract whilst obtaining early years qualifications from levels 2 to 5.
We want to provide you with a great experience and the best opportunity for success, to do this we work in partnership with an industry-leading training provider to bring you a fully accredited course and supply you with an individual tutor to support you throughout your learning journey.
Apprentice programmes include:
Ideal for employees who work and interact daily with children and support the planning of and delivery of activities, purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes whilst ensuring the welfare and care for children under the guidance and supervision of an Early Years Educator or other suitably qualified professional within the Early Years Workforce.
For employees who are working independently or supervising others to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements set by Government for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to 5 years old. This qualification is required under the Education Inspection Framework.
This nationally accredited qualification is designed for nursery practitioners who are currently in a junior management position wishing to gain the behaviours, skills and knowledge to become an effective supervisor.
Suitable for influential, proactive practitioners working and interacting directly with children and young people that take or are looking to take an operational lead for the care, learning and development of those that are within their care, alongside leading and supporting the practice of others by being effective role models of play-based learning plus supporting other to develop their own practice and to be responsible for supporting the quality of learning and development across their setting.
An ideal career path in early years
These are funded for people of working age in England who have a contract of employment. They are funded via the apprenticeship funding route which is aimed at new and existing staff.
You may be taken on as a young Apprentice under the Apprenticeship wage, or you might be an experienced staff member who is earning a full salary.
Either way you are paid to learn as all aspects of the qualification are delivered in the workplace during work time.
Early Years apprenticeship case studies
At Monkey Puzzle, we enjoy celebrating the successes of our apprentices and staff with them. Below are just a few examples of some of our team who have undertaken our Apprentice Programme and have continued to progress, develop and are achieving great things in our nurseries.
How long will the apprenticeship course run?
The course length will depend on the level of the qualification you are working towards. However, the usual running time is between fourteen and twenty-four months.
Depending upon your level of commitment, the quality of your work, and the support in place from your setting to conduct both on and off the job tasks, it is possible to complete each course in a shorter amount of time. However, the focus must ensure quality of learning and a great experience for you.
Funding your early years apprentice programme
Eligible students are offered 95% funding from the Education and Skills funding agency under the Apprenticeship funding route. This is subject to specific funding criteria which we will check before you start your programme with us.
Monkey Puzzle Head Office will support the remaining 5% employer contribution which means that learning is free to access for you as a learner.
Courses are regulated by OFSTED and are subject to quality audits to ensure that learning is of the highest standards possible.
How will my time be split?
You will be provided with an e-portfolio to store work that has been completed, plus an individual Tutor assessor who will work with you on a one-to-one basis.
Additionally, as an apprentice you will have access to our learning Hyb with a huge range of seminar and webinar content, online CPD courses and ‘hot topics’ to ensure your knowledge, skills and behaviours are constantly developed and updated as part of the learning journey with lots of opportunities for stretch and challenge.
Your personal tutor
Your Tutor Assessor is fully qualified and will have a wealth of experience within the childcare and early years sector. They will complete activities with you in the workplace on a 1-2-1 basis, or in small groups if deemed necessary for teaching and learning sessions.
Your Tutor Assessor will visit your premises every four to eight weeks depending upon your progress and individual needs. If you slip behind for any reason, your Tutor Assessor will visit more regularly to help you catch up.
Review meetings with your tutor assessor will include a comprehensive review of your progress to date on programme and will be used to set work for you to complete by the next visit. The Tutor Assessor will use SMART targets to ensure that you don’t become overwhelmed and stay on target. In between 4 – 8-week full review meetings, you will also be offered additional video conference support sessions from your Tutor Assessor online, via your computer, tablet, or phone.
“Monkey Puzzle have been great in supporting me in terms of my job role and apprenticeship as they put my needs and care first. On top of that my assessor has made good relationships with Monkey Puzzle in terms of staying on top of the work and making sure i can attend the training I need to”
Jodie, Nursery Assistant – L3 Apprentice
Employer mentor for the apprenticeship programme
At Monkey Puzzle we will provide you with a mentor within the workplace. The mentor will work with your Tutor Assessor to plan both study and non-study activities and tasks that will broaden and enrich your skills and behaviours.
You will be in an exciting experience rich environment that stretches and challenges you to undertake new tasks, work in different environments and be exposed to new challenges and activities as part of a broad and varied learning plan that meets all criteria of the programme. You and your mentor will use schemes of work for each programme (with the Tutor Assessor) to ensure that off the job experiences and study time are blended throughout the programme, and that it is reflected upon within the reflective journals.
Your mentor will attend learner review meetings and will triangulate the learning experience to ensure it is rich and valuable to both you and the nursery.
Supporting 20% off the job
To ensure a high quality, impactful learning experience, and to meet the requirements of the full award, the Education and Skills Funding Agency requires that, as a student, you are provided adequate time each week towards achievement of the individual programme. This is called 20% off the job.
Students are expected to undertake a day per week of off the job training throughout their programme as part of their journey.
This includes study time for assignments and teaching and learning sessions with their Tutor Assessor, or online via our learning Hyb.
It also includes research time and time for reflection on what they are learning and how they apply it to their role within the workplace on an ongoing basis.
20% off the job can also incorporate a lot of other activities that are not necessarily desk-based or classified as ‘traditional’ study time.
This can include but is not limited to:
- Shadowing senior staff to improve practice
- Visiting other areas of the business to develop new skills
- Visiting other sites to compare practices and to experience a different dynamic
- Swapping rooms with a colleague for an extended period – perhaps a week to learn new skills
- Undertaking CPD accredited courses such as Safeguarding, PREVENT, First Aid and so on
- Undertaking an individual or group project that enhances your setting – examples have been the re-writing of public signage to suit a specific demographic, researching and developing an inclusive narrative for the festive concert.
- Taking or contributing to an agenda item within the staff meeting
Fundamental skills and qualifications to become a nursery or Early Years apprentice
You need to have a GCSE grade C or level 4 in Maths and English. If your Maths and English qualifications don’t meet the required standard don’t worry, we have you covered. You will complete an initial assessment before you start your program as well as looking at your past achievements.
And, if you need them, we will deliver a functional skills Maths and English qualification (both or just one – depending upon what you need) right along side your study program.
This means that when you complete your program you can tick all the boxes needed to truly meet the full requirements of the childcare regulations and have the competitive edge.
Completing your Early Years apprenticeship
At the end of your apprenticeship programme, there will be an end-point assessment where you will meet with an independent company to assess what you have learned throughout.
End-point assessments can vary slightly in format, but they all incorporate a multiple-choice test and a professional discussion with an independent Assessor. You will then be awarded your grade.
How do you get started?
If you are already part of the Monkey Puzzle family, you can initially speak to your line manager.
If you are progressing from a previous qualification to a higher level, then you can speak with both your tutor assessor and your line manager.
For further information on the programme and how you could get started with Monkey Puzzle you can get in touch with our training team. You can complete the form below and one of our team will be in contact with you to help with your enquiry shortly. Alternatively, you can follow our Monkey Puzzle social channels to keep up to date with the latest information about our apprenticeships.
Please note: For applying for a Monkey Puzzle Apprenticeship, candidates must be 17 years of age or over before the employment commences. Not every nursery in our network is currently accepting Apprentices but we will try to find a suitable placement where possible.
