Early years lead practitioner apprenticeship, level 5 · Register title: Early years lead practitioner (ST0551)
Grow the leader who raises practice across your whole setting
The Growth and Skills Levy covers the training and assessment, and we handle the enrolment and the paperwork. Your apprentice leads practice in your own setting, modelling evidence-informed pedagogy, mentoring colleagues, and working with families and other professionals. They might be your deputy, room leader or most experienced level 3 educator.
Apprenticeships from level 2 to level 5
What they'll be able to do
Three milestones, ending ready for assessment
Lead safeguarding and advocacy for the unique child, and apply child development and attachment theory to practice.
Shape wellbeing, inclusion and the curriculum, and lead observation, assessment and planning cycles.
Lead partnership and multi-agency work, mentor and coach colleagues, drive quality improvement, and be ready for end point assessment.
Their learning journey
Six themes, built around your work
Safeguarding, rights and the unique child
Child voice, advocacy, equality, and safeguarding leadership.
Child development, attachment and relationships
Typical and atypical development, the key person approach, and home learning.
Health, wellbeing, inclusion and environments
Self-regulation, curriculum intent and impact, and inclusive environments.
Play, curriculum, observation and assessment
Play theory, planning cycles, sustained shared thinking and early intervention.
Partnerships and multi-agency practice
Parents, colleagues and external professionals, and secure records.
Leaderful practice and professional growth
Mentoring, coaching, staff deployment and quality improvement.
Observation, professional discussion and case study
A 90-minute observation in your setting with questions, and a 90-minute professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio that includes a case study of a child or group of children. Graded fail, pass, merit or distinction.
Every programme works the same way. They learn it, use it in your organisation, then look back at what they did and why.
Know it
Child development, curriculum and pedagogy at depth, and how to lead others' practice.
Show it
Practice modelled, colleagues mentored, and quality improved across the setting.
Live it
Leadership by example, advocacy for children, and reflection.
Who you could put forward
Someone already with you, or someone new
Your deputy or room leader
Samantha Rigby started this eight months into her deputy role.
Your most experienced level 3 educator
Amy Timms had been a level 3 practitioner for about ten years.
A school's early years lead
Leading nursery or reception provision in a school.
The person you want running a new room or setting
Amy is now manager of the preschool her school opened.
You're trusting us with someone from your team. Here's how we look after them.
One trainer-coach from start to finish, who gets to know your setting, the children and your team.
A one-to-one review every month, and a three-way review with you at the end of every theme. Nobody is guessing where they are or what's next.
Learning built around the school day: a blend of on-site visits from their coach and live online sessions, coaching huddles and workshops. No day or block release.
What your organisation gets
Practice raised and leadership grown from within
Practice raised across the setting
A leader who models and mentors, so quality doesn't depend on one room.
Leadership grown from within
Karen and Amy were both promoted from inside.
A team that keeps developing
Leaders who support the next level 3, like Amy does.
Training and assessment are funded from the Growth and Skills Levy you already pay, up to the funding band for this standard. If you don't pay the levy, there's nothing to pay for apprentices under 25, and a 5% contribution for those aged 25 and over.
We check eligibility before you commit to anything. We complete the enrolment, the funding agreement, and the records the rules require, in the format auditors expect.
You get one named account manager, from your first conversation to your last review. If something isn't working, you go to them, and we take it seriously.
The honest answers
Questions people actually ask
At least 466 hours of off-the-job training across the programme. We convert that into hours per week around their role and agree it in writing before anyone starts.
They'll usually hold a level 3 early years qualification.
Training and assessment are funded from the Growth and Skills Levy, up to £9,000. If you don't pay the levy, there's nothing to pay for apprentices under 25, and a 5% contribution for those aged 25 and over. We'll confirm exactly what applies before you commit.
If they move to a new employer, they can carry on their apprenticeship there. Your funding commitment from the Growth and Skills Levy ends when they leave.
Let's begin
Tell us who you'd like to back.
We'll reply within one working day. You'll know whether this programme fits them, what it costs you, and how quickly they could start. No commitment. And if we're not the right fit, we'll tell you.
Together, let's go