Early years practitioner apprenticeship, level 2 · Register title: Early years practitioner (ST0888)
Grow practitioners who know how every child in your room is progressing
The Growth and Skills Levy covers the training and assessment, and we handle the enrolment and the paperwork. Your apprentice learns in your own setting, building the child development, safeguarding and play knowledge that turns care into progress. They might be new to your setting, a parent returning to work, or someone you'd love to keep.
Apprenticeships from level 2 to level 5
Completing my programme with Train Together has been incredibly rewarding. Professionally, I feel so much more equipped; the new skills and knowledge I've gained have directly changed my behaviours as a practitioner. I am now far more confident in how I engage with the children to help them progress, identifying their next steps and supporting them to hit their key developmental milestones.
Martine Barratt Early years practitioner, who passed with distinction and moved straight on to level 3What they'll be able to do
Three milestones, ending ready for assessment
Keep children safe, follow safeguarding, health and safety procedures, and understand how children develop.
Support play and learning, observe children, and contribute to their next steps.
Work as part of the team with families, reflect on their practice, and be ready for end point assessment.
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
How children develop, how to keep them safe, and how play supports learning.
Show it
Observations made, next steps supported, and routines run safely.
Live it
Warmth, reliability, and respect for every family.
Who you could put forward
Someone already with you, or someone new
Someone new to your setting
Martine had been in her preschool for only a couple of months.
A parent returning to work
Life experience, ready for the professional knowledge behind it.
A school leaver who loves working with children
Someone new you hire onto the apprenticeship. If they're under 25 you may also qualify for an incentive payment.
Your bank or cover staff
People who've proved themselves and deserve a permanent route.
In their words
The people, not the provider
I'm now proud to be working in early years, making a difference in children's lives every day.
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
Practitioners who count, and a route to level 3
Practitioners who count
A full and relevant level 2 practitioner in your room, counting in your ratios.
Children's progress noticed
Observations and next steps from someone who understands development.
Your own route to level 3
Martine went straight on to early years educator. Your next room leader can come from your own team.
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.
Where it leads
The next step, when they're ready
Early years educator, level 3 ›The next step, and the one that leads to room leader roles.
The honest answers
Questions people actually ask
At least 300 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.
It isn't part of this apprenticeship. Under the EYFS, they need a paediatric first aid certificate within three months of starting work to count in the level 2 ratios, so it's worth arranging early.
Enrolment is rolling, so yes.
Training and assessment are funded from the Growth and Skills Levy, up to £5,000. 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.
From 1 October 2026, you may receive up to £2,000 for an apprentice aged 16 to 24, an extra £1,000 if they're 16 to 18, and an extra £3,000 if they've received Universal Credit for more than six months. We'll check what applies to you 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