Childcare Practitioner Review

Looking after children: making sure they are warm, dry, safe, and happy. Doing health and safety checks on site, preparing nutritious snacks, planning and leading forest school activities. Writing observations on my key children. Supporting children's speech, language and communication skills. Managing handovers with parents and carers. Filling in incident and accident reports.

I am learning about the EYFS curriculum and developmental milestones. I have undergone safeguarding training, so I now have a very clear idea about what that entails and the correct procedures to follow should a safeguarding concern arise. I am developing forest school skills and participating in a speech and language course.

I enjoy the work, though it is very physically and emotionally demanding at times. The team I work with is very fun and friendly but I feel I have to remind them of certain important things sometimes. I feel well supported by the managers and overall I enjoy the company culture.

I feel that the training provider is not very well organized. There seem to be lots of different tasks for simple things that could easily be combined into one. I feel there is too much pressure on completing insignificant tasks such as 'scorecards' and 'smart goals' and not enough information given about actual assignments.

I receive a lot of support from my managers. They make adjustments for my Autism and ADHD and always check in with me at least twice a day to make sure I am not feeling too overwhelmed. I feel comfortable talking to them about any issues I may have in the future.

As I have only just begun my apprenticeship I haven't needed much support from tutors so far. However, I don't feel I could be very open with them. They don't come out to see any of the apprentices in person throughout the whole course despite there being at least 4 of us working together so could easily all be seen in one day and they are local. So, it gives off a bit of a feeling that they don't really care.

I feel I am gaining a more in depth understanding of the EYFS theory and can put it into practice. The knowledge I am gaining helps me on a day to day basis in my role. I am gaining a better understanding of the career options available to me after completing the qualifications.

There is usually a staff christmas outing but it was cancelled this year due to Covid 19. There are no other company activities available. I have suggested that we start some events and meetups for the clients at weekends. When I am not working I pursue my personal hobbies and interests.

Yes

It is a fun and enthusiastic environment with a kind and friendly team. It is a small company so you can feel the impact of your opinions and suggestions. It makes you feel very valued. Although, the apprentices seem to have just as much responsibility as other employees - if not more and it is frustrating that we get only half the pay.

Don't be afraid of taking the lead on things, most of the apprentices seem more knowledgeable about important issues than other employees. Ask for more support from your tutor and clarification on tasks. Take as many extra courses as you can because all knowledge is useful and you can count it towards your 20% off the job training.