Apprentice EYE Review

My placement involved working in a nursery based in a school and acting as a teaching assistant / EYE. This involved reading to children, singing nursery rhymes, setting up activities and carrying out those activities with the children, preparing resources, helping children with lunch and snack / fruit times and just generally supporting the class teacher in whatever they needed.

I have learnt lots of new skills on my apprenticeship, especially what knowledge and understanding is needed to assist children with learning and development. I have learnt a great deal about SEN, different learning and development milestones as well as learning different techniques that I could or should use and develop to best support the children in my care.

I really enjoyed my programme. I enjoyed the placement I was on, as well as the people i worked with, both my colleagues at the nursery and the team at Inspire who were there to support and encourage me all the time. I enjoyed getting to work in a sector I loved while having the opportunity to learn, develop and apply my knowledge.

The programme was very well structured and organised. Every piece of work I did had a due date that was planned in advance, so I always knew what I was supposed to be doing and when. This included quarterly reviews, regular meetings with my tutor and the staff at Inspire.

I received a lot of support from my employer. This included, as previously mentioned, regular communication through reviews and quick chats, as well as more formal meetings that worked around my schedule and needs. They were always willing to take a second to talk with me or answer my questions and I knew I could turn to them for whatever help, support or even encouragement I needed.

I received lots of support from my training provider, my tutor was always there to answer my questions and provide help when I needed it. We had regular meetings to discuss work and what the course required from me and as we got closer to my EPA and exam times, my tutor was really helpful and supportive.

This qualification has 100% helped me in my role. It not only formally allows me to work in my preferred sector and start my career, the structure and contents of the apprenticeship have allowed me to put my learning into practice and given me different strategies on how to apply my learning.

Yes, Inspire ATA has a regular newsletter involving different activities, quizzes and updates for the apprentices they employ. They also have different courses you can undertake to develop knowledge, especially in areas of particular interest to you or importance to your learning for example, I had the opportunity to undertake courses on dyspraxia and other SENs that interested me and my tutors had great advice and experience on other courses I could take such as the ICan Speech, language and communications short course or courses on mental health.

Yes

Inspire ATA are a great company and provided a great support system for apprentices, me in particular to learn and develop my skills and career with almost no previous experience or in depth knowledge. They were always available to me and as much as they focused on gaining skills and experience, they also really emphasised the importance of a work-life balance with regular holidays and breaks.

The main advice I would give is to make the most of everything, ask questions and use the support you have as it really is beneficial. Try to learn as much as you can and make the most of every opportunity. They give so many resources, support and advice and they seem to really care about those they employ, as well as their development and wellbeing.