Nursery Practitioner Review

Daily responsibilities included supporting my key children within their development and recording a weekly snapshot and termly observations and assessments. setting up activities with clear intents for the children’s development and based on their current interests. ensuring the children are happy and content whilst providing a safe environment for them.

I started at Daisy Chain with no experience and have since developed lots of skills and gained a plethora of knowledge about safeguarding, child development and also how to work as part of a team. I really enjoyed the access to additional CPDs such as autism training and marathon training to name a few.

I found the apprenticeship itself quite confusing at times and it challenged me a lot, I had to learn how to be self motivated and it required lots of research, i did have the support from my team members and found the apprenticeship software itself easy to use and upload assignments.

The programme has a clear structure where you can see exactly what assignments you have to complete and when from the start of your course, I also liked the progress chart where I could see how far along I was and how close I was to completion. I did however feel there was very limited support and information on the programme itself and I had to look at alternative books and websites very often.

My employer offered me support where they could and we’re always happy to try and help me with any questions or assignments i was struggling with. I found it hard to complete the work on time due to having limited time to complete it within work time although my company accommodated to this and found me time out of ratio towards the end of my apprenticeship.

I received a phone call each month where my tutor went through the upcoming assignments and answered any questions I had. I also had the opportunity to message my tutor for anything I was struggling with throughout the month. I feel that more information and learning PowerPoints could have been provided.

My qualification has enabled me to be more confident in my job role and given me more information about how to be the best i can be in my role. I found lots of the assignments very useful and they gave me the knowledge i needed to be a successful practitioner.

My workplace offers lots of social events for the staff to enjoy such as boat trips, festivals and meals out. I feel this is something which really boosts staff morale and encourages team building and a sense of community, we also offer stay and plays for the parents to enjoy which gives us the opportunity to get to know our families better.

Yes

A very supportive workplace with a really friendly team, the resources within the setting are great and we have regular opportunities to ask for more resources if we think they would enhance the provision further. There are regular supervision meetings to monitor progress and talk about any achievements or issues we may be facing.

Have a lot of passion for the job role and be aware that it can be difficult at times but it is also a very rewarding job role. Just be your best self and show management that you are passionate about the job and interact with the children during your interview.