See what our employers and apprentices say about us!
Congratulations Gabby! She has achieved a Distinction in her Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship....
“Within ½ hour, I loved it! I honestly love my job so much!”
We’re absolutely thrilled to report that Gabby has finished her Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship, qualifying this year with a distinction!
Gabby joined her nursery setting straight from school having completed some work experience at the nursery in Year 10.
Following her GCSEs, she knew that under current legislation she would need to continue in education until she was 18, but she didn’t want to continue learning in a classroom anymore.Our Brighter Horizons Apprenticeship Programme offered her the perfect solution.
Gabby specifically liked the constant access to a trainer and appreciated that she could work at her own speed. She loved the theory aspect of the course, and learning while in a setting allowed her to put the theory into practice.
“My trainer was brilliant! She was so kind and supportive and I felt that she really listened to me. When I got my key children, I felt that what I had learnt on the course was a great help! My trainer helped me manage my workload and often came up with solutions for things that I was worrying about. Whenever I needed help, she was there!”.
Congratulations Sabrina! She has successfully completed her Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship....
“I wish I’d done it years ago! The programme made me realize that I’m much more capable than I ever thought!”
We, at Brighter Horizons pride ourselves in ensuring that our apprenticeship training fits with the lives of our apprentices. Sabrina’s story is testament that this is what we did to help her successfully complete the programme.
Sabrina hadn’t planned on working in childcare, however after getting to know the nursery and staff where her young son was attending back in 2019, they offered her a job as an unqualified assistant. Once Sabrina had started in her role, the manager suggested that she should get qualified and although a big step, especially given that she hadn’t studied for over 20 years, she decided to give it a try.
“It was a lot of work, and part of my programme was delivered during Covid, so it wasn’t all plain sailing, however I’m now so pleased that I persevered. My trainer was absolutely amazing. I was a bit of a worrier and she was both patient and reassuring.
I was conscious that I am a “more mature” student so I really appreciated the opportunity to study independently with the support of my trainer. I am quite self driven, but became very nervous about doing the Professional Discussion. She encouraged me and helped me by conducting a mock discussion, and then arranging a further mock with a colleague to help me feel even more prepared.
Now that I’ve completed the programme, I’m just so pleased; I should have done it years ago. I have had several jobs over the years including cleaning and customer services, but I now have a job that I enjoy, and that fits perfectly around my family life.”
Meet Zoe who has just successfully completed her Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprentice Programme....
Zoe had worked in a couple of roles before starting her apprenticeship, including working in a care home, but it was always her dream to work in childcare. She had always loved children and she thought it was a job she’d enjoy.
She decided to email a couple of her local nurseries to see if there were any positions available, and she was amazed that two settings offered her an interview. She chose her nursery because they offered to start her on the Early Years Educator Level 3 Apprentice Programme and she had a good feeling about them.
Some aspects of the training were stressful she told us, but on the whole she knew that it was something she wanted to achieve so it was worth pushing on. Something she hadn’t envisaged however, was that she found learning about children with SEN to be particularly interesting and admits that she had always been a little nervous before.
“I worried that I wouldn’t be able to connect with children who had SEN, especially if their speech was delayed. The SEN assignments taught me about the different approaches I could take and I started to really enjoy interacting with children who had complex needs.
I had always been concerned that I would do something wrong, or upset them, however I now know that I can have a real impact on their education and learning”.
Another aspect of the apprenticeship that Zoe enjoyed was learning remotely. Zoe says that she believes she would have got distracted more easily if she had been in a classroom environment, whereas online, with her trainer she was able to focus.
Meet T’Yahna who is currently completing her Level 3 Early Years Educator....
T’Yahna is now one year into her Level 3 Early Years Educator and is loving her course.
“I find it so interesting! The course is great to follow, and everything that you learn, you then put into practice – it’s much easier than when I was at university, where my tendency was to forget theories because I didn’t have the opportunity to constantly have references from real life experiences to draw on”.
One of the areas that particularly interests T’Yahna is the different stages of play, and as she’s moved from the Pre-School room within her setting to the Baby Room, she’s had the chance to witness the different stages, and practice the different ways she can support the children.
When asked about her trainer, T’Yahna enthused:
“Oh, my trainer is so supportive. I felt like we really have bonded and she is as interested in my experiences, as she is guiding me through the coursework”.
Meet Danielle who is currently completing her Level 3 Early Years Educator.....
Danielle has two of her own children, and had to leave full time employment when they were younger because of the need for childcare. She then joined her setting as an unqualified assistant, but found that her ambitious nature had returned and she commented,
“If I’m going to do a job, I want to do it to the best of my ability”
Her setting supported her to take on her Level 3 Early Years Educator, and while she’s found it difficult at times to manage her time, she also enthuses that she can draw on her own experiences as a mother to help with the course.
Danielle says that she’s enjoyed the whole curriculum, and it’s the safeguarding element that she’s found particularly interesting. It’s an area that she’d like to develop further, as her career progresses.
Danielle says that her Brighter Horizons trainer..
“is absolutely lovely! We laugh and joke, and she is always there for me when I need help. She puts me completely at ease, and she’s obviously had a lot of experience, and refers back to her own learning often. I love the workshops she runs, she completely understands my way of learning.
I’m really proud of myself. I get loads of satisfaction out of my work, and I’ve proved to myself that I can do so much more than I thought!”.
Meet Kim who is currently completely her Level 3 Early Years Educator....
Kim is 42 years old, and started her Level 3 Early Years Educator in January. She took a break of 11 years from working to look after her own three children, and then started at her setting, initially with a lunch time cover role. Slowly she has started to increase her hours, and after a while she decided that rather than a job, she wanted a career.
While Kim admits that it’s a juggle, she is enjoying her course immensely. She says that every time she starts a new module, her learning brings all that she does in the nursery into focus, and she feels extremely well supported.
“My trainer is just brilliant! I feel very lucky that she’s always available. Whether I’m having technical issues with my laptop, or I have questions with the course, she’s there!”
Good luck Kim with the rest of your course!
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