Training Academy

Chiltern Nurseries Ltd

Training Academy

Since the governments change in GCSE requirements in regards to childcare qualifications, we have seen a dramatic change in our recruitment process. This drop in qualified staff has been felt nationwide so we decided we would do something about it.

We have always been a company which encourage our staff to progress and learn if that is something that they want to do. With this in mind we decided to start our own training academy to support staff wishing to gain further qualifications, experiences and learning as well as supporting new team members in their apprenticeships. This in turn helped with our recruitment ‘crisis’ in that we had a number of apprentices each year gaining their level 2 or 3 childcare qualification who could then take on permanent roles within the nursery.

Apprentices are an integral part of our nursery business. We would rather have someone who has a love of working with children who we can train and qualify to our nursery standard, and who by the end of their qualification already knows the nursery, the staffing team, but most importantly our children and their families.

Our academy has been an amazing success, and we hope that the future is bright with our apprentices coming through.

 

What our trainees had to say:

‘It was difficult at first to get into the habit of studying again, especially after being at work, however the support I received from Tracey and my management team throughout my study was great. Working with the children hands on really helped me to put into practice what I was learning either at home or during our study evenings’.

Samantha, Level 3 Early Years Educator

The Chiltern Nurseries Ltd Apprenticeship Academy was set up in September 2014 to provide an in-house training academy to give all staff the opportunity to gain high quality training and a nationally recognised qualification in the following areas:

 

• Pearson Children & Young People’s Workforce Level 2 Apprenticeship
• Pearson Children’s Learning & Development (Early Years Educator) Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• NCFE Team Leading Level 2 Apprenticeship
• NCFE Management Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• NCFE Diploma in Management Level 5
• Functional Skills in Maths, English & ICT are also delivered in-house by qualified staff.

 

Chiltern Nurseries Ltd Apprenticeship Academy is run by an independent training provider, but with the support of 3 qualified in-house assessors. All qualifications are delivered over a 12 – 18-month period, with monthly formal off-the-job workshops, work shadowing across all three settings in the group and monthly 1-1 meetings.

 

Additional training is also provided in:

• Safeguarding
• Health & Safety
• Food & Hygiene
• Paediatric First Aid

 

Staff are supported and encouraged to progress in their careers and gain further qualifications.  Since the Chiltern Nurseries Ltd Apprenticeship Academy started, we have successfully supported 56 members of staff through qualifications and helped them to gain promotion. This includes 4 staff completed or working towards their level 2 qualification, 11 staff qualifying as team leaders and a massive 29 level 3 early years educators.

 

If you would like more information of the training academy or would like to know about apprentice vacancies please contact either Jessica Baker, nursery manager at Lynton House on 01372-575-040 or Sherrill Botterill, nursery manager at Glaisdale on 0208-642-8526.