Apprentice Early years officer

Release Date: 02/03/2023 18:38

Apprentice Early years officer with Fife Council

My name is Arlene Wood. I am an Apprentice Early years officer with Fife Council. I began this apprenticeship in October 2021. I am Registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as a Practitioner in day care of children services.
As an EYO my day consists of greeting the children when they arrive. It is always important to

 greet the children with their names. I build relationships with them by chatting to them, listening and observing to them. I encourage independence wherever I can by encouraging the children to think about their decisions and make good choices. I take part in literacy sessions reading books, singing songs, I make healthy snacks for the children, I observe the children and attempt to extend their learning on current interests they have, I also ensure I tidy and clean when necessary, top up resources and develop areas of the nursey with the

children to ensure the areas of the setting are used to their full potential. I continually work together as a team and on my own. Making relationships with the children’s families is another important part of this role.
I have had the opportunity to take part in some excellent training days such as beach and forest kindergarten and fire bowl training.
I love learning about learning through play and the curriculum for excellence. It has been
interesting to learn about the areas of the curriculum and how it is implemented in a
nursery setting.
I write about what happens day to day as an apprentice EYO. I write about my experiences
and how I have dealt with situations. I then link what I am writing to a set of codes and
points. Once I have covered all points, I will gain my qualification. Everything I do in the role
can link to the codes. This makes the process an enjoyable learning experience.
I have really enjoyed the learning process on the apprenticeship. It has been rewarding to
learn about the curriculum for excellence and how children best learn. I love getting to
know the children and their families and being in a position where I can help them. Working
in a nursery has also given me a strong sense of community.

I had a career in financial services for 17 years. I enjoyed my job, the hours I worked fitted in
well with my family life and I was comfortable. I had always had an interest in children’s
education and loved being a parent helper at my own children’s nursery.
I saw the apprenticeship advertised and that my age group could apply. I am 37 and often
apprenticeships are offered to people of School leavers age to early twenties. As an
apprentice you are an employee and so this means you receive a wage and benefits. If I
went to college, I would have had to take out a student loan and fund myself through the
qualification. This would have been difficult, and I would have struggled to do this with a
family and bills to pay. There is a huge amount of support from the assessors, mentors and
staff to help you gain your qualification. I would recommend the EYO apprenticeship to
anyone interested in learning more about early years education and childcare