Childcare is more than just a job at Childbase Partnership — it’s a career with purpose.

Ranked number one for quality in the Nursery World League Tables 2024, this employee-owned company operates 44 nurseries across the southeast of England and is committed to developing the next generation of childcare professionals through its innovative apprenticeship programme.

Apprentices like Ieuan Mulholland, who discovered a passion for working with children, gain hands-on experience from day one.

“What I love about kids is seeing what they come up with, what their ideas for play are; what they draw.. it’s great to see how their minds work,” he explains.

The programme is structured to maximise real-world learning, with 80 per cent of an apprentice’s time spent in nurseries, applying their skills alongside experienced practitioners. The remaining 20 per cent is dedicated to classroom-based learning.

“Our apprentices have 20 per cent off-job and the other 80 per cent is working in the nurseries directly in the rooms, honing all the skills that they’re learning in the classroom — and they’re doing it alongside qualified and experienced practitioners who are really helping them to develop even further,” says Emma Rooney, CEO of Childbase Partnership.

Recognising the need for a skilled, in-house workforce, Childbase Partnership launched its own Training Academy of Excellence in 2021. The academy’s ‘Reach to Teach’ curriculum, awarded the Princess Royal Training Award, combines childcare theory with essential skills in maths and English. Each year, around 200 apprentices aged 16 and up attend the academy in Milton Keynes. Career development courses and team leader qualifications are also available, supporting the company’s ‘careers, not jobs’ philosophy.

Watch Childbase Partnership’s film, featured as part of our Apprenticeships: Unlocking Opportunities programme.

Rubyann Fawkes, a Qualified Level 3 Nursery Practitioner, is a strong advocate of the programme and the career opportunities it offers her; “I want to work my way up into a managerial job, whether that’s in childcare or within head office,” she says.

“Here, you’re not just seen as an apprentice, you’re seen as a person; you’re valued. We’re all working together; we’re all contributing together. You can go to people and ask for help if you need to, and that’s what’s so nice about it — everyone is valued, and everyone is supported.”

With cohorts capped at 35 apprentices, the programme ensures personalised training, contributing to above-average success rates. “Within our Academy, we have somebody who supports students with special educational needs,” explains Lorna Wigley, the company’s Quality and Training Director.

“Because we have a very small cohort of learners to a training assessor, it means that they are there to tailor training based on the learner’s needs. So, that could be for mental health or well-being, or because someone’s got a special educational need or somebody’s got some challenges at home… so we can really bespoke the learning to that individual learner.”

Beyond training, apprentices are paid throughout their education and guaranteed a job upon qualification, resulting in higher dedication and better care for children.

Emma Rooney, CEO of Childbase Partnership.

“There are so many benefits available here at Childbase Partnership and probably one of the most important ones is the profit sharing, where all colleagues from apprentice to chairman get a share in the profits of the company. Additionally to that, we have well-being initiatives, healthcare benefits and probably one more important ones for when colleagues are thinking about having families is that we have 75 per cent childcare discounts available for all colleagues, and if you’re a grandparent you can 40 per cent as well,” says Emma.

“The company wraps their arms around you. We have colleagues who stay here for years, and that’s a testament to what we offer,” adds Lorna.

The motto, “We all contribute, we all benefit”, reflects Childbase Partnership’s commitment to creating a supportive environment for both employees and the children in their care — laying the foundation for long-term success in the childcare sector.