How long have you been supporting level 1’s?
We have been supporting level 1s at Havant since 2019.
Roughly how many have you had and have they progressed? If so, what level’s/roles are they doing now?
We’ve had around 6 in this time and of those two have gone straight into doing their level 2 apprenticeships with us and become qualified educators in the setting. We have had others that wanted to go straight on but unfortunately, we didn’t have space for them to do so when they finished their level 1.
As an employer, how does having level 1’s benefit you?
Level 1’s are a great support, they are an extra pair of hands in the room and often get just as stuck in and create bonds with the children just like our staff team. It’s also great when they then go on to do their apprenticeship because they already know the team, children and how we run as a setting.
What advice would you give to other setting thinking of supporting our level 1 study programme’s?
Treat them like part of your team and not as a student, they appreciate this and work harder. Investing in a level 1 is a good business decision for when you are recruiting for apprentices as they already know how you run and you know how they work.
How do you find working with Shoots?
Shoots are fab, always on hand when you need them and take all feedback seriously. We have always felt support particularly with level 1 learners. We feel that our feedback is valuable to them as they take on board what we are saying and we see this being actioned.