Registered Nurse (Child Nursing)
Preparing future nurses for a career in child nursing care.
You can choose to study over two years, starting in December. Your course includes off-the-job training time, and you can join us in Cambridge or Chelmsford for this.
The Registered Nurse (Child Nursing) apprenticeship supports the development of confident, caring Registered Nurses working with children in a range of settings. Apprentices study for a degree while continuing in paid employment, building strong clinical skills, communication, and professional judgement. Learning is applied in practice straight away, helping apprentices grow in confidence as they progress.
For employers, this programme offers a structured route to develop and retain nursing talent. It meets Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards and integrates off-the-job learning into the working week, preparing apprentices for professional registration.
Why apprenticeships at ARU?
We’ll help you reap the benefits of talent acquisition through apprenticeships.
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Over 25 years of nursing education experience
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Designed in collaboration with acute, primary care and community partners
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Reinvest your Levy funds to cover cost of training
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Nursing skills labs mimic the working hospital environment
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Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council
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Embed organisational culture and processes from day one
of apprentices learnt new skills to contribute to their workplace in a practical way.
Source: ARU degree apprenticeships impact report
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Clinical Lead Nurse Rob Bristow shares how degree apprenticeships are helping to develop talent from within and support high-quality patient care.
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![Clinical Lead Nurse Rob Bristow]()
Clinical Lead Nurse Rob Bristow shares how degree apprenticeships are helping to develop talent from within and support high-quality patient care.
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Earn while you learn with no tuition fees
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Gain hands-on experience in real clinical settings
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Work towards NMC registration as a qualified paediatric nurse
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Apply new knowledge directly to everyday practice
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Nursing skills labs mimic the working hospital environment
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Diverse and inclusive learning environment for all ages
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Charlea shares her journey to becoming a registered nurse, building clinical skills and confidence with a degree apprenticeship.
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![Nursing degree apprentice Charlea]()
Charlea shares her journey to becoming a registered nurse, building clinical skills and confidence with a degree apprenticeship.
of alumni would recommend apprenticeships to their peers.
Source: ARU degree apprenticeships impact report
Nurse Education Provider of the Year
We’re proud to have been shortlisted for the Nurse Education Provider of the Year award in 2023.
Talent development
This apprenticeship provides a structured route for employers to develop skilled, confident nursing staff from within their workforce.
It’s suitable for healthcare providers across acute, community, and primary care settings who want to grow and retain talent, support career progression, and meet Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for registration as a Registered Nurse (Child Nursing). This includes those with a Level 5 qualification relevant to nursing who aspire to become a registered nurse specialising in paediatric care, and those who are new in post.
Recruitment support for employers
Our dedicated apprenticeship team is on hand to help you attract the best candidates for your organisation. We can help with:
- crafting job advertisements
- promoting your vacancy to our quality candidate mailing lists
- adding your vacancy to the National Apprenticeship Service
- sharing opportunities across our social media channels.
Our consultants can also help you to assess candidates' suitability.
Speak to our consultants
We're on-hand to guide you through the process, from initial interest to onboarding.
As a child nurse, you’ll make a difference to many people’s lives, including your own.
Specialist children’s nurses can build careers in a variety of fields. You may choose to become a specialist nurse practitioner, a consultant nurse or a modern matron. Or you could take your education further still, conduct research or go into healthcare management.
Programme content
We are dedicated to the continual improvement of every aspect of healthcare and delivering the values set out in the NHS Constitution.
Your apprentice will develop skills fundamental to nursing and patient care. This includes inter-professional team working and taking a collaborative approach to their work. As a qualified nurse they’ll identify their patient’s needs before planning and providing care.
Approved by NMC
This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which demonstrates that the skills, knowledge and attributes your apprentices develop are aligned to the NMC professional standards. On successful completion of the course, apprentices will be able to register with the NMC.
You’ll learn in a vibrant, modern faculty with strong ties to local and national organisations.
All our campuses feature nursing skills labs designed for your training. These labs mimic a real hospital ward and let you use advanced healthcare equipment.
Approved by NMC
This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which demonstrates that the skills, knowledge and attributes you’ll develop are aligned to the NMC professional standards. This means that on successful completion of the apprenticeship you’ll be able to register as Registered Nurse.
Entry requirements
Essential
- Two A level passes, and passes in three other subjects at GCSE, grade 4/C or above including English and Maths or equivalent
- 96 UCAS points, or equivalent
- Demonstrate a good command of written and spoken English
- Applicants for whom English is not their first language, and who are unable to provide evidence of being taught and examined through the medium of English, are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language via one of the following:
- Occupational English Test-Grade C+ in writing and B in the reading, listening and speaking sections
- English Language Testing System (IELTS) test with an overall score of at least 7. At least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections.
- Verifiable and relevant work experience supported by a letter of recommendation from an employer confirming their ability to study to Level 6, and values and behaviours that reflect the NMC Code.
- Be employed in a healthcare setting. Employment needs to be in a suitable role on a permanent contract exceeding 30 hours per week. If your contract is less than 37.5 hours per week you will need to extend the length of your apprenticeship in order to meet the mandatory practice hours as required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
- Evidence from the employer confirming the learner will be supported in supernumerary practice.
For apprenticeship applicants to step onto the course with APL
Current registration with the NMC as a nursing associate OR successful completion of a FdSc Assistant Practitioner course or other equivalent qualification / academic credits capable of mapping against module learning outcomes.
APL for 1150 theory hours, and 1150 practice hours.
All shortlisted applicants need to:
- undergo a values-based recruitment with academic staff, practice staff, and people who use services and their carers (where possible), demonstrating insight into the nursing role
- demonstrate evidence of good health and character through an enhanced Disclosure Barring Service check. A satisfactory Overseas Criminal Record Check/Local Police Certificate is also required, in addition to a DBS check, where students have lived outside of the UK in the last five years for six months or more
- have satisfactory occupational health clearance, including immunisations as necessary to attend placement
- provide a suitable reference either from an employer or academic tutor
- evidence completion of the ‘ARU Step into Healthcare’ online learning activity, which includes numeracy, literacy and digital skills.
Anglia Ruskin University’s Accreditation of Prior Learning processes will apply. In order to meet the NMC (2018, updated 2023) programme standards:
- students may be accredited with up to a maximum of 50% of the overall award with accurate mapping of prior learning to professional requirements and Anglia Ruskin University modules.
*All applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined by the DfE Apprenticeship Funding Rules applicable at the start of the course. If you have any questions about these entry requirements, please contact [email protected]
Successful applicants must pass an interview. In the interview you will be expected to demonstrate appropriate values for health care and insight into your chosen field of nursing.
All applicants are required to complete an APCL/APEL portfolio to ensure mapping to the 2-year degree option to professional requirements and ARU’s modules. If you are not transferring directly from a foundation degree with ARU, you may also be required to complete a Safe Medicate exam.
If you are intending to top-up your higher apprenticeship qualification, you will not be eligible to start the degree apprenticeship course unless the DfE has received confirmation that you have successfully completed your End Point Assessment for the preceding apprenticeship.
You must supply these before you can be registered on the course:
- an Enhanced DBS for the Adult and Child Workforce, signed up to the online update service (ARU will fund new applications if you cannot provide this)
- occupational health clearance from your employer
- line manager confirmation of support.
Fees and funding
Degree apprenticeships are a smart investment. You can reinvest Levy funds to cover the cost of an apprenticeship or receive funding support from the Government.
If you operate in England and your annual payroll is over £3m, you pay a levy of 0.5% of your payroll into a levy account.
Apprenticeships are paid for by your employer. You won’t pay any tuition fees on this course.
Our team of experts is here to help form your organisation’s apprenticeship offering and guide you through the process.
Speak to your employer about this course and how it could be beneficial for your development.
Our expert consultants can meet with you and your employer to make setting up simple and straightforward.
Finding an apprenticeship role
To start an apprenticeship, you need to be in a suitable role and have the support of your employer.