Job summary
**Interviews will be held on 3rd and 13th March 2026**
Location: Various locations across the geographical region- Darlington/Middlesbrough/Stockton/Durham
Contract: Fixed Term: 07-Sep-2026 to 03-Mar-2028
Hours: Full-time
About the Role
We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for motivated and compassionate nurses or midwives to train as Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (School Nurse). This apprentice School Nurse post provides a structured pathway into the School Nursing profession, combining academic study with supervised practice in community settings.
You will join a supportive and experienced team committed to helping you develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to qualify as a Band 6 School Nurse.
What You Can Expect
- Employment as a Apprentice School Nurse for the duration of the SCPHN (School Nurse) programme
- A high-quality learning experience delivered in partnership with our University provider
- Practice placements within our School Nurse teams
- Dedicated support from practice assessors, supervisors, and the wider service
- Opportunities to develop leadership, public health, and family-centred practice skills
Main duties of the job
1. To participate in all elements of the SCPHN apprenticeship programme both theory and practice and ensure completion of all approved programme documentation and assessments which must be submitted within time scale.
2. To take responsibility in organising planned tripartite and bipartite meetings with your Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor.
3. To fully participate in the teaching strategies used by the Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor
4. To develop professional knowledge and competence, pertaining to School Nursing and relevant to safe standards of professional practice.
5. To accurately record information within systmOne records understanding and documenting cumulative risk and auctioning appropriately. Records to be contemporaneous and recorded timely as per trust policy.
6. Confidentiality to be maintained at all times. Access to electronic devised to be kept safe and stored as per trust policy.
7. Under the supervision of the Practice Assessor or Practice Supervisor manage delegated workload/caseload and supervise staff if appropriate.
8. To undertake nursing and public health duties under direct and indirect supervision of the Practice Assessor or Practice Supervisor.
9. To act in accordance with all Trust policies.
About us
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT) cares for the population in Harrogate and the local area, as well as across North Yorkshire, Leeds and parts of the North East.
At HDFT we provide outstanding care to both our patients and our staff and we value Kindness, Integrity, Teamwork and Equality. If you're looking for an interesting and rewarding career in the NHS, where you can make a real difference to patients' lives, HDFT could be the place for you!
We offer colleagues:
- A supportive culture so colleagues can bring their whole selves to work.
- Staff Recognition - as well as regular appraisals, we recognise achievements with our Making a Difference & Team of the Month Awards, along with annual Colleague Recognition Awards.
- Employee Support and wellbeing - we offer a wide range of staff benefits including an Employee Assistance Programme, counselling service and a fast-track Physiotherapy service.
Please note:
- Due to high levels of interest, posts may close early if we reach a sufficient number of applications
- Visa sponsorship is only available for certain roles. Please ensure the role you are interested in meets the criteria for a visa before submitting your application.
Please also be aware that the Trust does not offer relocation packages for Agenda for Change roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Progression to Band 6
Upon successful completion of the SCPHN apprenticeship programme and achievement of professional registration, you will be eligible to be offered a Band 6 School Nurse post. Band 6 posts are allocated based on available vacancies across the geographical region and may not be in the same locality where you trained.
Further information about Band 6 opportunities will be shared with you as you approach qualification.
Important Information About the Training Contract
This is a fixedterm training post for the duration of the apprentice SCPHN programme. You are required to complete all academic and practicebased elements within the Universitys cohort timescales. Any extensions will be managed in line with NHSE Policy for Funding Extensions and in collaboration with the Trust and the University.
If you do not successfully complete the programme within the agreed timescales (including any approved extensions), the fixedterm contract will end at the conclusion of the training period. In these circumstances, you would not be eligible to be offered a Band 6 SCPHN post. Any future employment with the Trust would require a separate application through the standard recruitment process.
Students will be aligned to a practice assessor in either Durham/Darlington/Middlesbrough/Stockton. The academic element of the course will be hosted by Teesside University.
As a School Nurse you can make a real difference to children, families and communities. You will play a fundamental role in the monitoring of child development, safeguarding children, preventing social exclusion and deprivation and tackling important public health issues, with responsibilities including home visits, running support groups for parents and working with a range of local childrens agencies and professionals
School Nurses have the opportunity to work flexibly in the community and are a crucial part of the healthcare team. It is a diverse role which involves being part of a wider team who provide you with support as you work to improve the health of local families.
Training
Teesside University, have undergone course approval in line with the new NMC Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Standards of Proficiency and will be offering level 7 awards as a standard full-time 78 week course.
To be eligible to apply you will need to be a Registered Nurse or Midwife on parts 1 or 2 of the NMC register. You must also have a degree at 2.2 or above. The training is 37.5 hours full time with fixed annual leave dates, (no prebooked leave will be honoured).
Applicants must have English and Maths at grade C or level 4 or Key Skill Level 2 in Maths and English.
Applicants also need to have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the course start date in September unless they are in an exempt group.
Successful candidates will keep band and pay point (if Band 5 or 6) and accrue increment during training.
Students will be able to make use of Teesside Universitys Recognition of Prior Learning (PRL) policy provided they meet the criteria for this.
Salary: Apprenticeship salary will be in line with apprenticeship rules. If taking apprentice route, and currently working under Agenda for Change, you would remain on your current salary and still accrue your increment.
For further information about this role, please see the Job Description and Personal Specification attached.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Progression to Band 6
Upon successful completion of the SCPHN apprenticeship programme and achievement of professional registration, you will be eligible to be offered a Band 6 School Nurse post. Band 6 posts are allocated based on available vacancies across the geographical region and may not be in the same locality where you trained.
Further information about Band 6 opportunities will be shared with you as you approach qualification.
Important Information About the Training Contract
This is a fixedterm training post for the duration of the apprentice SCPHN programme. You are required to complete all academic and practicebased elements within the Universitys cohort timescales. Any extensions will be managed in line with NHSE Policy for Funding Extensions and in collaboration with the Trust and the University.
If you do not successfully complete the programme within the agreed timescales (including any approved extensions), the fixedterm contract will end at the conclusion of the training period. In these circumstances, you would not be eligible to be offered a Band 6 SCPHN post. Any future employment with the Trust would require a separate application through the standard recruitment process.
Students will be aligned to a practice assessor in either Durham/Darlington/Middlesbrough/Stockton. The academic element of the course will be hosted by Teesside University.
As a School Nurse you can make a real difference to children, families and communities. You will play a fundamental role in the monitoring of child development, safeguarding children, preventing social exclusion and deprivation and tackling important public health issues, with responsibilities including home visits, running support groups for parents and working with a range of local childrens agencies and professionals
School Nurses have the opportunity to work flexibly in the community and are a crucial part of the healthcare team. It is a diverse role which involves being part of a wider team who provide you with support as you work to improve the health of local families.
Training
Teesside University, have undergone course approval in line with the new NMC Specialist Community Public Health Nursing Standards of Proficiency and will be offering level 7 awards as a standard full-time 78 week course.
To be eligible to apply you will need to be a Registered Nurse or Midwife on parts 1 or 2 of the NMC register. You must also have a degree at 2.2 or above. The training is 37.5 hours full time with fixed annual leave dates, (no prebooked leave will be honoured).
Applicants must have English and Maths at grade C or level 4 or Key Skill Level 2 in Maths and English.
Applicants also need to have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the course start date in September unless they are in an exempt group.
Successful candidates will keep band and pay point (if Band 5 or 6) and accrue increment during training.
Students will be able to make use of Teesside Universitys Recognition of Prior Learning (PRL) policy provided they meet the criteria for this.
Salary: Apprenticeship salary will be in line with apprenticeship rules. If taking apprentice route, and currently working under Agenda for Change, you would remain on your current salary and still accrue your increment.
For further information about this role, please see the Job Description and Personal Specification attached.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of current Public Health agenda
- Knowledge of evidence based practice or practice development
Experience
Essential
- Post-registration experience
- Experience of change management
- Experience of practice development
Desirable
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of working in a community setting
Qualifications
Essential
- First level NMC registration
- First degree at 2:2 or above
- Evidence of post registration study
- Maths and English GCSE grade C/4 or above / Functional skills level 2 / International equivalent. (must be able to provide a certificate) 1st or 2nd Class Degree / equivalent APEL(Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning)
Desirable
- Post-registration qualification
- Teaching qualification
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of current Public Health agenda
- Knowledge of evidence based practice or practice development
Experience
Essential
- Post-registration experience
- Experience of change management
- Experience of practice development
Desirable
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of working in a community setting
Qualifications
Essential
- First level NMC registration
- First degree at 2:2 or above
- Evidence of post registration study
- Maths and English GCSE grade C/4 or above / Functional skills level 2 / International equivalent. (must be able to provide a certificate) 1st or 2nd Class Degree / equivalent APEL(Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning)
Desirable
- Post-registration qualification
- Teaching qualification
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
