Sarah Callaghan has been appointed as Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) new Service Director for Education. Sarah joins from a similar position in Islington and will start in August 2024.
Sarah said, “Having enjoyed a number of diverse roles in contrasting local authorities, I am really looking forward to applying my experience and enthusiasm to this fantastic opportunity in Cambridgeshire."
Cllr Bryony Goodliffe, Chair of CCC’s Children and Young People’s Committee added “This is a demanding role with some formidable challenges ahead, but I am convinced Sarah is the right person for it.”
|
Cambridgeshire is a prosperous county, yet we know there are areas of deprivation and people struggling with poverty daily.
Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) are striving for a fairer Cambridgeshire, and an integral part of this is finding ways to reduce this deprivation, tackling the root causes of poverty, and alleviating residents’ cost of living concerns. CCC are convening a Poverty Strategy Commission alongside partners across the county. The Commission will look at poverty in Cambridgeshire and build recommendations about how the system can work better together to support our communities.
CCC would appreciate your thoughts on who would make a good, independent commissioner and what areas of focus the commission should prioritise.
Would you make a good commissioner yourself or do you have strong ideas about where CCC need to focus our efforts on poverty?
Please let them know by Monday, 15 July 2024, using the Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission - Call for Advice Microsoft Form, or via email povertycommission@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
|
CambsEYC are constantly looking for ways to improve the services, advice and support we offer to you. We would therefore be grateful if you could take the time to complete the Early Years, Childcare and School Readiness Service - Review of Support 2023-2024 survey by Friday, 19 July 2024.
The survey has been designed to be quick and should take you no more than 10 minutes.
The answers you give will help us understand the effectiveness of the support, advice, and guidance we have offered this year.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to collaborating with you again in the future.
|
The CambsEYC quality improvement team work with settings and schools across Cambridgeshire to provide support for you in achieving quality learning in your settings and schools.
Our new Early Years Expansion resources, on the Learn Together website, have been designed by a team of experienced advisers with a wide range of expertise to ensure settings and schools offer the best quality early years and childcare provision.
Explore the new webpages to view advice on the following topics:
|
To support those who close for the summer break, settings are reminded to:
- Complete and share assessments and paperwork for children transitioning to school or the next age group.
- Update funding claims for autumn and reconfirm eligibility codes on the funding portal. PACEY is running funding surgery for childminders on Monday, 15 July 2024 at 7pm. To book a place, visit Booking and Reservations for Early Years Workforce Development ‘Courses for Childminders’
- Collate welfare files, inform safeguarding professionals if children are leaving the provision, complete tasks on Liquidlogic, and signpost families to summer support services.
- Ensure insurance covers empty premises and plan for water system maintenance.
- Support children and families via the 50 Things to Do app.
- Plan for new children in September, and review staff CPD. Consider Developing the Workforce through the CambsEYC Professional Development Programme, and take advantage of the new early years Membership Offer to learn more.
And finally, remember to visit Cambridgeshire Early Years and Childcare (CambsEYC) (cambslearntogether.co.uk) for information, guidance, and resources on a wide range of topics.
For further support contact earlyyears.service@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
|
Transitions are usually viewed as an event that involves change. These could be slight changes, or larger transitions, such as starting a new nursery or childminder placement. Viewing transitions as a process rather than as an event supports children’s emotional well-being.
While some children may find transitions easier to cope with than others, some may find routine transitions throughout the day to be difficult to cope with, and these children may need additional support.
To support transitions throughout the early years foundation stage, CambsEYC has published Transitions Across the Early Years Toolkit* to help with planning a transition process involving the child, their family, and the early years practitioner collaborating with them.
*Size: 551KBFile format: pdf
|
The EHM Liquidlogic newsletter, released bi-monthly, holds valuable information regarding EHM processes and helpful content, such as how to register for an account, available training and guidance is available.
This month’s focus is on transitions of staff and children ahead of the summer holidays and provides information on how to make necessary changes on the system and where to go for support with these processes. For more information, follow the link to read the July 2024 edition.
|
As you will be aware, entitlements will soon be changing.
-
From September 2024, 15 hours of government funded childcare will be extended to all children from the age of nine months.
-
From September 2025, all working parents of children aged nine months up to three years old can access 30 hours funded childcare per week.
Parents can see what additional childcare support they will be entitled to over the coming months and years via the government’s updated eligibility checker on the Childcare Choices website childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Please encourage you families to visit the site for further information about the upcoming changes to childcare support, and to sign up to the Childcare Choices newsletter to receive updates about the changes beginning in September 2024, and notifications when they should take action to make sure they are getting the support they are entitled to.
|
The Cambridgeshire Families Information Service (FIS) provide information, advice and guidance to families across Cambridgeshire.
They manage the Cambridgeshire Childcare Directory and offer one-to-one support for families with children and young people from birth to 25.
Their advice is free, confidential, and impartial.
They can help with finding childcare, understanding childcare funding options, childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the SEND Local Offer SEND Local Offer.
For information on childcare and early learning, contact the FIS team; Lisa Watson, Families Information Coordinator, and Tracey-Ann Grant, Childcare Brokerage Adviser - SEND.
Email fis@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, telephone 0345 045 1360, or find them on Facebook - please like, follow and share the CambsFIS page.
|
The Healthy Start scheme is a valuable resource for eligible parents and carers, offering financial assistance to purchase healthy food and milk for their young children.
Those who qualify receive a Healthy Start card, which is preloaded with funds every four weeks, allowing them to buy essential nutritious foods and collect vital vitamins.
Healthy Start vitamins are available to support pregnancy and breastfeeding, along with vitamin drops suitable for babies and young children from birth to four years old.
Please encourage your families to visit Healthy Start for more information.
|
The Cambridgeshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme is operating this summer holiday from Tuesday, 23 July to Friday, 30 August 2024.
Eligible free school meal (FSM) pupils can attend a participating holiday scheme for up to 64 hours for free. Pupils are offered a daily meal and participation in enriching experiences with their peers.
Eligibility vouchers have already been issued by email and text to parents and carers in receipt of benefit-related FSM on Monday, 10 June 2024. Additional eligibility codes can be requested after this date, please contact the Cambridgeshire HAF Team for more details and to apply.
Email haf@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and/or telephone 01223 714 742.
|
Come and join in the fun at Cambridgeshire Child and Family Centres this summer with 50 Things to Do activities* on tour throughout the county.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Get Activated campaign 2024 launches on Thursday, 18 July 2024 and will raise awareness of free and low-cost activities run by the county and district councils and their partners.
The campaign will also highlight lots of fun and healthy activities to keep families entertained during the summer. There will be options for play, cycling, walking, sports, and activities to keep families busy and having fun.
*The 50 Things activities include:
- Home from Home,
- Hop, Skip and Jump
- Growing, Little People, Plants and Things
- Making Music
- Natural Art, and
- Woodland Wandering.
|
Children’s bowel and bladder charity, ERIC, aim to help children in England and Wales become toilet trained before starting school.
Their summer campaign ‘All aboard the Toilet Train: Get ready for school' will provide resources through preschools, nurseries, and libraries throughout the summer. Mascots Wee and Poo, along with expert ‘poo nursers,’ will visit select locations to discuss potty training.
Parents, carers, and professionals can sign up to join the Toilet Train Summer Challenge and receive helpful, easy-to-follow information to get their children toilet ready for school.
|
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. It spreads very easily through coughing and sneezing and can sometimes cause serious health problems, especially in young babies.
Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated. When the whooping cough vaccination is given in pregnancy, antibodies which protect against whooping cough are produced. These antibodies pass to the baby through the placenta giving them elevated levels of protection until they can have their own whooping cough vaccination. The best time to get vaccinated is between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. If you are more than 16 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the vaccine, talk to your midwife or GP.
Babies are protected against whooping cough by a vaccine which is given as part of the NHS vaccination schedule when they are eight, 12 and 16 weeks old with a booster at three years four months. You can check whether your child is up to date with vaccinations by checking their personal child health record (Red Book) or contact your GP practice.
Further information:
|
Having a baby is an exciting time but it can also be incredibly challenging. The 'Me, You and Baby Too' course is aimed at parents who are expecting or in the first 12 months of their child’s life, and is designed to help parents through this transition, so that your relationship remains intact and grows, as parents and as a couple.
The course takes place online via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, 21 August from 5 pm to 6 pm, and Wednesday, 28 August 2024 from 5 pm to 6 pm. Places can be booked via the online workshop booking form (office.com).
|
Talking Together in Cambridgeshire (TTiC) will be rolling out the new one-day Introduction to Making it REAL course from September 2024.
This course is aimed at family-facing early years practitioners including childminders, setting practitioners, Child and Family Centre staff, reception-class staff and representatives of community groups who work with families of children aged two to five years old in Cambridgeshire.
Participants will learn how to support parents to:
- Create opportunities for children’s literacy development in the home environment
- Recognise and encourage children’s literacy milestones
- Interact with children positively and support real-life literacy tasks and
- Function as models of literacy users, so children see parents use literacy in everyday life
TTiC will be working closely with Cambridgeshire Skills who will be offering funding to cover course costs for those who meet the eligibility criteria. More details about the course including the dates, eligibility criteria and how to book a place can be found on the Making it REAL Learn Together webpage.
|
CambsEYC are delighted to announce that we will be continuing our partnership with Cambridgeshire Skills to offer funding for our Forest School courses.
This will include:
- Level 2 Forest School Assistant
- Level 3 Forest School Leader
- Introduction to Forest Schools
- Forest Schools and Under Three's
- Reconnection with Nature
- Forest School Development Day
Funding options for our training days include 'Introduction to Forest School', 'Forest School and Under Three's', 'Reconnection to Nature', and 'Forest School Development Day.
Please note, that there are changes to the funding criteria this academic year, please check the Learn Together website for more details. If you have any questions, email ForestSchool@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
|
CambsEYC is currently seeking practitioners who would like to apply for the role of early years lead practitioner to be a leader of good practice working in a Cambridgeshire PVI setting. The role is open to early years educators/senior leadership roles who are currently working in an Ofsted rated Good or Outstanding setting.
This voluntary role provides excellent opportunities for professional development, and the experience will also support career progression.
If you are passionate about working in early years with experience of Forest Schools, supporting children with SEND in the early years, or creating positive environments for under three-year-olds, and want to share your knowledge and skills, or if you know a practitioner who would be an ideal for the role, please contact Lucy.Frain@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Following receipt of your application we will aim to visit your setting to discuss the role in more detail. Visits will be arranged at a suitable time between July and September for providers who close or remain open for the summer break.
FAO of managers/owners, remuneration costs will be provided to the setting of the successful applicants for attendance at events and schools visits.
|
Are you, staff or volunteers looking to achieve a recognised qualification in early years? Now is the time to apply for the autumn term 2024.
The Cambridgeshire Early Childhood Qualifications Centre (CECQC) offer training qualifications which are accredited and recognised by the Department of Education.
CECQC delivers introductory courses fully funded, and part funded for people considering or already working within Cambridgeshire early years.
Learn more at cecqc.co.uk.
|
|
|