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In today's update:

• Returning to my Childminder, Nursery or School
• EYFS reforms
• Visitors to settings
• Updated guidance
• Summer activities - reminder to inform parents and carers
• Free Access to Solihull Online Courses - reminder
• Early Years Attendance Survey

Returning to my Childminder, Nursery or School

We know that the Early Years are a vital time in a child’s learning and development. In order to help parents support their child to get ready to return to their setting or school we are sending out weekly posts through this briefing and through the CFIS Facebook page. This week’s theme is ‘Being Active’ which is especially topical following the national media this week around the importance of exercise. Please continue to share these positive messages with your families as widely as possible – read 'Being Active' here

EYFS reforms

A revised EYFS Framework will become statutory next year from September 2021. This is likely to be identical to the Early Adopters framework which comes into use by some schools this September – some infant and primary schools have elected to become early adopters. This is a completely separate decision from those who have elected to become early adopters of the Reception Baseline Assessment. Early years providers other than schools cannot become early adopters. This change map sets out the key changes.

You can read the government's response to the consultation here

EYFS reforms early adopter framework

This framework is for schools participating in the EYFS reforms early adopter year from September 2020 to August 2021.

EYFS reforms early adopter profile handbook

This handbook is for schools participating in the EYFS reforms early adopter year from September 2020 to August 2021.

The Department for Education has said that it will publish FAQs about the reforms shortly. Development Matters is also being refreshed and will be published in due course. The DfE have also indicated that they will be developing an online support package for PVI settings and childminders around the new framework.

Visitors to settings

A working group comprising professionals from health, education and the local authority have developed procedures and risk assessments around managing external visitors to your setting. Please read these carefully so that you can work with multi-agency visitors when together you judge it is appropriate for them to undertake a face to face visit, to support a child. This must always be within the context of the latest Public Health guidance-see documents below

COVID risk assessment for specialist visitors to educational settings

Procedures for carrying out visits in various locations by Council Officers and Healthcare Practitioners

Updated guidance

The guidance document Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has been updated to reflect changes in legislation to the 30 hours free entitlement and information on the validity of Paediatric First-Aid certificates.

Summer activities - reminder to inform parents and carers

This is a reminder the County has published the district summer holiday activity directories to the public.  We hope the directories will make it easier for parents and carers to find information about available services during the school holidays 2020. We also aim to support childcare and activity providers to publicise their offer to parents and carers as they begin to restart activities. If you are able to include the link on your setting website that would be brilliant.

We would be grateful if you would share the website link with any parents or carers, and/or share on your own social media pages.

We will be updating the directories regularly so we would advise anyone who wishes to distribute hard copies to check the website frequently to download and print the latest version.

Free Access to Solihull Online Courses - reminder

This is a reminder that all Early Years Practitioners and families across Cumbria have free access to the Solihull training courses for a year. We would encourage you to take advantage of this time limited opportunity. These courses are normally £19-£39 per person, but are FREE with the access codes below to all residents of Cumbria:

Families can access the parenting courses:

• Understanding your pregnancy, birth, labour and your baby
• Understanding your baby
• Understanding your child
• Understanding your teenager’s brain

These courses are for ALL parents-to-be, parents, grandparents or carers of any child from the antenatal period to age 18 years. The modules and free and available to everyone. They are relevant to parents/carers of all children, including those with special needs, autism, ADHD etc.

The more detailed Practitioner training is also available for one year FREE of charge. There are three courses to circulate to your colleagues to access, these are:

• Understanding Trauma
• Understanding Attachment
• Understanding Brain Development

The password for all courses is WORDSWORTHPRF (valid until April 2021). Please go to www.inourplace.co.uk and apply the relevant access code. For technical queries email solihull.approach@ heartofengland.nhs.uk or ring 0121 296 4448 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

We have an unlimited number of users, so we really do want to get it across as many colleagues/partners that we can to help ensure we have a consistent approach.

Early Years Attendance Survey

Early Years Daily Attendance

From this week (w/b 27 July) we will only be collecting Early Years Attendance once per week on a Wednesday.

The Department for Education have confirmed that they will continue to collect this data until the end of September, but will review it again in September.

Thank you for your continued assistance with this piece of work.

Attendance Survey