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Bulletin 310
29 April 2024
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National Wraparound Programme Briefings
Engagement sessions for primary schools and childcare providers are being arranged to discuss how the National Wraparound Programme will be supported within Cheshire East. The briefing will include information on how providers can prepare for the application and allocation process for the available capital and revenue funding of term time wraparound care. The funding is intended to create new places and not to sustain existing provision.
For anyone who could not attend the daytime sessions in April, we are holding an evening session of the briefing:
- 9th May 2024 18:30 - 19:30 (Teams)
Please book on through the ChESS Early Years Training Hub.
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Early Education Entitlement – Monthly Payments
The current method of paying the grant in advance maximises cashflow but may impact on some childminders claiming Universal Credit. To support the relatively small number of childminders impacted by the current payment method, early education entitlement payments may be requested on a monthly basis.
The following example demonstrates the difference between the 2 payment methods. For the purpose of illustration, we have used the average amount paid to childminders per year.
 Payments on a monthly basis will be available from autumn term 2024 for those that wish to opt in. Lump sum payments in advance will continue for all other providers.
Please email feee@cheshireeast.gov.uk if you wish to receive payments on a monthly basis from autumn term 2024. Please include the name and Ofsted registration number of your provision in your email.
Grant funding to develop new childcare places
Childcare Expansion Capital Grant
This funding is intended to support expansion of the 30-hours early years entitlement for working families and wraparound provision in primary schools. It must be spent on capital projects, and is being provided to meet the capital costs associated with projects that help ensure sufficient places for:
- Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents (from the term following the child reaching 9-months to the term in which they turn 3-years-old);
- Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children.
Projects may be funded to develop either 30-hours early years entitlement or wraparound childcare, or both.
National Wraparound Childcare Programme
Revenue funding will be available to support the operating costs of new wraparound provision. The funding will be tapered. This reflects the expectation that the funding is used to fund set up and running costs of new and expanded wraparound places and that, as take-up of provision increases, and therefore income from parental payments increases, the level of grant funding needed to contribute to running costs to ensure sustainability reduces.
Details of how to apply for the development grants will be made available via this bulletin during summer term. Applications will be invited from all sectors; day nurseries, pre-schools, schools, childminders, before and after school childcare providers.
Briefing for Prospective Childminders
Please share this information on your social media accounts:
Are you interested in becoming a Childminder? We are running regular Childminder briefing sessions to provide information on what it means to be a Childminder and how to apply. Please click on the link below to complete the online form
Interested in Becoming a Childminder (cheshireeast.gov.uk)
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Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements |
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Early Years Foundation Stage Government Consultation
The Department for Education are seeking views on proposed changes to safeguarding requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.
The DfE are consulting on proposals to strengthen the EYFS safeguarding requirements and make them more comprehensive for early years providers. This is to ensure that all children are kept as safe as possible in early years settings.
Experience-Based Route for Early Years Practitioners
The Department for Education are seeking views on a technical consultation to test a proposed new model for the experience-based route, proposed eligibility criteria and process requirements.
The consultation on proposed changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), launched on 31 May 2023, included a proposal to introduce a new experienced-based route for early years practitioners to gain approved status to work within staff:child ratios. Having considered all the responses to that consultation, in its response the Department noted its intention to proceed with this change.
This is a technical consultation to test a proposed new model for the experience-based route, as well as proposed eligibility criteria and process requirements. The DfE are seeking views to help reach well-informed decisions.
How to register as a childminder and receive a grant worth up to £1,200
The Department for Education have published a new blog detailing everything you need to know about how to become a childminder and where to apply.
Click the button below for more information.
Trial ‘Belly Bugs’ for free to get students excited about healthy eating and help tackle obesity
Sunderland primary schools have successfully trialled an eight-lesson, cross-curricular pilot based on Belly Bugs (gut microbes) for Early Years Foundation Stage, key stage 1 and key stage 2.
Covering topics such as fibre, colourful food and sustainability, the pupils loved discovering they had little helpers inside them keeping them healthy and happy. School cooks reported an increase in uptake of vegetables and salad during the pilot.
Contact zoe@bellybugs.co.uk if you are interested in trialling the programme.
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EYFS Learning and Development |
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Let’s Get Ready for School Book Bags
If you have little ones who are due to be starting school, we have 10 different book bags for you to borrow from our libraries.
Each bag contains some useful information, three specially selected picture books about topics such as starting school, feeling nervous and making friends, as well as a wordless picture book for sharing together.
The bags are free to borrow for three weeks and are a great way to tackle this big milestone and help to make starting school seem a bit less daunting.
You can pop into your local library or click the button below to find them on the library catalogue.
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BookTrust Hedgehog Awareness Week
 To contact BookTrust, please see the contact details below:
Frances Lennon, BookTrust Coordinator - 07827 954086
Sarah Harrison, BookTrust Administrator - 07827 877966
bookstart@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk
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New Training Opportunity! Liquidlogic Training - EHCP Reviews
Early Years to Primary Transitions – Time to Talk
Primary school places have now been allocated. Please can you now start making links with your feeder primary schools to begin the transition process, especially for our most vulnerable children.
Aims:
- To work collaboratively with your feeder primary schools to help them to develop a strong knowledge of the needs of the children, including the provision and adaptations required for the children to make a smooth transition to primary school.
- To co-ordinate with your feeder primary schools key dates to attend universal and enhanced transition visits.
- To develop key links with parents/carers of identified children requiring an enhanced transition and involve them in the transition planning for their child.
The SEND Transition team are here to help so please feel free to invite them to your cluster meetings or make contact with them regarding the transition process.
A big thank you to all the Early Years settings so far that have welcomed the SEND Transition team into their settings and shared their good practice and challenges regarding helping children move to primary school. The team are keen to share good practice and will be using the bulletin as a platform to do this going forward.
Cheshire East SEND Transition Team contact details:
Rachael Pickles – Transition Team Manager:
rachael.pickles2@cheshireeast.gov.uk 07816 144386
Loren Whiteside – Transition Adviser:
loren.whiteside2@cheshireeast.gov.uk 07557 801258
Tanya Houghton-Heath – Transition Adviser: tanya.houghtonheath2@cheshireeast.gov.uk 07385 002348
SEN Inclusion Funding (SENIF) – summer term 2024
Children in receipt of SEN Inclusion Funding before 1 January 2024, when the new SENIF policy was introduced, will continue to receive funding during summer term 2024. New agreement schedules will be issued in April.
Many of these children will start school in September 2024. Children who have not yet reached school age by September and therefore continue to access their early education entitlements will require a new SENIF application under the terms of the new policy.
Applications for SEN Inclusion Funding received after 1 January 2024 are considered under the new SENIF policy. Should SENIF be agreed, a one-off payment is made based on the tiers / bands outlined in the policy. Should more support be required, providers must submit a further application to the SENIF panel.
SEND Inclusion Funding (cheshireeast.gov.uk)
SENCO Contact Details
Please ensure that the SENCO contact details for your setting are up to date. If you have referred a child at your setting to the Early Years Forum, the outcome of Forum will be shared with SENCO's via the contact details held on the Provider Portal.
Please check the information held by the Early Years Team via the Staff section of the Provider Portal and add/delete SENCO details as required. Guidance notes are available.
SEND Consultations
If you would like to book a SEND, PSED or Communication and Language consultation, please email: earlyyearsandchildcareteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk
You will be sent paperwork to complete, once that is finished and returned by secure email, including with a parent/carers signature, you will be offered a consultation slot.
Please note that the SLCN and SEND paperwork has been updated. Please delete any old copies that you have saved and email to request the latest forms.
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Cheshire East Chatters Summer Term Training
Cheshire East Chatters Talking Walk-in's
Please share the information below with parents. The Talking Walk-in's are opportunities for parents to speak with a Speech and Language Therapist to receive advice and guidance to support their child at home.
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PVC Banner Collection
We are providing settings (nurseries, pre-schools, schools and childminders) in Cheshire East with a PVC banner to promote Childcare Choices and the new entitlements.
These are now available to collect from the reception at either:
- Oakenclough Family Hub, Colshaw Drive, Wilmslow, SK9 2PZ
- Monks Coppenhall Family Hub, Remer Street, Crewe, CW1 4LY
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Childminder Drop-In's
Family Help Drop In's
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Continuous Professional Development |
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Summer Term Training now available on the Early Years Training Hub
The ChESS Early Years Training Hub has been updated with lots of training opportunities for the Summer term, please take a look and book on now!
Upcoming training:
Basic Safeguarding Awareness - 14th May 2024 18:30 - 20:30 (Teams)
This training will help you to develop an awareness of, and the ability to act on, concerns about the safety and welfare of children and young people. It will enable you to understand your safeguarding role, be able to define, identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect and identify safer caring practices.
Delivering Small Groups - 15th May 2024 13:30 - 16:00 (Teams)
Together with our specialist Speech and Language Therapists you will explore ways to set up small groups focussing on the development of attention and listening skills as well as language skills and vocabulary. You will learn more about how to identify children for the groups as well as sharing thoughts and ideas around using a total communication approach to support children to engage with the activities.
Early Years Inclusion Toolkit for Childminders - 5th June 2024 18:00 - 19:30 (Teams)
This session will concentrate on the new sections of the Cheshire East Inclusion Toolkit for Early Years and how they can be utilised effectively to support your role in the setting. We will also discuss the changes that are likely to be made to the paperwork and the new sections that are upcoming.
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Early Years Training Hub – reminder to sign up
Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to the ChESS Early Years Training Hub. If you haven’t yet signed up, please do so now to book on to training. You can sign up by accessing this link:
Chess Early Years Training Hub (sla-portals.co.uk)
Then click on the sign up button on the top right hand side of the login page.
The ChESS Early Years Training Hub button on our Early Years and Childcare Training Resources (cheshireeast.gov.uk) webpage will also give you access to the Hub.
Through our Early Years training page, you can find information about the training and CPD offer available to Early Years practitioners in Cheshire East.
Please note: If you already have access to the ChESS Hub for schools, you do not need to sign up again, however, please email us to request additional access user rights to the Early Years Hub.
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