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Bulletin 327

14 October 2024

Welcome to our Early Years and Childcare Bulletin. Previous Bulletins are available at: Cheshire East Early years and Childcare Bulletin

Business Support

Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) data management system

From 1 September 2025, the FEEE data management system will change from Synergy to LiquidLogic.

What will this mean for childcare providers?
A new provider portal will be available from 1 September 2025 and training will be provided during summer term 2025. As summer term 2025 approaches, regular updates will be included in the Early Years and Childcare bulletin. Please ensure all staff with responsibility for data submission have access to the bulletin.

National Wraparound Programme and Early Years Entitlements Funding

The application process for Round 1 for applying for Revenue and/or Capital grant funding for the Wraparound Childcare Programme and the Early Years Entitlements Expansion closes on Monday 21st October at noon.

Please click on the buttons below to apply.

If you would like support in completing the documentation for the grant applications or any have any questions or queries, please email: earlyyearsandchildcareteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Focus on...

Providers must ensure a first aid box with appropriate items for use on children is always accessible. Providers must keep a written record of accidents or injuries and first aid treatment. Providers must inform parents and/or carers of any accident or injury sustained by the child on the same day as, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, and of any first aid treatment given.

National updates

New childminder flexibilities coming in from 1 November

The Department for Education is introducing new flexibilities for childminders from 1 November to help more childminders join and stay in the profession. The new flexibilities will:

• Create a new category of childminder (childminder without domestic premises) who work entirely from non-domestic premises
• Increase, from 3 to 4, the total number of people that can work together under a childminder’s registration (including the childminder)
• Give childminders and providers of childcare on domestic premises (CODPs) more flexibility, allowing them to spend more time operating outside of domestic premises, such as a community hall or school
• Increase the number of people needed for CODPs to operate from 4 or more, to 5 or more people providing care. Note: CODPs that were registered, or applied to register, before 1 November can continue operating with 4 or more people.

The department has published an article on the Foundation Years website to give an overview of the changes and answer main FAQs.

Ofsted Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow

In partnership with Manchester Local Authority, Ofsted will be running a Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow on 16 October 2024. There are two sessions aimed at different audiences. Session 1 will run from 09:30-12:30 and is aimed specifically at maintained nursery schools and any school with pre-reception age children attending. Session 2 will run from 13:30-16:30 and is aimed specifically at Early Years providers and practitioners, including childminders.

Best start in life: a research review for early years

Ofsted has published the final part in its series of Best start in life research reviews relating to early years education.

The research is clear: early education is too important to be left to chance. A high-quality early years curriculum is particularly important as not all children get the same start in life – for example, due to differences in the level of help they receive at home.

For more information and to read the review, please click on the button below.

EYFS Learning and Development

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

SEND

Transition: A Graduated Approach

The Transition team have co-produced a Graduated Approach to Transition (inline with the Inclusion Toolkit).

This is to support early identification of children that may need more support during transition between settings (Early Years- Primary, Primary to Secondary and Secondary to Post 16). Practitioners should consider individual children and the level of transition support they will require. The levels described in this document are intended as a practice guide to aid considerations when planning for transitions. Early identification starting from autumn 1 will help support a robust transition over the academic year.  

If you would like further information on the Graduated Approach to Transition please contact the SEND Transition Team. Over the next few weeks, the SEND Transition Team are keen to roll out their resources and new website with you all, in order to gain your feedback, so please keep an eye out.

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

Cheshire East Chatters

Family Hubs

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. If you do not have a banner yet, these are 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

Continuous Professional Development

Autumn Term Training available on the Early Years Training Hub

The ChESS Early Years Training Hub has been updated with lots of training opportunities for the Autumn term, please take a look and book on now!

Upcoming training next week:

Safer Recruitment Refresher - 21st October 2024 09:30 - 13:30 (Oakenclough Family Hub)

Childcare settings share with others a duty to safeguard the children in their care. Implementing safer recruitment practices is one way of discharging this safeguarding obligation. Keeping Children Safe in Education recommends that at least one of the persons involved in shortlisting and interviewing, should have safer recruitment training. This is a half day refresher course to delegates that have completed the whole day course previously. There is no assessment for the refresher. Attendees will need to email a copy of their certificate to: earlyyearsandchildcareteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk

Role of the SENCO - 22nd October 2024 09:30 - 15:30 (Monks Coppenhall Family Hub)

This course has been written for those new to the role of the SENCO and those wishing to refresh their knowledge. If you need information on Cheshire East’s graduated approach, Cheshire East’s SEND Toolkit, up to date and relevant paperwork, external advice systems and processes, then this is the course for you. We will provide information on all the above as well as useful ideas and strategies, the roles and responsibilities of the Early Years SENCO and time to discuss any questions with other professionals.

Designing and Implementing your EYFS Curriculum - 23rd October 2024 18:00 - 20:00 (Microsoft Teams)

Join Jan Dubiel for a session on Designing and Implementing your EYFS Curriculum. This session will provide an overview of what we mean by ‘Curriculum’ in the EYFS. It will explore how we use our knowledge of the children we work with to ensure that it enables them to develop and make progress by focussing on what they need to learn. It will also provide a practical approach to designing how our curriculum supports the uniqueness of all learners. This will also involve how this enables us to both ensure that our provision delivers this for children and empowers practitioners to be able to understand and describe this.

Prevent - 24th October 2024 10:30 - 12:00 (Microsoft Teams)

Prevent duty training, the threat from terrorism and extremism in the UK. The Prevent Engagement Officer for Liverpool City Council will be leading this Prevent training session for early years providers. The training will cover the Prevent duty, different extremist ideologies that can lead to terrorism and the risk around radicalisation and your supportive role.