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Bulletin 332

25 November 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 Entitlements - Autumn term adjustments

Autumn term adjustments will be accepted until the end of term. Adjustments must be submitted via an email to the FEEE Team mailbox (FEEE@cheshireeast.gov.uk). Please attach a scanned copy of the parental declaration form. Emails submitted without a copy of the form will be returned and the adjustment will not be processed.

Free Early Education Entitlements – Eligibility code checks

The provider portal will re-open on Thursday 5 December until Sunday 8 December. In advance of this date, it is essential that you continue to validate eligibility codes as you receive them via the provider portal eligibility checker. This will avoid disappointment and challenge from parents who may have applied for a code early and, depending on the eligibility code end date, have not realised the need to reconfirm their code before term starts. 

Jobcentre Plus Support for Employers

Jobcentre Plus' network of local Employer Advisers can help you to find the right people for your jobs. They will work with you to fill your vacancies using the most suitable recruitment solution, including: help with job descriptions speeding up your recruitment process promoting your vacancies in local Jobcentres and on their social media use of Jobcentre Plus offices for interviews (where available) and local recruitment events planning future recruitments find a job - a free online jobs site Contact your local Jobcentre Plus Employer Adviser on crewe.lmra1@dwp.gov.uk to advertise and promote your vacancies. This email address applies to all Jobcentre Plus' in Cheshire East.

Childcare Works Hub for Providers

Childcare Works has developed lots of free DfE funded resources and practical tools to help providers and schools. Here you will find a comprehensive library of the resources developed to support the roll-out of the early years and wraparound childcare expansion projects. Please click on the button below to access the Childcare Works HUB.

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements

Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Focus on...

There should be a separate baby room for children under the age of two. However, providers must ensure that children in a baby room have contact with older children and are moved into the older age group when appropriate (for group and school-based providers).

National updates

Consultation on creating a modern framework for industrial relations

On Monday 21 October 2024 the government launched a consultation on modernising the legislative framework that underpins trade unions.

The Department for Education are seeking views on several specific measures which will have implications for both trade unions and employers.

Views can be provided via the button below. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Monday 2 December 2024.

Register for a live online event with Stephen Morgan, Minister for Early Education

Join Stephen Morgan, Minister for Early Education, for a live online event for those working in the early education and childcare sector on Wednesday 4 December 2024 at 6:00pm.

The Minister will reflect on his work so far in government and priorities. He also wants to hear from you and will answer questions from the live chat.

Please note that this event has been rescheduled from Tuesday 26 November.

Click the button below to register for the event.

School Based Nurseries capital funding webinars and guidance

The Department for Education recently hosted webinars for schools and local authorities on the school-based nursery capital grant, where they explained the application process and shared key considerations for designing a nursery.

The DfE have also updated the guidance which answers common questions about eligibility, local authority approval, costs, and the application process.

If you still have questions about the application process, please contact the Customer Help Portal.

Click the buttons below for more information.

Update on the wraparound childcare programme

The existing wraparound childcare programme will help lay the foundations for the newly announced breakfast clubs commitment. As such, the Wraparound childcare guidance for schools still applies.

Local authorities have now received funding so the Department for Education encourage schools to work with them to make the most of the available support, including working with private, voluntary and independent providers (PVIs) where helpful.

More information on breakfast clubs will be shared in due course.

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

Early Years Forum and Early Years SENIF Panel Deadlines – Spring term

Early Years Forum referral deadlines have now been added for Spring term.

Early years forum – information for practitioners

Early Years SENIF panel deadlines have now been added for Spring term.

SEND Inclusion Funding

All applications must have a costed provision map attached – the template is available on the link.

Transition – Virtual Tours

As part of the role of the SEND Transition Team have been exploring what is working well and listening to our children/young people and families to find out what is deemed as supportive and helpful when managing the transition into a new setting.  As previously outlined, we will use this platform to share these ideas and encourage schools and settings to take on board the suggestions.

Top Tip for Transition:

Feedback shows that children/young people appreciate visuals when preparing for a transition. Child-friendly virtual tours help to reduce anxieties and allow the students to prepare and become familiar with a setting prior to a visit. The link below is a good example of an inclusive approach to getting to know the new setting.

Knutsford Academy Virtual Tour:

Tour of the Westfield Drive campus - Knutsford Academy – YouTube

The SEND Transition team would welcome the opportunity to come and discuss the transition support within your setting so please feel free to contact them with any questions regarding the transition process.

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

Cheshire East Chatters - Training Needs Analysis Autumn 2024

Cheshire East Chatters is a collaborative initiative led by Speech and Language Therapists working in conjunction with Family Hubs in Cheshire East. We aim to upskill Early Years Practitioners to identify and provide support for children’s language difficulties as early as possible. Our training courses are offered universally. 

Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is a key part to discovering your training needs; at Cheshire East Chatters we want to meet your training needs as closely as we can to support your confidence in your role which will support our young children's communication development in return. We value and appreciate the role you play to every child's development. 

Responses are collected anonymously.

Please click the button below to complete the Training Needs Analysis form. 

Family Hubs

Childminder Drop-In's – Updated Flyer

Continuous Professional Development

Free Webinar & Resources: Join BBC Tiny Happy People to find out more

The BBC Tiny Happy People website provides a wealth of FREE resources including fun activity ideas, tips and advice, child development facts, key talking tips for any age and much more. All designed to empower families with knowledge and techniques to support their 0–4-year-olds development in the home learning environment.

To find out more join one of the free monthly champions training for professionals webinars by clicking the button below.

These virtual 45 minute sessions will explain BBC Tiny Happy People’s approach, show you easily shareable content on the website and highlight key language techniques and resources to share with families you work with.

If you have any questions please email tinyhappypeople@bbc.co.uk.

Autumn Term Training available on the Early Years Training Hub

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

Upcoming training next week:

Early Language Lead Network - 3rd December 2024 17:30 - 19:30 (Microsoft Teams)

These sessions are delivered by Cheshire East Chatters Speech and Language Therapists. The Early Language Lead Network offers information and advice on how to support the early communication and language development of the children in your setting.