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Bulletin 366

20 October 2025

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

Liquidlogic

Establishment Portal Payment Advice

The facility to view payments in Liquidlogic is reliant on data from both Synergy (the previous system) and Liquidlogic. The data transferred from Synergy to Liquidlogic did not include children who had adjustments in summer term. Consequently, the balancing payment for autumn term has involved some manual calculations that are not shown in Liquidlogic. In some cases, the balancing payment will be overstated in Liquidlogic in comparison to the actual payment, however, the autumn term interim payment received in August will be understated when compared against the funding received.

The payment overview screen has not been enabled to avoid confusion. However, this has prevented providers from viewing any details about their payments, including provider hourly rates. In view of this, the payments screen will be enabled on Monday 3 November, but care needs to be taken when comparing the information on Liquidlogic with the actual payment. This is a migration issue between the systems and is limited to autumn term only. Please check that the amount in your bank account matches your remittance advice.

Business Support

Using the experience-based route in your setting

The Department for Education (DfE) have published information about using the experience-based route in your early years setting. This route allows for suitable and experienced staff, who do not hold full and relevant qualifications, to be included in the staff:child ratios at level 3 following a period of supervised practice.

For more guidance on supporting children in the early years, visit the Help for early years providers website.

You can also contact DfE online for more information about the experience-based route. Mark your request for the attention of the early years qualification unit.

Safeguarding

Safer Sleep Awareness Guide

The Lullaby Trust have a Safer Sleep Awareness Guide for Childminders, Nannies and Nursery Settings.

Please click on the button below to view the guide.

Martyn’s Law for education settings

Martyn's Law for education settings has been updated. The changes include the removal of references to capacity – security tiers now reference the expected number of people (staff and learners) in attendance. Clarified that settings with under 200 people are exempt but encouraged to plan. Reiterated that this is a policy paper – formal guidance will follow before the 2027 implementation.

For more information, please click on the button below.

National Updates

The new Best Start in Life campaign

The Best Start in Life campaign launched this week. It is part of the government’s Plan for Change promise to break the link between a child's background and their future success, with the aim to ensure 75% of children are ready to learn when they start school by 2028. 

To mark the campaign launch, a powerful new film titled ‘The Story of You’ has been released, celebrating the journey of early childhood, highlighting to parents the vital role they play in their child’s lives and the support available.

The Best Start in Life toolkit launched last week. This toolkit will help you to reach parents and carers of young children with key messages to support them on their journey.

Please encourage your families to:

• Explore the Best Start in Life website where they can find trusted resources and information as well as local support. 
• Subscribe to the newsletter or personalised weekly emails for tailored updates, tips, and guidance throughout their parenting journey. 

SEND

Book Your Place - The Graduated Approach and OAIP Training Sessions

Following the recent Inclusion Strategy Event for schools, an action from this was:

Strengthening the knowledge and skills of our education community, parents and other agencies in terms of the graduated approach – with a particular focus on Ordinarily Available and Inclusion Provision.

In order to deliver on this we have organised sessions to be led by Gary Aubin on what inclusive support through OAIP could like in Cheshire East. Gary Aubin leads on a SEND School Improvement programme with Whole Education, supporting schools, trusts and settings to drive a whole-school approach to supporting pupils with SEND. Gary sits on the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review panel. Gary is also the Education Endowment Foundation’s SEND Associate. In this role, he has worked extensively on sharing the evidence base behind high-quality teaching for SEND, as well as advised on the development of the SENCO NPQ.

These training sessions will be open to all schools, settings and wider partner agencies in order that we have a cohesive and consistent message which can be shared across Cheshire East.

These sessions will take place on.

24 November 2025 – North: Congleton Town Hall
AM – schools and settings   
PM – partner agencies

15 December 2025 – South: Crewe Alexandra Football Stadium
AM – schools and settings
PM – partner agencies

Please book your place via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/vxMW9rmZMN

We are hoping that every school and setting attends, alongside our partner agencies, in order for all of us to be part of our inclusion journey in Cheshire East and improve provision for our children.

SEND Transitions

The SEND Team would like to extend a sincere thank you to all settings for prioritising transition annual reviews for pupils moving to a new phase of education next September. As we progress further into the autumn term, we kindly ask that you continue planning EHCP transition annual reviews for your Nursery 2s. These reviews are essential for enabling timely consultations and ensuring we meet statutory deadlines.

We recognise that transitions can be an anxious time for parents and carers. That’s why we’re so pleased to see the positive impact of Transition Drop-In sessions. These informal gatherings give families the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and feel more confident about the changes ahead.

Recently, the SEND Transition Team attended a session at Westminster Nursery School for parents and carers of children preparing to move to primary school. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees saying the session helped ease their concerns.

We would love to see more settings offering similar sessions. They make a meaningful difference in helping families feel supported and informed during key transition points.

Thank you again for your continued partnership in supporting children with SEND.

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Rachael Pickles – Transition Lead:

rachael.pickles2@cheshireeast.gov.uk 07816 144386

Family Hubs

Training

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 after half term:

Activity Planning and Risk Benefit Play – 4th November 2025 9:30 - 12:00 (Microsoft Teams)

This two-hour training course will provide practical knowledge and skills to plan engaging activities for children aged 5 and over. It has been specifically written for wraparound and out-of-school care providers, focusing on balancing safety with challenge through risk-benefit play. This training will help you create purposeful activities that stimulate curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving, while enabling children to safely explore new challenges. You will learn how to assess and manage risks alongside recognising the benefits of adventurous play. By the end of the course, you will have strategies to design sessions that encourage independence, resilience, and fun, while meeting safeguarding and safety requirements.

Basic Safeguarding Awareness – 4th November 2025 18:30 - 20:30 (Microsoft Teams)

This two-hour training course will provide basic information and understanding about safeguarding children. It has been specifically written to address safeguarding in Early Years and Childcare settings and covers practice and procedures used within Cheshire East. 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.

Introduction to Attachment and Communication – 5th November 2025 13:00 - 16:00 (Microsoft Teams)

Join us for an introduction to early attachment and the links to speech and language development. During this course, explore attachment and how it links to communication development. We will discuss typical development and how to support children with speech and language needs and will also investigate the local speech and language therapy pathway and guidance around making referrals into the SLT NHS service.

Staff Wellbeing Workshop – 6th November 2025 18:30 - 20:30 (Microsoft Teams)

Join us to explore staff wellbeing, delivered by an Educational Psychologist. Join our interactive online workshop designed to enhance wellbeing and empower you with practical strategies to support the healthy development of wellbeing practices. This session will suggest ways to manage stress effectively while fostering a positive and resilient mindset. Together, we will explore ways to create a supportive environment that prioritises wellbeing. Don't miss this opportunity to focus on your wellbeing and promote a culture of self-care and balance.